Agenda item
REPORT CALLED IN - Housing Investment Strategy
(Time allowed – 30 minutes)
Minutes:
At the request of the Chair, Sara WIlliams, Assistant Chief Executive, presented the call-in procedure to the Committee.
Councillor Tim Archer for the Call-In Members outlined the main issues that they held with the provisionally agreed Housing Investment Strategy including the insufficient detailing in the Cabinet report of alternatives to an ALMO, a lack of contingency planning to provide for the ALMO not achieving two star status and inadequate specification on the degree of consultation that will be performed.
Councillor Ahmed Hussain for the second group of Call-In Members referred to the reasons in their requisition and highlighted the main issues that they held with the provisionally agreed Housing Investment Strategy, namely that ALMOs are simply a stepping stone to privatisation and the omission from the strategy of a requirement for a ballot of residents to be held.
Committee Members put detailed questions to the Lead Member for Housing & Development, Councillor Rupert Bawden, Ms Emma Peters, Corporate Director Development and Renewal, and Ms McEleney, Director of Housing Management, on a number of issues including the lack of contingency planning in the report, whether or not ballots were going to be held, and the lack of supporting information that had been provided to Members on the Housing Investment Strategy.
Councillor Bawden, Ms Peters, and Ms McEleney responded on behalf of the Cabinet in detail on the points raised stating that whilst there were no plans to hold a ballot the widest possible consultation would be undertaken and that more detail would be provided to Members as the issue progresses.
The Committee felt that there were concerns about the report and decisions by Cabinet. In particular, Members felt that in agreeing a Housing Investment Strategy, there needed to be:
· Substantial detailing of the alternative management strategies for the Council’s retained estates.
· Information provided on how the ALMOs could achieve two star status and contingencies if this did not occur.
· Further consideration of the need for a ballot of residents on whether they wish to see an ALMO established.
The Chair MOVED and it was
RESOLVED
That Cabinet be requested to agree that the implementation of the Housing Investment Strategy be delayed in order to give further consideration to their concerns and alternative options including that Cabinet:
1) Consider the case for and against holding a ballot in order to consult residents on whether they wish to see an ALMO established.
2) Request more details of the 3 potential options for the future management of the Council’s retained estates so that members can make a much more informed decision then is currently the case.
3) Require detailed plans to be produced showing how the ALMO could achieve its two star status.
4) Seek more detailed and financed plans to show how the Council will meet the funding gap that is expected even with the ALMO funds, and also what the Council’s contingency will be should the ALMO not be successful in gaining two-star status.
5) Agree to lobby central government for further assistance, given the fact that Tower Hamlets as the report suggests is a unique borough with unique problems and opportunities, central government should be asked to provide further support. This further support could be relaxing the rules for the borough around borrowing for direct investment and a relaxation of the strict rules around eligibility for other Central Government grants.
6) Request detailed evidence provided showing:
a) housing investment needs with updated figures
b) available funding from all sources which could be utilized to meet this top priority (including all HRA receipts and maximum use of other available receipts)
c) an assessment of all publicly owned land and other assets available for building up to 100% genuinely affordable homes for rent
d) reassessing use of s106, planning and other processes to achieve the maximum possible affordable, environmentally-neutralised quality homes as quickly as possible
Supporting documents:
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Report - Call In Housing Investment Strategy-C, item 6.1
PDF 97 KB
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Report - Call In Housing Investment Strategy-LD&R, item 6.1
PDF 99 KB
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CabRptHousingInvestmentStrategy070207, item 6.1
PDF 195 KB
- HousingInvestmentStrategyAppendixOne, item 6.1 HTM 517 KB
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HousingInvestmentStrategyAppendix2, item 6.1
PDF 305 KB