Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

                        Councillor Attridge introduced the Welsh Government Innovative Housing Programme (IHP) – Land at St Andrew’s Church, Garden City report which provided details of the IHP and the bid application process.

                        The report also provided details on the proposed Modern Method of Construction to be utilised on the scheme and information on the terms and conditions attached to the grant award.

                        The scheme sought to support innovation covering construction techniques, delivery pathways and housing types across all tenures.  The main aims of the IHP were outlined in full in the report.

                        The IHP had a target of 1,000 affordable homes as part of the Welsh Government (WG) 20,000 affordable homes target and had been approved for three years, with a budget of £90 million.  The bidding process for Year 2 commenced in April 2018 and for the first time allowed projects from both private companies and social landlords to be considered.  The site identified by the Council for the proposed IHP was situated to the west of Sealand Avenue and to the rear of the Church of St Andrew and the Curate’s house.  In total the size amounted to 0.41 acres and had combined land under the current ownership of the Council with land bought from the Church of Wales in March 2017 using capital grant funding.

                        The Chief Officer (Housing and Assets) commented on the innovative scheme which saw on 16^th October the Minister for Housing announcing that Flintshire had been successful with its submission for the development of 12 apartments with the flexibility to meet changing needs in social housing including apartment’s size, wheelchair accessibility and supported living on the site.  It also provided an ideal opportunity to challenge the norm of developing through traditional forms of construction given its site location.

            RESOLVED:

(a)       That the delivery of 12 new apartments on land at St Andrew’s Church, Garden City at a projected cost of £2.199m following the award of £1.1m capital grant through Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme be approved; and

(b)       That Housing Revenue Account borrowing of £1.099m be approved to      fund the balance of the total projected scheme cost.