Agenda item

To provide the committee with an opportunity to consider and comment on the draft Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy. The report considered by Cabinet on 5th December 2018, is attached for information along with the draft Housing Strategy.

The Head of Housing Strategy presented the draft Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy, which would be going out to consultation for six weeks from 18 December 2018. Approval of the final strategy was anticipated in April/March 2019. The draft strategy set out the strategic direction for housing activity in the area. Members were invited to comment on the draft strategy by completing the online survey or contacting the Head of Housing Strategy directly.

The committee was informed of the following:

·         It was too early to say whether there would need to be a significant number of additional houses built in the district, however a new methodology would be undertaken with Planning colleagues in 2019 to assess this; this was a large piece of work that needed to be undertaken in preparation for the next Local Plan.

·         Officers were working with Sheffield Hallam University on projections for housing need for older people. The services people wanted and what would be possible to provide for older people, would have to be reviewed. Cambridgeshire County Council would need to be worked with closely on this. New homes needed to be of a good quality of design, with the ability to be adapted.

·         The potential for a retirement village would be looked at. The Netherlands model of living, would be looked at.

·         The Council’s policy was for 40% of new housing to be affordable of which 70% was affordable rent and 30% shared ownership.

·         Mobile home parks had been added to the draft strategy.

·         The draft strategy touched on specialist housing for disabled people, however having the evidence base for this need was a struggle.

·         Ambition had been built into the strategy for people to have houses that they could afford to run rather than spending all their money on commuting and utility bills.

·         The Local Plan included policies around renewable energy and environmentally friendly design could be encouraged in this. 

·         Under the National Planning Policy definition of travellers only included those that travelled. For those that no longer travelled, the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment 2016 identified that there was a need to provide accommodation for this group. It was recognised that there was also a need for a transit/emergency site due to the increased number of unauthorised encampments.

·         The Council had been discussing the provision of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs), with Ermine Street Housing. Shire Homes Lettings was interested in managing HMO properties too. 

Committee members made the following comments:

·         Homes for people who cared for elderly people, were also needed. It was queried whether covenants on housing for these people, could be considered.

·         Intergenerational flexible homes, that could be adapted to people’s different needs, were needed.

·         It was suggested that energy infrastructure be identified as a potential challenge for the rapid delivery of housing. It was pointed out that projects had been held up by lack of grid capacity.

·         Developers should be encouraged to provide electric charging points.

·         It was queried whether there was a KPI for the completion of affordable homes going forward.

·         There needed to be a recognition of the importance of green spaces in villages, in the Local Plan.