Agenda item

An update report on the implementation of the Borough’s Housing Strategy.

The Committee scrutinised a report of the Head of Housing that provided Members with an update regarding the implementation of the Housing Strategy.

The report set out the current policy context and ambitions for housing delivery in the Borough as part of the Creating a Better Place regeneration programme. It considered the merits of a range of development options which the Council could progress to ensure delivery of housing on land under its control and updated on current housing activity and recent achievements in the borough.  Progress towards developing brownfield land were highlighted therein.  The report also considered and made recommendations regarding affordable housing, low and zero carbon housing and Modern Methods of Construction.

The report established three possible options (a land sale, delivery via Building Lease and procuring a Strategic Development Partner) that were available to the Council and it outlined the advantages and disadvantages of each, before making site specific recommendations for delivery.

The Oldham Housing Strategy, published in 2019, underpinned the Housing Delivery Action Plan and guided how the Council would take decisions and action in respect of housing delivery over the coming years. The Council acknowledged that the ambitions set out in the strategy to deliver more new homes would require a different approach to supporting viability in the most appropriate way on a site-by-site basis. In particular, if the Council are to be successful in redeveloping more of the borough’s brownfield land, it would need to adopt different strategies to improving viability. This could include considering our approach to planning obligations, packaging sites, providing greater clarity, and exploring alternative sources of ‘gap funding’.

The Housing Strategy also noted that through housing insights evidence base and the Local Plan Review, the Council will provide a steer on the requirements for major development sites that come forward to support their comprehensive sustainable development and integration into the surrounding neighbourhoods. This includes homes built to high quality design and at a density that are appropriate to the location and nature of the site; and developing an ‘Oldham Code’ for low/zero-carbon homes.

There had been a new focus on economic recovery, aligned with ensuring that Oldham met its housing need continued to be of paramount importance.  This had created the opportunity to review additional brownfield sites in the town centre and across the borough to help bring forward these opportunities for housing development within the Greater Manchester's Plan for Homes, Jobs, and the Environment (formerly the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) and now known as Places for Everyone), and Oldham’s Local Plan. 

The aim was to provide a diverse housing offer that meets the needs of different sections of the population at different times in their lives. Our proposals go beyond numbers alone with a focus on the significant contribution that a quality housing offer makes to quality of life. For example, helping an older person to meet their need for a smaller more manageable home which, with the right adaptions, can protect and enhance independence.

Oldham’s current Local Housing Needs Assessment was for 683 new homes per year.  Over the past 10 years Oldham had averaged 344 new homes per year.  The Housing Delivery Action Plan published in 2021 highlighted the step changes needed to meet this challenge in both housing delivery and land supply. The Council’s land assets form an important part of the solution in increasing housing delivery. Oldham’s land supply has capacity for over 10,700 homes with almost 3,000 of these planned for land in Council ownership. 

Members of the Committee discussed the report in detail, raising issues regarding homelessness, empty properties, housing developments in Oldham town centre, housing allocations policy and the promotion and development of ‘eco’ properties. 

RESOLVED:

1.    That the report be noted.

2.    That a further update report be presented to the Committee in approximately 12 months.