Agenda item

To receive an update on the progress of the Housing Strategy and HRA property development and acquisition.

The Panel received a presentation, which had been attached to these minutes as an Appendix.

The presentation included the following:

·         St Georges Hall, Calshot refurbishment and modernisation project.  The aspirations of the local community had been incorporated into this work in an area of social deprivation.  The total cost of the project was £375k with grant funding from the Rural England Prosperity Fund and the Contain Outbreak Management Fund, which had been available through the covid pandemic.  Work had been carried out internally and externally and included, for example a DDA compliant toilet and increased wall and roof insulation.  This project had been a corporate project with numerous different departments within the council playing a part;

·         A one bed flat over garage in Burgate, Fordingbridge had been completed for shared ownership;

·         Under Construction:

o   Moore Close in New Milton: Under construction and completion due in January 2025.  This was being built to the Future Homes Standard with 11 units to be rented and 5 for shared ownership.  2 properties would be wheelchair accessible with a further 5 to be adaptable.  An open day had been held for the shared ownership properties which had generated significant interest. 

o   Hythe Hospital: The ground works construction was underway.  Contract value for the build was £5m.  £1.8m grant funding had been secured from Homes England.  Completion expected October 2025. 

o   37/39 Salisbury Road, Totton: A £3.5m contract had been secured with Amiri construction to build the homes.    A £2m grant toward the costs had been secured from Homes England for 20 homes for social rent.  Construction was to commence on site in October 2024 with completion due in January 2026.  Japanese knotweed was present on the site and would need to be removed properly.

·         Advertiser and Times building, New Milton: This scheme would convert the existing building for housing and build new flats.  The project would provide in total 23 homes for rent split into three phases.  Completion was expected in November 2025. The scheme had received a £2.26m Homes England grant;

·         Local Authority Housing Fund 3:   A new round had been opened in March 2024.  The District Council had been awarded just under £1m to provide 5 homes over the next two years, to provide 3 homes under the Afghan settlement scheme and 2 as temporary accommodation.  These would be delivered through the ex-council buy back scheme;

·         New opportunities: These were outlined and included the intention to submit a bid to purchase Hythe Police Station later this month and working on potential proposals for the future of Claymeadow Depot in Hounsdown;

·         Penman House had been shortlisted for an Inside Housing award;

·         The Panel noted that the Affordable Housing Task and Finish Group which had been considering modern methods of construction would be drawing to a close and would form recommendations and conclusions;

·         Affordable housing programme: 421 new affordable homes had been completed or had certainly of being completed.  A further 53 new homes were to be delivered by April 2026.  Opportunities had been identified for a further 262 new homes, however, this figure was subject to change.

Members recognised the challenges of delivering more affordable homes and that all new council-built homes were being constructed to the Future Homes Standard.

In response to a member question, it was confirmed that there were no new unoccupied completed affordable housing units in the District.  It was recognised that in some local authority areas there was affordable housing which had not been occupied.  It was noted that officers had a good relationship with developers, who often approached the District Council to seek bids to purchase their affordable housing properties.