Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1             The purpose of this report is to inform Members of a DfC Housing ‘Call for Evidence’ exercise that has recently been launched to gather evidence, data and views on a wide range of high level issues to in developing a Housing Supply Strategy.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

 

·        Agree that officers develop initial responses to the questions posed in the recent Housing Supply Strategy: Call for Evidence document that has been launched by DfC

·        Agree that the draft response will subsequently be brought via Party Group Leaders given the closing date of 16 July for responses, with the final response brought back retrospectively to CGR Committee in August.

·        Note the ongoing work in respect of the city-wide strategic site assessment work and the proposal for a collaborative approach via the Community Planning Partnership City Development Board for a focused cross agency Delivery Group to co-ordinate the identification and collation of information on public sector lands suitable for housing development.

 

3.0       Main Report

 

            Housing Supply Strategy: Call for Evidence

 

3.1       Members will be aware that the Communities Minister announced in her statement to the Assembly on 3rd November 2020 that officials were to commence work on the development of a fundamental Housing Supply Strategy (HSS), as a key part of the housing programme to help meet Programme for Government commitments to reduce housing stress and increase housing supply.

 

3.2       On 19th May 2021, the Minister launched a public Call for Evidence to inform this new Housing Supply Strategy. A link to the Call for Evidence document is enclosed at Appendix 1.

 

3.3       It is intended that the Housing Supply Strategy will provide a framework for delivery of the right volume and types of homes to meet changing patterns of demand, in the context of societal, environmental, and demographic change, and deliver on objective housing need.

 

3.4       The following objectives of the Housing Supply Strategy have been identified:

 

-       Increase housing supply and affordable options across all tenures to meet current and future demand;

-       Reduce housing stress, homelessness and improve housing solutions for the most vulnerable;

-       Improve housing quality and sustainability;

-       Ensure the provision of housing options that contribute to the building and maintaining of thriving and inclusive communities; and

-       Support the transition to carbon neutrality by reducing whole-life carbon emissions from both new homes and existing homes.

 

3.5       In total the project is to be delivered in six phases as follows:

 

            Phase 1 - Pre-development work (completed)

            Phase 2 - Call for Evidence and Research Review

            Phase 3 - Engagement

            Phase 4 - Data synthesis

            Phase 5 - Triangulation of Evidence/Policy Options

            Phase 6 - Consultation on Draft Housing Supply Strategy

 

3.6       This second and current stage of the Call for Evidence process involves the gathering of robust evidence and views along with the identification of data gaps to assist in developing the direction of a Housing Supply Strategy. The Call for Evidence document considers a ‘whole system’ approach and sets out a number of questions across the theme of supply including land, planning and finance etc; place shaping; building communities; equality; poverty; climate change and sustainability; skills; innovation etc.

 

3.7       There is an 8 week consultation period with a closing date of 16th July 2021. It is open for anyone to respond with responses sought from a wide range of bodies both from within the housing and related sectors and more generally across society. A series of online workshops are also to run throughout the duration of the consultation.

 

3.8       Subject to Member’s agreement, it is proposed that officers develop draft responses to the questions posed in the document and given that there are no July Committees, it is proposed that the draft response is brought via Party Group Leaders at a date to be confirmed. A final copy of the response will be brought back retrospectively to August CG&R  Committee. Members can of course separately make their own submissions. In addition, it is understood that DfC intend to work with NILGA to organise information sessions for Members and Council Officers as appropriate.

 

3.9       City Wide Strategic Site Assessments

 

            Aligned with the Department’s work in developing a Housing Supply Strategy, Members will be aware that officers have been undertaking work to develop an approach for city wide strategic site assessments of public sector lands that may be suitable for housing. To date this work has included the collation of various data sets and the mapping of BCC lands, together with DfC and NIHE lands and an analysis of this as against the LDP Urban Capacity Study which identifies potential housing sites across the city. This has been further considered in the context of the annual Housing Monitor which includes residential planning approvals and sites zoned for housing or identified in the Urban Capacity Study.    

