The Chairman of the Council, Chairs of Committees and Sub-Committees and Portfolio Holders to answer any questions on any matters in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affect the District of which due notice has been given in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12.
Minutes:
66.1 The following questions were received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12:-
Question 1:
From Councillor Rachel Eburne to Councillor Jill Wilshaw, Cabinet Member for Housing
Given the issues with meeting house-building targets and the Five-Year Housing Land Supply when is Mid Suffolk District Council going to set up a housing company, to build the homes that we need both for sale and for rent, to contribute towards this?
Response
As you are aware the Council are in the final stages of investigating options to assist in delivering more homes within Mid Suffolk, and a report will be presented to Cabinet in December. The Council has already identified land to deliver the Councils current ambitious pipeline of housing, with the delivery of 309 homes predicted over the next 3 years with200 of these being affordable.
A housing company is one of many vehicles the Council will be looking to use to accelerate housing development, though as we know from other Councils nationally that having a housing company, on its own, does not necessarily deliver more homes. We are though confident that with a range of different vehicles and partnerships we can be at the forefront of making a positive intervention in the housing market and we endeavour to meet, and hopefully exceed, the housing targets we have been set.
Supplementary Question
Given the importance of this and the relatively low ambitions really within the housing strategy which is at a draft form at the moment there are housing companies that are quite successful and one is just north of the border actually but will the Council therefore provide a quarterly update on the amount of homes built in order to give confidence to local communities that we will achieve the overall housing numbers?
Response
Yes, we can do that.
Question 2:
From Councillor Keith Welham to Councillor Jill Wilshaw, Cabinet Member for Housing
Could we please have an update on progress towards building a passivhaus development in Mid Suffolk?
There has never been a more opportune time to purchase land to
provide truly affordable energy efficient homes for
tenants. Climate change is happening
and becoming critical; energy prices are continuing to rise; more
and more families are finding that Universal Credit makes them
worse off financially.
We can, as a Council, do our bit to tackle climate change,
contribute towards the 5-year land supply target; assist families
on low incomes; and lead the way locally by demonstrating how to
provide truly sustainable housing.
I moved a motion in October 2015 seeking a commitment from Council
to plan and carry out the construction of a passivhaus development by 2017. After discussion, Council resolved as
follows:
‘That this Council calls on Executive to investigate further how to achieve the aspiration for building Passivhomes’.
Please detail for Members the steps taken in the three years since that resolution of Council in October 2015.
Response
Whilst I accept that Mid Suffolk District Council have yet to build a Passivhaus since we began our ambitious housing development programme. We have been able to achieve the development of 38 new build homes and 65 acquisitions in the past three years. With a further 143 new build of our own homes planned over the next four years.
It is important that we develop sustainable and energy efficient homes and that is why our draft Housing Strategy for the period 2019-2024 identifies:
· Explore the development of a passivhaus standard for some new builds
· New homes are built to a high standard with the aspiration of Lifetime homes
· Expanding the air source heating programme for our council housing
· Updating of heating systems in council stock – replacing oil where possible, with gas or air source heating
· Granting funds to private landlords to install affordable, efficient and controllable heating systems and energy efficiency works
· Making sure all Council housing has an ‘EPC C’ rating or above
We know we must balance the viability of sites including standards and specifications with land and build costs.
I propose that the next steps should be:
· Housing Strategy – will include a commitment in relation to our own new builds that we will consider a range of options.
· Design brief that we are using for imminent contracts is completed by officers using advice from building control and the brief is explained to members about what sustainable measures are already in place.
· ‘A Member Board’ - Cross party member involvement /tenant involvement /officer involvement with development of new design brief for future builds. This could involve a range of specifications for measures that help those on a low income to have warm homes. Including passivhaus, the use of Air Source, electric charging points, and lifetime homes standard.
Supplementary Question
I am indebted to a Babergh Conservative Cabinet Member for her support. She’s clearly understood the reasons for my motion in 2015. Cllr Tina Campbell, a Babergh District Council Cabinet Member for Environment has requested inclusion in our Joint Environment Strategy the following:-
“Housing development should be required to meet passive house standards. In her email to Councillor Burn and copied to Councillor Roy Barker and a number of others states ‘if we don’t demand passive housing for all developments we are missing an opportunity so can we receive back please at the next Council meeting some firm dates for commissioning passive house designs and a target date for completion of construction of our first development?’.
Response
At the moment we are considering all aspects of buildings whether they’re passive house or others and we will look into this and see what we can achieve.