Issue - meetings

To seek the views of the Cabinet via a report by the Head of Housing on the draft Housing Strategy.

(Copies of the Strategy have been circulated previously.)

Council is asked to recommend the approval of the District Council’s Housing Strategy 2004/07 and to authorise the Director of Operational Services, after consultation with the Executive Member for Housing Strategy, to make any necessary presentational or textual changes to the Strategy document in advance of its submission to Go – East by the 31st July 2003.

By way of a report by the Head of Housing Services (a copy of which is appended in the minute Book) the Cabinet were invited to consider the content of the draft Housing Strategy 2004/07 which represented an assessment of the housing needs of the District and proposals for addressing these over that period.

Members were reminded that the Strategy formed part of an annual submission to Government Offices and the Housing Corporation and was used as a means of assessing an authority’s efficiency and effectiveness in meeting housing needs and allocating Housing Investment Programme resources.

The contents of the strategy had been presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) arising from which some concern had been expressed about the lack of affordable housing in the District.  In that respect, the Executive Member for Planning Strategy drew Members’ attention to the review of the Huntingdonshire Local Plan and a proposal to require 40% of new schemes to comprise affordable housing.

RESOLVED

  that full Council be recommended to approve the District Council’s Housing Strategy 2004/07 and to authorise the Director of Operational Services, after consultation with the Executive Member for Housing Strategy, to make any necessary presentational and/or textual changes to the Strategy document in advance of its submission to Go – East by 31st July 2003.