Agenda item

As detailed in the recommendations, and including:

·         That in order to address the risk to the planned programme of house building the Council invite the new Minister to review the suspension of the Right to Buy across Wales

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report, particularly welcoming the aspect of Flintshire being able to provide council and affordable housing in the future. 

The Chief Officer (Community and Enterprise) provided a detailed background on the Strategic Housing and Regeneration Programme (SHARP) which sought approval to progress to the next stage of the Programme.  She said there were four key components to the report which were:

·         What the Council was seeking to procure

·         How to procure

·         The type of contract required

·         Delivery of the Programme

On what could be procured, social and affordable housing across Flintshire on current and future sites was deemed to be the preferred option which was for up to 400 homes to be built on currently identified sites across Flintshire with the potential for a medium to long term contract to encompass the development of future sites. 

On how they could be procured, a market consultation exercise had taken place during July and August 2014 and was advertised in Sell2Wales and the European Journal using a prior information notice (PIN).  A summary of the market consultation results was appended to the report.

A Development Contract was the recommended option with a single developer being appointed for all sites, which could also include future identified sites.  This would utilise the expertise offered by the developer, who would assume more of the risk, and would encourage a higher level of commitment and investment from the developer.  It could also include a ‘profit share’ element should the Council choose at any future point to provide land for private development.

Delivery of the Programme would require the identification of suitable sites for different homes of the appropriate tenure.

Discussions had taken place with other local authorities in North Wales to establish whether they would want to join Flintshire as collaborative partners in the procurement.  The benefits of collaboration included the potential to increase critical mass, gain greater benefits from economies of scale, share knowledge and expertise and share procurement and administration costs.

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance said this was a clear example of the political priorities of the Council being reflected in outcomes.  He said the quality and design of the homes to be built would be for Flintshire to be proud of.  He queried the current position on the Right to Buy of Council properties which he felt should be suspended, which was concurred with by a number of other Cabinet members.  Following a suggestion, an additional recommendation was accepted to read: That in order to address the risk to the planned programme of house building the Council invite the new Minister to review the suspension of Right to Buys across Wales.

In response to a question from the Cabinet Member for Waste Strategy, Public Protection and Leisure, the Chief Officer (Community and Enterprise) explained that there would be no delay in the timescale for delivery of the Programme if other local authorities collaborated with Flintshire.

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance thanked all officers and the Cabinet Member for their work on this Programme.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That ‘Future Thinking Option 2’ as the strategy for the Programme be approved;

(b)       That the use of a development contract model for the reasons outlined in the report be approved as most suitable for the Programme;

(c)        That the procurement of the Programme using the competitive dialogue process be approved with a report back to Cabinet for approval of the preferred partner;

(d)       That it be approved that the procurement process and contract are structured in a way which can include the scope for collaborative partners to use the contract;

(e)       That it be approved that the Chief Officer (Community and Enterprise) and the Corporate Finance Manager be given authority in consultation with the Leader and the Housing Portfolio Holder to draw up and implement a funding plan to finance the Programme;

(f)        That it be approved that the Chief Officer (Community and Enterprise) and the Corporate Finance Manager be given delegated authority in consultation with the Leader and the Housing Portfolio Holder to acquire and/or transfer land between the HRA and the Council Fund in order to ensure that the tenure of the proposed houses best meets the needs of the locality in which they are built;

(g)       That it be approved that key strategic sites (as identified through the SHARP Programme and where budget provision had been made) be purchased for Housing Development in consultation with the Leader and Housing Portfolio Holder; and

(h)       That in order to address the risk to the planned programme of house building the Council invite the new Minister to review the suspension of the Right to Buys across Wales.