Agenda item

(time limit 15 minutes).

 

Motion 1

Councillor Hibbert to MOVE and Councillor Fielding to SECOND:

“This council notes that:

• That the Housing and Planning Bill has been consulted on and will be debated in Parliament and, if passed, it would threaten the provision of affordable homes for rent and purchase by:

Forcing 'high-value' council homes to be sold on the open market;

Extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants;

Undermining section 106 requirements on private developers to provide affordable homes.

• There is no commitment in the Bill that affordable homes will be replaced like-for-like in the local area.

• That whilst measures to help first-time buyers are welcome, the 'starter homes' proposals in the Bill will be unaffordable to families and young people on ordinary incomes in most parts of the country; will not preserve the taxpayer investment; and will be built at the expense of genuinely-affordable homes to rent and buy.
• That the Bill undermines localism by taking 32 new wide and open-ended powers for the Secretary over councils and local communities, including the ability to over-ride local plans; to mandate rents for social tenants; and to impose a levy on stock-holding councils, violating the terms of the housing revenue account self-financing deal.
• That the Bill, whilst introducing some welcome measures to address issues relating to rogue landlords, does not help with the high rents, poor conditions and insecurity affecting many of England's 11m private renters, including one in four families with children, and does nothing to help to arrest the recent rise in homelessness.

Oldham Council is already working with partners to use its land and skills to bring forward new housing in the Borough. The Government’s ‘one size fits all’ approach to Planning and Housing doesn’t work for areas like Oldham and Greater Manchester.

This council resolves to contact Cllr. Sue Derbyshire, Chair of Greater Manchester Planning and Housing Commission, suggesting that GM should contact the Housing Minister to request a discussion with the Government on the challenges we face and how they can assist us in bringing forward more difficult housing sites.”

The Mayor informed the meeting that there was one item of outstanding business from the previous meeting.

 

Motion 1

 

Councillor Hibbert MOVED and Councillor Fielding SECONDED the following motion:

 

“This council notes that:

·       That the Housing and Planning Bill has been consulted on and will be debated in Parliament and, if passed, it would threaten the provision of affordable homes for rent and purchase by:

Forcing ‘high-value’ council homes to be sold on the open market;

Extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants;

Undermining section 106 requirements on private developers to provide affordable homes.

·       There is no commitment in the Bill that affordable homes will be replaced like-for-like in the local area.

·       That whilst measures to help first-time buyers are welcome, the ‘starter homes’ proposals in the Bill will be unaffordable to families and young people on ordinary incomes in most parts of the country; will not preserve the taxpayer investment; and will be built at the expense of genuinely-affordable homes to rent and buy.

·       That the Bill undermines localism by taking 32 new wide and open-ended powers for the Secretary over councils and local communities, including the ability to over-ride local plans; to mandate rents for social tenants; and to impose a levy on stock-holding councils, violating the terms of the housing revenue account self-financing deal.

·       That the Bill, whilst introducing some welcome measures to address issues relating to rogue landlords, does not help with the high rents, poor conditions and insecurity affecting many of England’s 11m private renters, including one in four families with children, and does nothing to help to arrest the recent rise in homelessness.

Oldham Council is already working with partners to use its land and skills to bring forward new housing in the Borough.  The Government’s ‘one size fits all’ approach to Planning and Housing doesn’t work for areas like Oldham and Greater Manchester. 

This council resolves to contact Cllr. Sue Derbyshire, Chair of Greater Manchester Planning and Housing Commission, suggesting that GM should contact the Housing Minister to request a discussion with the Government on the challenges we face and how they can assist us in bringing forward more difficult housing sites.

 

AMENDMENT

 

Councillor McCann MOVED and Councillor Murphy SECONDED the following amendment:

 

“Remove the word ‘that’ in line one.

Insert the word ‘tenants’ in line six, three additional lines as follows:

 

‘Reducing social rents by 1 percent per annum;

Imposing market rents on households earning £30,000 a year or more making it less likely than such households will be able to afford to sustain a successful tenancy’

 

Bullet point lines five to (now) ten as follows:

 

o   Forcing ‘high-value’ council homes to be sold on the open market;

o   Extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants;

o   Reducing social rents by 1 percent per annum;

o   Imposing market rents on households earning £30,000 a year or more making it less likely than such households will be able to afford to sustain a successful tenancy;

o   Undermining section 106 requirements on private developers to provide affordable homes.

 

Replace the word ‘taking’ with ‘transferring’ in (now) line 17

 

Replace the word ‘for’ with ‘to’ in (now) line 18

 

Insert the word ‘Secretary’ in (now) line 18 of “State”

 

Insert after ‘Oldham and Greater Manchester’ the following new paragraph:

 

‘Council further notes with grave concern the recent announcement by Chancellor George Osborne that he plans to cap housing benefit for specialist social rented properties at the same rate as private rented accommodation from April.  This will put the provision of specialist housing for around 50,000 vulnerable adults, such as dementia patients, disabled people and women fleeing domestic violence under threat of closure.’

