Council on course for affordable homes
New housing unit to be set up as ‘flagship issue’ progresses
Scarborough Council’s cabinet has backed the use of the authority’s land to help it provide more than 1,000 affordable homes.
The council will also create a specialist affordable housing unit as it looks to meet its housing targets before March 2021.
Council leader Cllr Steve Siddons said the scheme was a “flagship issue” for his administration.
The Labour leader told the meeting, held online: “This particular issue was a flagship issue for this administration and was part of the manifesto before the elections last year so I am really pleased that we are moving forward on this.
“We have far too many people waiting for decent homes in this borough and have been for many years and it is time something is done about it and we are going to do something about it.”
As part of its ‘Build a Better Borough’ programme the authority has been exploring how it can deliver better quality and increased numbers of affordable homes to buy and rent within the borough.
The council’s 2018-2021 Housing Strategy, set a target to help facilitate the development of an additional 820 affordable homes over a five year period.
To date, 525 affordable homes have been completed, with up to a further 350 due to complete by March 2021.
However, the council says that new risks and emerging challenges are likely to put the sustainability of its “ambitious” programme in the longer term in doubt.
The council’s housing officers have estimated that the potential affordable housing delivery figures for the period 2021-2026 will be lower than the numbers achieved during the current period.
The authority’s cabinet approved the start of a programme of work to help achieve the council’s aspirations.
The council will establish an internal housing delivery project team, identify councilowned land suitable for housing and work with registered providers of social housing and private developers.
Cllr Carl Maw, cabinet member for Stronger Communities and Housing, said that the average house price in Scarborough was seven times the average wage. He said this made home ownership “a pipe dream” for many people living in the borough.
The cabinet meeting was l the first to be held virtually by the council under new powers granted to local authorities during the coronavirus crisis.
Councillors and officers joined the meeting using Zoom. Members of the public were able to watch the meeting live on the council’s YouTube channel at youtube. com/scarboroughcouncil
Council leader Cllr Steve Siddons said that despite the difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic, it had always been the aim to get back to key decision making in public as soon as possible.