Agenda item

Notice of Motion

Meeting of Council, Monday, 13th October, 2025 6.30 pm (Item 46.)

In accordance with Standing Order 21, Cllr Alex Wade will move the following motion:-

Council notes:

That the Government is pushing forward with an agenda to encourage Councils to build more homes, and reform the planning system, including some changes that this Council has raised serious concerns about.

NFDC faces serious challenges over affordable homes for it’s Residents, with 2000 Families/Individuals on the waiting list for a NFDC property, alongside limited space for new developments due to a significant percentage of our area being within a National Park.

In 2.4 of The adopted Local Plan 2016-2036 Part 1: Planning Strategy seeks to deliver a new housing requirement of at least 10,420 (net) dwellings for the period 2016-2036. Policy STR5 sets out a stepped housing target as follows:

· 2016/17 to 2020/21 - 300 dwellings per annum

· 2021/22 to 2025/26 - 400 dwellings per annum

· 2026/27 to 2035/36 - 700 dwellings per annum

National house building targets remain a difficult target to be met for our Authority, and as the current Local Plan is more than five years old and its strategic housing policies need to be updated, the Council is now required to use the standard method housing need figure as the basis for calculating its five-year housing land supply requirement. The current (as of August 2025) standard method local housing need for the New Forest District (including the National Park) is 1,511 dwellings per annum.

Recent sales of major Police Station sites in Lymington and Hythe could have made a considerable difference in reaching our original 600 NFDC built homes, and supported wider Housing need as set out in our local Plan. Both sites if agreed to be passed to NFDC earlier could have contributed to wider social benefit, by providing safe , secure, centrally located homes for local Families. It is proven how having a home can be the foundation for your wellbeing.

By allowing a fellow public service priority, this proposal could support local housing need as reflected in our local plan and the neighbourhood plans created by local Town and Parish Councils. It would also reflect how our authority wishes to maintain local leadership over housebuilding and a willingness to develop and build homes for our local Families.

Council recommends:

1. That the Leader of the Council write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness and our Members of Parliament for New Forest East and West, requesting that the Government should consider a proposal where any sale of a public asset is offered to a fellow public body, first and not necessarily to the highest bidder from the private sector.

2. That the Council engages with the LGA to seek wider support for a campaign that allows public assets to be maintained for the wider community benefit and not sold off solely for profit.

Cllr Cullen will second the motion.

Under the provisions of Standing Order 42, the above motion, after being proposed and seconded (without speeches), should stand referred to the body within whose terms of reference the subject matter of the motions comes, or the Cabinet or such Committees or Panels that the Council may determined.

The Chairman may allow the motion to be dealt with at this meeting if they consider it urgent, convenient or conducive to the despatch of business.

Minutes:

The Chairman announced that in accordance with Standing Order 42.2 that he would allow the motion to be dealt with at the meeting, as he considered it to be convenient to the despatch of business.

In accordance with Standing Order 21, Cllr A Wade moved the following motion:

Council notes:

• 2016/17 to 2020/21 - 300 dwellings per annum

• 2021/22 to 2025/26 - 400 dwellings per annum

• 2026/27 to 2035/36 - 700 dwellings per annum

Recent sales of major Police Station sites in Lymington and Hythe could have made a considerable difference in reaching our original 600 NFDC built homes, and supported wider Housing need as set out in our local Plan. Both sites if agreed to be passed to NFDC earlier could have contributed to wider social benefit, by providing safe, secure, centrally located homes for local Families. It is proven how having a home can be the foundation for your wellbeing.

Council recommends:

2. That the Council engages with the LGA to seek wider support for a campaign that allows public assets to be maintained for the wider community benefit and not sold off solely for profit

Cllr Cullen seconded the motion.

Cllr A Wade addressed the motion and explained that NFDC and members representing local communities were best placed to understand local housing need. Cllr Tipp had presented a motion a few months ago on Government proposals for planning for local councils, which was an example of Government not listening to local authorities and proposing a top down, one size fits all approach to all Councils.

Reference was made to examples where the council had built homes for those on the waiting list and encouraged development in the district, despite a significant proportion being within the National Park. The challenges for councils to provide affordable homes for residents was acknowledged and the impact of right to buy, funding cuts to council budgets and residents need for housing as a basic need.

The Council’s target of 600 affordable homes to be built by 2026 and recent data indicated that 462 would be completed by 2025/26, not yet hitting that target. As of August, NFDC had 62 households in Emergency Accommodation, including many families with young children, not to mention the high number in temporary accommodation. Councillor casework around housing and homelessness was highlighted, as well as the five-year housing land supply assessment which showed that for the period 2025/26-2029/30, only 1.5 years could be demonstrated of deliverable housing sites and the significant challenges of providing homes.

LGR emphasises partnership working, efficiencies, and asset management and it was felt that public services should work together for the local community. Hythe Police Station was cited as an example of a derelict building since 2016, and that if the PCC and local authority partners had agreed to pass over this community asset to NFDC, it would keep its use within public benefit and need. The benefit was clear, public buildings were often centrally located, reducing needs for cars and encouraging sustainable travel, encourage more footfall in our high streets and ensures a community’s younger generations are not forced to move away.

Cllr Wade reported he was not suggesting assets be handed over for free, but that where public assets were available, discussions take place so that the offer to another public body be prioritised. This would improve partnership working and put local community need first, and ensure such assets be put back into use more quickly. Hythe Hospital was a positive example where NFDC would have 22 affordable homes available for local people.

It was recognised that this would not solve the housing crisis, but leading and campaigning for a smarter, cooperative management of public assets, could improve the wellbeing of so many of our local people and families. This would help those 1,879 households on the housing waiting list, for example.

The Government was trying to use undemocratic and unpopular proposals to encourage house building. Cllr Wade proposed that his motion showed the desire to build homes, but also make it accessible, affordable and achievable for Councils to do so.

Those who spoke in support of the motion further highlighted the difficulties with the lengthy housing waiting list and the lack of affordable housing, particularly for young people and families. It was highlighted that a home lays the foundation for a decent life. Public land and assets, if sold to the highest bidder would be lost to the local community. The district was constrained with limited space for development due to the national park. The motion proposed an opportunity for public bodies to work together for the benefit of residents and its communities, rather than for profit. It was recognised that the district council had been interested in purchasing of Hythe Police station for example but had been unable to compete with the commercial value of the site. Finally, it was recognised that there would need to be a change in legislation by the Government in order to facilitate the proposal.

Those who spoke in opposition to the motion recognised the importance of the provision of affordable housing in the District, however, other public bodies, such as the police and NHS were individual business units, and it was essential that they were able to dispose of assets, seeking the best price, which would enable the profit received to be reinvested into that public service, which would be of benefit to those using the service. One member clarified the legal position in that Local Government Act 1972 Section 123, required public bodies to get the best return on any asset and that anything less could lead to accusations of corruption. It was felt that the open market was the best place to determine to the price of an asset.

Cllr A Wade in his summing up, expressed his thanks to those who had contributed to the debate. He spoke about the costs associated with emergency accommodation, deprivation and supporting vulnerable people. He clarified that the motion, sought collectively help public bodies that that being able to invest in more homes, would have a net benefit for them, with less need for temporary accommodation, reduced crime and antisocial behaviour, supporting the local economy, improved mental health and wellbeing, which would reduce the demand and cost of public services.

Upon put on the vote the motion was lost.