Issue - meetings

That the report be noted.               

The Head of Housing introduced a report to outline to Members the variety of financial models available to the Council to facilitate housing development in Flintshire without the requirement for public grant subsidy. 

She detailed the background to the report and explained that the Council needed to rethink its approach to housing development.  It was reported that the Council needed to ensure that the right types of housing offered in the right locations were delivered to meet the needs of existing households.  To attract economically active households into Flintshire, the Council must therefore consider new delivery models, seek out alternative forms of funding and consider different tenures and housing products.   The report raised the issue of what to do with land that was owned by Flintshire County Council and detailed how it could deliver housing in the future.  The Head of Housing spoke of some of the financial models which included disposing of the land at no value or joint venture arrangements.     

Councillor Peter Curtis asked whether options which were used in other countries had been considered and disagreed with the idea of giving land away as he felt that the highest price should be achieved. 

In response to questions from Councillor Alison Halford, the Head of Housing provided further information on a co-operative delivery model.  The Cabinet Member for Housing said that discussions were ongoing and a visit was to be undertaken to view properties built by other local authorities.  Councillor Ray Hughes asked whether building log cabins had been considered. 

Councillor Gareth Roberts felt that the Council would like to be able to build its own Council housing but in highlighting paragraph 3.14, he raised concern that the models suggested in the report were about building properties for others.  He also felt that it was inappropriate to consider undertaking prudential borrowing.

In response to the comments made, the Head of Housing said that it was not the role of the Council to just look at social needs as there was a need to provide adequate housing provision for all.  She spoke of the differences between affordable/social rent and market rents and said that there was a need to look at how to meet all the different needs. 

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.