Agenda item

Cabinet AGREED to approve the establishment of a Housing Development Agency under shared governance with the City Deal local authority partners (Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council) and delegate authority to the Executive Director (Corporate Services) to make decisions and to take steps which are necessary, conducive or incidental to the establishment of the shared housing development service in accordance with the business case.

Cabinet considered a report which proposed the establishment of a shared housing development service with Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council as the Greater Cambridge City Deal local authority partners.

Councillor Simon Edwards, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Staffing, presented the report and set out the proposal to establish the Housing Development Agency as an operational model through which the City Deal partners’ collective resources in terms of land, finance and staff skills could be applied to complement the market driven housing development process and smooth the peaks and troughs of market delivery.  The shared service model was the option proposed at this stage, with a view to entering into a wholly partner owned local company model as soon as possible.  It was noted that the Greater Cambridge City Deal Joint Assembly and Executive Board had endorsed this approach.

Councillor Mark Howell, Portfolio Holder for Housing, referred to the governance arrangements behind the Housing Development Agency, where it was noted that the Portfolio Holders for Housing at Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council would be appointed onto the governing body, together with the Chairman of the General Purposes Committee representing Cambridgeshire County Council.  He highlighted that the Chairman of the General Purposes Committee would need to have powers delegated to him from the Committee in order that he could act on the governing body, which would not be necessary for the Portfolio Holders since they already had the delegated authority to take decisions.

Councillor Howell also questioned the number of posts that would make up the joint team, as referred to in the report, which he thought seemed excessive and was concerned that the Managing Director post had not been scheduled to be one of the first appointments.  Alan Carter, Head of Strategic Housing at Cambridge City Council, reported that the size of the team would be demand-led, depending on how many schemes were being undertaken, but stated that a core team within the three partner Councils could be immediately shared when necessary.  The point about the appointment of the Managing Director had been made at the meeting of the Greater Cambridge City Deal Executive Board where it was reported that this appointment should now be made earlier than originally anticipated.

Discussion ensued on risk management and questions were raised as to whether the document sufficiently assessed risk and mitigation, especially since there was no reference within it to the Local Plan.  Councillor Edwards stated that the additional houses would need to be delivered in any case, irrespective of what happened to the Local Plan or whether the Housing Development Agency was established. 

Cabinet AGREED to approve the establishment of a Housing Development Agency under shared governance with the City Deal local authority partners (Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council) and delegate authority to the Executive Director (Corporate Services) to make decisions and to take steps which were necessary, conducive or incidental to the establishment of the shared housing development service in accordance with the business case.