Issue - meetings

The Strategic Housing Services Manager presented a report focusing on the development of new Council houses at Loxley Close, Church Hill.

The Council was aiming to develop a number of two-bedroom properties at the site.  This would mean the loss of land used by current residents for parking and action had been taken to mitigate against this issue through the provision of visitor parking spaces.  The properties would help to meet significant demand in the Borough for two-bedroom properties; Members were advised that on the date of the meeting, there were 365 people on the Council’s waiting list for this type of property.

The properties would have a number of features designed to enhance the energy efficiency of the buildings, including air source heat pumps, subject to planning permission.  The aim was to ensure that these properties all received an EPC A rating.

In order to fund the works, receipts would be used from Council house sales made under right to buy.  Tenants would be charged affordable rents and it was anticipated that the Council would be able to cover the costs of the project from this rental income in just over 30 years’ time.

Members subsequently discussed the report in detail and in doing so commented on the following:

·             The lessons that had been learned form the Council’s work developing new Council houses at Edgeworth Close.

·             The potential for more Council houses to be developed by the authority in future years.

·             The possibility that the Council could request support from the WMCA’s Housing and Land Delivery Board for the development of Council houses in the Borough.

·             The location of the new houses in Loxley Close near to a flood plain and the implications of this for residents’ house insurance.  Officers explained that the houses would be built outside the flood plain.

·             The financial costs involved for tenants in operating air source heat pumps using electricity.  Officers explained that research indicated that annual costs of heating associated with using air source heat pumps was between £670 and £720 per year per household compared to in excess of £1,000 per year per household using conventional heating methods.

·             The reason why tenants would be charged an affordable rent for leasing these properties rather than a standard social rent.  Officers explained that this was a legal requirement, arising from the Council’s use of receipts from the sales of Council houses under the right to buy process.

·             The differences between social rents, affordable rents and market rents.  The Committee was informed that social rents were approximately between 45 and 50 per cent of market rents whilst affordable rents were around 60 per cent of the rate of market rents.

·             The attempts that had been made to develop Loxley Close in previous years and the difficulties that had been caused in relation to concerns about potential flooding at the site.

·             The design features that had been incorporated into the properties to help mitigate against the risk of flooding.

During consideration of this item, an amendment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35