Council to meet over homes site sales plan
SENIOR MEMBERS of Kirklees Council could approve a plan to sell various plots of land to an affordable housing provider.
The authority’s decision-making Cabinet meets today, when it is due to debate whether to dispose of a eight small sites valued together at nearly £5m for the purpose of building around 160 homes.
A tendering exercise aimed at finding a housing association to take over the land would then go ahead. The homes would be earmarked for social or affordable rent, or intermediate housing types such as shared ownership.
Sites which have been put forward for sale include parts of the area south east of Blue Bell Hill in Newsome, the former Stile Common School in Newsome, Kitson Hill Crescent in Mirfield and land next to Mowat Court, Sixth Avenue in the Liversedge and Gomersal ward.
Other locations include sites at Woods Avenue in Marsden, Nabcroft Lane in Crosland Moor, Common Road in Batley and off Fox Royd Lane in Mirfield.
The council wants to accelerate its housing supply by identifying sites for use, including its own land, according to a report for the Cabinet members.
And the authority has announced an “ambitious” programme to deliver 10,000 new homes over five years.
Around 1,000 of those homes will be on council land, it says.
“The key barrier to the affordable housing sector is access to land,” the report reads.
“Owners’ expectations of land value remains high, and even with Homes England grant support, acquiring land in competition with mainstream market developers often proves difficult.
“By releasing land through a competitive process, the council is able to assist housing delivery, whilst achieving capital receipts.”
The public meeting is due to take place in the Council Chamber of Huddersfield Town Hall from 4pm.