Decision details

Cllr Graham Turner introduced the Housing Delivery Plan update report, advising that it is a detailed report which outlines work currently being undertaken and projects in the pipeline and had recently been to Cabinet.

Joanne Bartholomew informed the Panel that by 2026, there will be 900 more homes.  Often the talk is about building houses, however, it is important to remember that it is building homes for people, much needed homes across the district.  There are some key strategic sites, and the Panel will be updated on the two main ones, and also some of the other works in the pipeline going forward, giving consideration around affordability and a mix of housing.

Thomas Fish, Strategic Partnership Lead, gave the Panel an overview of the appended report, advising that the first part of the report covers broadly what the team are involved in, and the program of works including some of the sites that are ongoing or in the process of starting.  There are sites within the program, which are Council owned, including the two strategic sites, Bradley Park, and Dewsbury Riverside.

The Council also works with funding bodies such as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Homes England, for any opportunities and funding programs that they have.  For example, the accelerated construction program, in terms of the Soothill site, which used Homes England funding.  There is work on the town centre living plans linked to the blueprints, looking at specific properties within Huddersfield Town centre and within Daisy Hill, using the town's fund funding.

The team works and sits on specialist supported housing forums within the Council, and also works closely with colleagues in housing services and planning, to secure affordable homes.   Work is also being undertaken talking to register providers about the developments they are doing off their own merit, but also ones where the council looks to partner with them to deliver the Council sites.

There is also the Brokerage Service which looks at sites which may have stalled in the system or developers might need advice.  The service provides specialist knowledge or help with partnership working with developers or registered providers who are interested in investing within Kirklees.

The appended report also touches on first homes, which is a very specific technical element linked to affordable housing.  The service consults on planning applications and provide specialist advice.  Previously, there had been discounted market housing, there has also been starter homes and the latest iteration of a government discounted housing is first homes, which is part of the affordable housing that has to be delivered for housing sites across the district.

The Panel was informed that in terms of the sites, a great deal of work is going into each one of these sites, and there are many project managers working on different elements.  The first site is Bradley Park, a large allocation within the Kirklees local plan.  The Council owns a significant piece of the site and has been working using West Yorkshire Combined Authority funding on feasibility work.  Following the recent Cabinet decision, an allocated budget has been agreed to take that feasibility work forward.  Moving forward and looking at taking the sites to the next steps, the aim is to appoint a partner or a developer to progress the work. 

In respect of Dewsbury Riverside, the largest allocation in the local plan, the Council owns 30 hectares of the 160 hectare site.  There has been a lot of work that has been undertaken recently to relocate allotments to facilitate the central access into the site, where 43 replacement allotments have been constructed.

There was a Strategic Planning decision taken in November 2022,  on the first phase application for up to 350 homes on the Council's land.  Working collaboratively with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Homes England,  to look at the master plan and reviewing where is suitable, based on the changes that have happened since the local plan was adopted.

There will be the benefit of the Transpennine route upgrade and the new station, which will be built on site.  The allotments have been replaced and reflecting on any planning policy changes that have happened.  There will be more work going forwards, including significant engagement with the community over the next 12 months in taking Dewsbury Riverside to the next stages of development.

With regard to the town centre and the Huddersfield Blueprint, the two buildings that are being focused on at this time, are Estate Buildings and Somerset Buildings. Working with 13 Housing Group, who are in Northeast strategic partner who deliver affordable homes and also worked on centre regeneration in the Northeast and elsewhere.  They are currently looking at the possibilities of regenerating and reusing those buildings for housing.  Over the next year, working alongside 13 Housing Group and supporting them to look at those options and hopefully move forward on Town Centre living opportunities.  103 New Street project is nearly at completion, and is four student accommodation and people are currently living there.

In terms of Dewsbury, there has been the Daisy Hill neighbourhood, which is a key project within the Dewsbury Blueprint which is in the town investment plan alongside the other projects that got Town Fund funding.

The Panel was given examples of other schemes and projects and informed that there are some bungalows for older people and accommodation for people who have recently become homeless,  gateway properties which was a real success story.

In respect of some of the other sites where there is partnership with private sector, the Ashbrow scheme will deliver 98 market for sale homes, 13 homes for affordable rent and 50 homes within the Council’s Extra Care Scheme.  The project, particularly the Extra Care Scheme, has been challenging to get started, in the context of volatile construction market conditions and the aim is to complete it by September 2024. 

It has taken a lot of resources and officer time to assist the developers because of the wider economic context of what has been happening over the last couple of years where developers have struggled, and the council has tried to support them.

The Panel was informed that the council is working with 13 Housing Group, one of Homes England’s strategic partners, to deliver around 200 affordable homes on five sites located across the district.  Cabinet approval was secured in July 2022, to dispose of the sites to Thirteen Group.

Information was given on the Housing Brokerage Service which operates to provide assistance, where needed, for stall housing development sites across Kirklees.

The Panel was directed to the report which showed a table that provided a summary of what has been delivered, what is being delivered, or what will be delivered in the near future around the program.

In response to the information presented, the Panel asked questions and made comments including some of the following:

-      The report refers to responding to the needs of the population and meeting local needs, based on getting information and intelligence, how are local people defined and who is being asked?

-      The information does not give a breakdown of the size and stock that developers are being asked to deliver, whether they are 2, 3 or 4 bedroomed houses, is it possible to get this information including the number of bedrooms in the properties?

RESOLVED:

That Joanne Bartholomew and Thomas Fish be thanked for providing an update on the Housing Delivery Plan.

That information be brought to a future panel meeting which gives a full breakdown of the proposed housing stock including number of bedrooms