Agenda item

The Resources and Services OSC recorded at its meeting on 21 June 2023 (minute 21 refers) that there was, in its view, value in inviting to each of its next several meetings, a different Portfolio Holder to address it on the focus for their Portfolio. For this meeting, Councillor Baker (Portfolio Holder for Housing & Planning) has been invited to address the Committee in respect of his Portfolio. Previously, the Committee has been addressed by the Leader & Corporate Finance and Governance Portfolio Holder (Cllr M Stephenson) and the Deputy Leader & Economic Growth, Regeneration and Tourism Portfolio Holder (Cllr I Henderson). The purpose of the invitation is to enable the Portfolio Holder to provide a broad introduction to their Portfolio, including their current issues and challenges (as well as priorities for 2024/25).

This Committee had recorded, at its meeting on 21 June 2023 (Minute 21 refers), that there was, in its view, value in inviting to each of its next several meetings, a different Portfolio Holder to address it on the focus for their Portfolio. For this meeting, Councillor Baker (Portfolio Holder for Housing & Planning) addressed the Committee in respect of his Portfolio.  His introduction is recorded immediately below.

“Licensing, A revised and updated Taxi Private Hire Policy was introduced in late 2023, and adopted by Cabinet on 10th November 2023. I will be meeting with officers shortly to speak in regard to the ongoing budget and to identify if any savings can be made within it going forward, to contribute towards the savings that are required over the next three years.  No current issues as most of Licensing is either demand led (taxi, licensed premises etc) or response led (i.e. enforcement issues reported).Planning and Conservation Appraisals, A number of Conservation Appraisals have been out for consultation and have been prepared to submit to Cabinet for adoption. A number are either still out for consultation or have recently finished, and again will be submitted to Cabinet, over several meetings, for adoption within this calendar year. That will then conclude the 20 Conservation appraisals that have been completed in a relatively short period of time. The Local Plan Review is ongoing, with a lot of work to be done by a small team, which will see some policies removed, some revised, and some unchanged. The importance of this review means that it must keep to the very strict timetable in order that an updated Local Plan can be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in the Summer (June) of 2025, and once it has been found sound, to be then adopted by TDC Autumn 2026. The Local Plan will then run until 2041.

Tendring Colchester Border Garden Community. The Development Plan Document (DPD) was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 22nd September 2023 and an Inspector has been appointed. No definite date has yet been set for a hearing, although four days have been suggested as to the length of time required. Again after it has been found sound, after any modifications required to policies etc, it will be adopted, hopefully later this year. A hybrid planning application (outline with part Detailed) from Latimer, the developer appointed, is now expected to be in summer of 2025.

Other Planning Matters, Jaywick Sands Place Plan – the final consultation on this document has been completed, and once comments have been taken into consideration, the final report is likely to be presented at Cabinet, either in April or May for adoption.

Two Neighbourhood plans are currently being examined by the Planning Inspectors, these being Ardleigh and Elmstead Market, with both at varying stages.

A number of large applications are coming forward, in Little Oakley, the mitigation site for Bathside Bay (to be heard on Monday 18th March) as well as an application at Bathside Bay itself, with an application for change of use so it can be used in the renewable energy field.

Challenges remain within 2024/2025 Budget as there was a £250k cost pressure within Planning for 23/24. Unfortunately Planning is somewhat reliant on planning applications coming forward with the relevant fees paid, so there can be peaks and troughs throughout the year which normally would balance out costs versus income.

The issuing of a costs award against TDC in March 2023, which resulted in an award of over £100k being paid out, cannot be underestimated, and as I said at Cabinet on 10th November last year, “appeal and cost decisions like these remind us  that where planning proposals do accord with the Local Plan – there is an expectation both in law and in national planning policy that those proposals should be approved unless there are material considerations, that can be justified with evidence, to suggest otherwise.”

I will be meeting soon with Mr Guiver and other officers to discuss the planning budgets for 24/25 and where savings can possibly be made going forward to contribute towards the savings that are required over the next three years.  As you can see there is a lot happening, along with the day to day work of dealing with planning applications/appeals and enforcement issues, so I would like to take this opportunity to give my thanks to Mr Guiver and his officers for all their hard work.

