Agenda item

Housing Strategy 2019

Minutes:

The Board gave consideration to a report of the Principal Project Manager,

Economy.

 

The Board was informed that the Local Housing Strategy (LHS) was Oldham Council’s main strategic document for housing and interrelated services. It helped set out the strategic approach in tackling fuel poverty, improving house conditions, and meeting the allocations and homelessness responsibilities. It helped articulate the local strategic response to national and Greater Manchester housing priorities.

 

The Board were informed that the LHS underpinned and supported the delivery of a range of statutory housing responsibilities, ensuring that the Council could demonstrate that it had periodically reviewed the housing needs of its area in relation to both housing conditions and the needs of the

borough.

 

Further legislation required that when the Council carried out such reviews, they also had regard to the special needs of chronically sick or disabled persons and reviewed the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers residing in or resorting to the borough.

 

The LHS was supported by an up to date local housing needs assessment (LHNA) informed by a household survey and a large range of secondary data, which supported the strategic and statutory planning obligations of the local authority. The LHNA completed and complemented the assembly of the housing and planning evidence base for the borough.

 

The Board noted the new LHS was very much an evidence-backed strategy that added value to developing Oldham’s new Local Plan and was insightful into informing and supporting how the Council could act in response to the new house building targets arising from the publication of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, to deliver high quality and more diversity of

choice, tenure and price points in Oldham’s housing offer.

 

Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

Infrastructure such as schools and doctors – the Place Plans were being mapped out and there would be workshops to identify issues in different areas.

Quality and affordability of housing – many approaches would be considered, not just outright sale. The aim was to make best use of current and new-build stock.

Could the Council decide what type of houses were needed – largely yes, as this would be supported from a strong evidence base.

Vision for Oldham as a whole to ensure mixed communities in most areas – the approach suggested by the evidence base would be used in discussion with communities and would not be definitive.

Options needed to make it easier for people to downsize and free up family houses – housing exchange schemes could be considered.

Addressing absentee landlords and unsuitable accommodation – work was going on across Greater Manchester to identify new and better ways of working with the private sector.

Input by voluntary sector and homeless – consultation would be very wide and the governance structure would be tasked with bringing all the strategies together.

What had the evidence shown so far – a huge rise in the over-75 population which would affect what types of housing were needed.

 

RESOLVED that:

1.     The phased approach of the development of the Housing Strategy and final approval timeline be noted.

2.     The summary findings and direction of travel arising from the work completed to date be noted.

3.     An informal meeting would be convened early in April 2019 to consider recommendation 3.

4.     Workshop dates would be shared with Board Members.

Supporting documents: