Issue - meetings

To provide an update on progress and next steps relating to the delivery of sites in the Housing Delivery Plan to secure Housing Growth outcomes.

Contact:    Joanne Bartholomew, Service Directorate, Development

              Adele Buckley, Head of Housing Growth and Regeneration and

             Thomas Fish Strategic Partnership Lead – Housing Growth and  

             Regeneration

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  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7