Housing, Honeycroft – 13 Bungalows will be built out by 31/10/24 with occupation soon after. I have been speaking with officers about the possibility of using this opportunity to free up under occupied housing locally. Spendells – 30/31 rooms will be provided as temporary accommodation, with occupation as soon as possible after handover/completion this year. There is currently a slight delay due to a theft and criminal damage. Two members of staff have been employed to assist families at this location, as well as temporary accommodation elsewhere across the District.

An aspiration is to have similar properties, owned by TDC, for temporary accommodation, but that is at a very early stage, and will be dependent on appropriate properties and funding.

Stock condition surveys, of TDC stock – are currently ongoing which will indicate where any urgent/priority issues need to be dealt with. The intention is to achieve surveys of 25% of the Housing stock a year, and they were started in the mid November 2023. As at 4/3/24 just under 300 have been completed. Data obtained from these surveys will help us to plan where improvements are required, where repairs need to be actioned quickly, and also ensures that we are complying with the RSH, - this will now be an ongoing task. A new regulatory regime is starting in April this year, and together with Decent Homes Standard 2 (unlikely before end of this year apparently), will influence where the Housing Investment Programme (HIP) is directed.

A number of new policies are coming forward in the next few months, as well as revisions, due to either the Housing Ombudsman or RSH, and a number have already come forward and been adopted.

People presenting as Homeless, as the Committee is well aware, is an increasing problem not just locally or regionally, but countrywide, for a number of reasons, cost of living, inflation, reduction in the private rented sector etc, and it is felt that work is required to prevent homelessness, this in turn will then have an impact on the increasing costs of Temporary Accommodation.  Three new policies were recently adopted.

Temporary Accommodation, linked to the above, has seen a steady increase. For the calendar year 2023, 369 households identified as having a priority need were placed in Temporary Accommodation.

In the last quarter of 2023 (October-December) there were 440 approaches to TDC as homeless, of which 142 were placed in Temporary Accommodation. In the same period 132 were moved into settled accommodation (however these last figures might include those from the previous quarter).

Government, last week, announced the figures of the Homelessness Prevention Grant for local authorities, which is, if my adding up is correct, means we will receive over £1 million pounds. I am meeting with our S151 officer to confirm the exact figure which will be available.

Acquisition & Disposal of Housing Assets – As I have said previously to this Committee there is an intention to dispose of those properties within our Housing Stock that are too costly to maintain or cannot reach the Decent Homes Standard.

Increasing our stock is important, but it needs to be in the areas where it is most needed, which will be outlined in a Strategic Housing Market Assessment being done for the review of the Local Plan.

In regard to acquisitions/disposals a new Asset Management Plan is currently in draft form to deal with this issue.

I have recently signed decisions to accept 17 ‘gifted’ units, and also initiation of the property dealing procedure for two further properties in the north of the District.

A Tenants Panel meeting was held in February, the first since the same time last year, and it now has a Chairman. We will be looking to hold similar meetings quarterly and across the District.

On 29th February a Private Landlords forum was held, and the intention is to hold one annually, or possibly more often.

There is also the Healthy Homes Initiative being undertaken in Jaywick, which has funding for three years, with there being three stages of this initiative, these being housing, environment and open spaces. I am due to receive an interim report on progress, and measurable successes but I am aware that a number of improvement and prohibition notices have been served on landlords, and this work to improve residents standard of living is ongoing. This stage started in March 2023.

In regard to the environment stage there is a planned action week this month, in conjunction with different services within TDC and also our external partners, as well as community groups.

Budgets, I will be speaking to officers to discuss budgets, and using funds more efficiently from HIP for own stock. As I have previously stated, there will be 6 monthly reviews of the HRA 30 year plan, and the next meeting for that is scheduled for May”.

Following the above introduction from Councillor Baker there was an opportunity for Members of the Committee to ask him questions.  The questions asked, and the responses provided, are set out here:

Following the questions and their related responses.

The Committee RESOLVED to thank the Portfolio Holder for attending the meeting and providing his introduction and the responses to the questions asked of him.