Agenda item

To note the content of the report as part of the regular updates to the Scrutiny Panel.

Contact: Liz Jefferson, Acting Head of Housing Growth

Cllr Graham Turner, introduced the agenda item informing the Panel that the report contains a number of positive developments, with progress being made across several challenging sites.  He explained that although the Council remains short of its overall housing target, the team continues to work towards closing this gap, and a forthcoming update on the Local Plan is expected to support further progress.

Liz Jefferson, Acting Head of Housing Growth, informed the Panel that the update being presented, would include the work of the Housing Growth Team over the past 12 months, the strategic context in which the team operates, progress made on strategic sites, town centre living, specialist and affordable housing, and market housing. The presentation to the Panel would also highlight key learning, the challenges encountered, and the priorities for the year ahead.

In summary, the Panel was advised that, since coming to power in July 2024, the government placed a significant emphasis on building new homes and has made a commitment to deliver 1.5 million new homes in the next five years. This will be supported by the reintroduction of mandatory housing targets, reform of the planning system, and plans for a number of new towns.

The national commitment to increasing housing delivery is also reflected regionally, with one of the Mayoral pledges being the delivery of 5,000 affordable homes by 2028. In Kirklees, the current Strategic Housing Market Assessment identifies a need for 1,873 new homes per year across the district. The housing waiting list now exceeds 19,000 households, highlighting the significant level of local housing need, and in response, the Council is progressing a comprehensive programme of work.

The Panel was also informed that, over the past 12 months, an updated Housing Strategy for the period 2026-2031 has been developed.  The draft Housing Strategy sets out a vision to ensure every resident has access to a suitable, safe and affordable home. A key focus of the strategy is enabling people to secure appropriate accommodation and prevent homelessness. The strategy addresses this through three core themes: housing need, housing quality, and housing growth and delivery.

The strategy has been developed against a backdrop of rising housing need, an ageing population, increasing cost?of?living pressures and widening inequalities. It provides a coordinated, long?term framework for responding to the housing challenges facing Kirklees.

With regard to strategic sites, the Panel was informed that Dewsbury Riverside, is the largest housing allocation in the current local plan and over the last 12 months, progress continues working closely with Homes England. Preliminary market engagement took place with master developers in the summer of last year.

Another focus has been the resolution of issues with neighbouring strategic landowners with whom dialogue and negotiation is ongoing.  Unfortunately, it is not possible to progress to the procurement of a master developer until these issues have been resolved. Recent positive conversations have been held with the relevant landowners, and it is anticipated that there will be further progress over the summer.  In conjunction with that, procurement documents have been prepared in readiness to be issued as soon as the landowner issues are resolved.

Bradley Park, is a council owned strategic housing allocation that will deliver approximately 2000 homes. As reported at a previous scrutiny panel meeting, strategic acquisitions relating to access needed to be resolved before commencing procurement.  One strategic property purchase has been completed and another two have been well advanced. The properties will be used as temporary accommodation for those in housing need until such time as they are demolished. As with the Dewsbury Riverside development, procurement documents are ready to be issued once the strategic property issues relating to access are resolved.  Those property acquisitions are required to give certainty to prospective bidders around access.

The Panel was informed that in respect of town centre living, that an important part of the blueprint visions for town centres in Huddersfield and Dewsbury is to increase the number of people living in the town centres. This helps to increase footfall and supports and sustains other uses such as retail and leisure.

In Huddersfield, estate buildings has been identified as a council asset that can deliver housing and help to create a new housing offer, which would appeal to a new and different market from those currently living in the town centre, particularly graduates from the university who wish to remain in the area.

The Panel was informed that the Housing Growth Team successfully secured £1.25?million of One Public Estate Brownfield Land Release Funding in 2024. This funding has supported enabling works on surplus land and buildings identified for future housing development, with those works completed in 2025. A Cabinet report setting out the proposed delivery route for housing on these sites was considered in June last year.

The Panel was provided with information relating to the progress which is being continued across a number of key housing growth projects.

-       Procurement activity has advanced, and in Dewsbury the primary focus remains on the Daisy Hill area, where previous acquisitions and earlier residential developments, such as the Station Apartments, have supported the emerging delivery approach within the Dewsbury Long?Term Plan. One key property was taken to market in 2025, and detailed proposals are now under consideration.

-       Work is ongoing to deliver specialist housing at Kenmore Drive, Cleckheaton, an 80?unit extra?care scheme with Housing 21 has progressed well and is expected to complete in late summer.

-       In Mirfield, partnership work with Connect Housing will deliver 13 homes for adults with social care needs, with legal matters close to resolution and a start on site anticipated mid?year. Alongside this, the service continues to address the significant demand for temporary accommodation, having identified and modelled a range of options, with further detailed work underway in collaboration with finance, legal and government partners.

-       Work to support the delivery of affordable and mixed?tenure housing also continues. While three RP cluster sites were found to be unviable following detailed investigations, progress is expected on two sites in Cleckheaton during 2026, delivering 97 affordable and intermediate homes.

-       The service’s specialist team secured 73 affordable homes through the planning process in 2024–25, with further work ongoing. Mixed?tenure developments are also advancing, including the major Soothill scheme, which will deliver 319 homes (43% affordable), with completion expected by December.

-       At Fenny Lane, Almondbury, legal and planning work with the appointed development partner has progressed, and the Ash View site has recently completed the delivery of 98 market homes and 21 affordable units.

The Panel was informed that in terms of key learning and challenges over the past year, the service has faced several challenges, particularly the continued pressure of a significant housing waiting list and the acute need for social rent homes.  There has however, been a positive shift in the types of proposals being brought forward by developers, influenced in part by Homes England’s new funding programme, which has led to an increase in schemes including social rent units.

The team has also encountered difficulties associated with developing infill sites, where Kirklees’ hilly geography, high drainage costs and legacy issues from industrial and mining activity have rendered some sites unviable. Despite this, the service continues to explore innovative approaches, new partnerships and funding opportunities to overcome these barriers.

Looking ahead to the coming year, the focus will be on progressing strategic housing sites, increasing residential development within town centres, and supporting colleagues in Housing Solutions to expand the provision of temporary accommodation. The service will also work closely with Local Plan colleagues to support development and delivery as the new Local Plan moves forward.

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

-       In respect of the current figure of 19,000 individuals and families on the housing waiting list is this up to date, or has it increased recently, and for how long has the number been at this level?

-       In terms of clarity on the RP programme, it says that some of the sites were unviable and they are being considered for disposal. Does that mean they have not already been disposed of and the ones that are not viable potentially could remain within council ownership, or some alternative options could be found and they won't necessarily transfer the ownership of that registered provider, is that right?

-       On the five-year housing supply how far behind is it looking and is the outlook positive or is it looking negative?

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member and officers be thanked for providing a Housing Growth update.