 

Insert as a final bullet point at the end of the original motion the following wording:

 

‘Ask the Council’s Housing Strategy team to carry out, in conjunction with the Oldham Investment Housing Partnership, an analysis of the likely impact within the borough of Oldham of the forced sale of council homes, the extension of right-to-buy, the diminution of the ‘starter homes’ requirement on developers, the imposition of market rents on households with a £30,000 income occupying social housing, and the imposition of a cap on housing benefit payments made to vulnerable tenants occupying social-rented accommodation, and to identify any measures that may mitigate this impact, for circulation to elected members.”

 

Amended motion to read:

 

“This council notes:

·     That the Housing and Planning Bill has been consulted on and will be debated in Parliament and, if passed, it would threaten the provision of affordable homes for rent and purchase by:

o   Forcing ‘high-value’ council homes to be sold on the open market;

o   Extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants;

o   Reducing social rents by 1 percent per annum;

o   Imposing market rents on households earning £30,000 a year or more making it less likely than such households will be able to afford to sustain a successful tenancy;

o   Undermining section 106 requirements on private developers to provide affordable homes

o   There is no commitment in the Bill that affordable homes will be replaced like-for-like in the local area.

·     That whilst measures to help first-time buyers are welcome, the ‘starter homes’ proposals in the Bill will be unaffordable to families and young people on ordinary incomes in most parts of the country; will not preserve the taxpayer investment; and will be built at the expense of genuinely-affordable homes to rent and buy.

·     That the Bill undermines localism by transferring 32 new wide and open-ended powers to the Secretary of State from councils and local communities, including the ability to over-ride local plans; to mandate rents for social tenants; and to impose a levy on stock-holding councils, violating the terms of the housing revenue account self-financing deal.

·     That the Bill, whilst introducing some welcome measures to address issues relating to rogue landlords, does not help with high rents, poor conditions and insecurity affecting many of England’s 11m private renters, including one in four families with children, and does nothing to help to arrest the recent rise in homelessness.

Oldham Council is already working with partners to use its land and skills to bring forward new housing in the Borough.  The Government’s ‘one size fits all’ approach to Planning and Housing doesn’t work for areas like Oldham and Greater Manchester.

Council further notes with grave concern the recent announcement by Chancellor George Osborne that he plans to cap housing benefit for specialist social rented properties at the same rate as private rented accommodation from April.  This will put the provision of specialist housing for around 50,000 vulnerable tenants, such as dementia patients, disabled people and women fleeing domestic violence, under threat of closure.

This council resolves to:

·       Contact Cllr. Sue Derbyshire, Chair of Greater Manchester Planning and Housing Commission, suggesting that GM should contact the Housing Minister to request a discussion with the Government on the challenges we face and how they can assist us in bringing forward more difficult housing sites.

·       Ask the Council’s Housing Strategy team to carry out, in conjunction with the Oldham Investment Housing Partnership, an analysis of the likely impact within the borough of Oldham of the forced sale of council homes, the extension of right-to-buy, the diminution of the ‘starter homes’ requirement on developers, the imposition of market rents on households with a £30,000 income occupying social housing, and the imposition of a cap on housing benefit payments made to vulnerable tenants occupying specialist social-rented accommodation, and to identify any measures that may mitigate this impact, for circulation to elected members.”

 

Without debate the Council moved to the vote on the AMENDMENT.

 

On being put to the vote FIFTY FIVE VOTES were cast in FAVOUR of the AMENDMENT with ONE ABSTENTION.  The AMENDMENT was therefore CARRIED.

 

A vote was then taken on the Substantive Motion.

 

On being put to the vote FIFTY FIVE VOTES were cast in FAVOUR of the SUBSTANTIVE MOTION with ONE ABSTENTION.  The Motion was therefore CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

·       Councillor Sue Derbyshire, Chair of Greater Manchester Planning and Housing Commission, be contacted suggesting that GM should contact the Housing Minister to request a discussion with the Government on the challenges we face and how they can assist us in bringing forward more difficult housing sites.

 

·                 the Council’s Housing Strategy team be asked to carry out, in conjunction with the Oldham Investment Housing Partnership, an analysis of the likely impact within the borough of Oldham of the forced sale of council homes, the extension of right-to-buy, the diminution of the ‘starter homes’ requirement on developers, the imposition of market rents on households with a £30,000 income occupying social housing, and the imposition of a cap on housing benefit payments made to vulnerable tenants occupying specialist social-rented accommodation, and to identify any measures that may mitigate this impact, for circulation to elected members.