 

3.10      In addition, officers have been linking in with LPS who are undertaking a comprehensive Government Land & Property Register exercise to map and record all public sector lands across the province. Officers have also been working closely with NIHE to coalesce around site identification that they have been undertaking. DfC are also actively looking at lands suitable for housing development, including the potential for compulsory acquisition, and again officers have been liaising closely with DfC on this. Members will be aware that the recent Development Brief process for the city centre INW lands involved a joint BCC/DfC approach involving lands in the ownership of BCC and DfC – and potential for further joint working and site identification at other locations is being progressed. 

 

3.11      Whilst undertaking this city-wide strategic site assessment work it has however become apparent of the need to co-ordinate with various parties given the parallel work being undertaken by LPS, DfC, NIHE and other bodies, in order to avoid duplication of effort.  Aside from the public sector led exercises there is other similar work being progressed by third parties including for example a ‘Gentle Densities Mapping’ exercise via QUB. 

 

3.12      It must be highlighted however that mapping of land ownership and site identification on its own does not necessarily translate into lands that are suitable for housing development.    There are a number of additional factors to be considered including access, ground conditions, title restrictions, potential for additional site assembly to scale up development etc. All of these would need to be considered on a site by site basis. 

 

3.13      Members are aware that housing led regeneration has been identified as one of the priorities of the recently restructured Community Planning Partnership: City Development Board. A separate report is going to this Committee with a summary in relation to the recent Board. This includes a brief update in relation to a subsequent agreement with the NIHE Chief Executive that a delivery task and finish subgroup would bring forward a collaborative approach to the collation and identification of public sector lands for housing. Given the synergies with work underway by other CPP partners and the linkages across community planning it is felt this approach will maximise efforts across partners and build on the body of work that officers have progressed to date, alongside the work being separately undertaken by LPS, NIHE and DfC. It is proposed that this delivery group includes representation from BCC, NIHE, DfC, LPS and would be co-ordinated through governance of the Community Planning Partnership – City Development Board.  NIHE have volunteered to chair this delivery group. 

 

3.14      Co-ordination of this work will help to create momentum and focus with partners that can seek to unlock greater potential through evaluation of specific sites and land assembly that maximises opportunities and delivers better overall outcomes, for example in terms of housing mix, health & wellbeing, employment, skills, energy efficiency.

 

3.15      This work will also be very useful to inform the wider Housing Supply Strategy work as referenced above. 

 

3.16      Financial and Resource Implications

 

            There are no finance or resource implications associated with this report.

 

3.17      Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

 

            There are no Equality, Good Relations or Rural Needs implications associated with this report.”

 

            During discussion, Members of the Committee suggested that the following additional points be added to the draft response: the possibility of a ring fenced fund for those areas with the highest need/deprivation; In relation to strategic site assessments, the Council to investigate acquiring land, including vesting of sites to put out a design brief, either on its own or together with DfC. The Director of City Regeneration and Development highlighted that this would need to be subject to availability of funding and that Council was also working currently with DfC in relation to the potential vesting of lands by DfC.

 

            One Member also requested an update on City Centre Living Waiting List from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, to include geographical and demographic spread.

 

            The Members of the Committee recommended that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

 

·        Agree that officers develop initial responses to the questions posed in the recent Housing Supply Strategy: Call for Evidence document that had been launched by DfC;

·        Agree that the draft response would subsequently be brought via Party Group Leaders given the closing date of 16th July for responses, with the final response brought back retrospectively to the Committee in August.;

·        Note the ongoing work in respect of the city-wide strategic site assessment work and the proposal for a collaborative approach via the Community Planning Partnership City Development Board for a focused cross agency Delivery Group to co-ordinate the identification and collation of information on public sector lands suitable for housing development;

·        Note that, in the  Call for Evidence response, points would be raised in relation to the possibility of a ring fenced fund for those areas with the highest need/deprivation, and, in relation to the strategic site assessment work, that the Council  investigate acquiring land, including vesting, subject to funding availability, either directly or in partnership with DfC and subsequently issue Development Briefs in order to shape future development.; and

·        Note that an update on City Centre Living Waiting List would be requested from NIHE, to include geographical and demographic spread.