Agenda item

RESOLVED:

1.    That Cabinet endorses the benefit of and approach taken to initiating and developing a county-wide strategy for Housing, Accommodation and Homes,

2.    That Cabinet adopts the strategy and encourages others to do likewise in a spirit of collective endeavour to address the evidenced housing crisis in Surrey.

3.    That Cabinet Delegates authority to the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Housing and Executive Director for Partnerships, Prosperity and Growth to make any necessary final amendments to the strategy following a period of public consultation.

Reasons for Decisions:

The baseline assessment undertaken as part of the work of developing a strategy makes clear the challenges in housing, accommodation, and homes in Surrey, with advisors describing the situation as a crisis. While recognising the sovereign responsibilities and service responsibilities for Housing and Planning of other organisations, the strategy sets out a ‘Call to Government’ and a ‘Call to Action’ to which everyone involved in housing in Surrey is encouraged to contribute.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families who started by thanking everyone who had contributed to the development of the housing, accommodation and homes strategy including registered social landlords across the county, Homes England representatives, colleagues from health and importantly district and borough housing and planning officers. The production of the strategy was supported by Inner Circle Consulting and special thanks was given to Michael Coughlin who was lead officer for the strategy. The Cabinet Member stressed that access to good housing was a basic human right and the baseline assessment demonstrated that Surrey did have a multidimensional and complex housing crisis which would only be addressed through taking a different approach together in partnership. It was explained that both Tandridge District Council and Mole Valley District Council had indicated that they did not want to be partners in the strategy.

The Leader encouraged council’s who did not support the strategy to embrace the strategy for the benefit of Surrey residents. The Deputy Cabinet Member for Children and Families stated that she was also the Lead Member for housing at Spelthorne Borough Council. The local council supported the strategy and the positive impacts it would have on local residents. Members agreed that the strategy would help the council in achieving its net zero ambitions and would be welcomed by businesses who recognised housing as critical to economic growth.

Jonathan Essex welcomed the strategy and welcomed the focus on key worker housing. It was queried if key worker housing could be delivered via the councils vacant sites such as the Dormers and Park Hall care homes and what the next steps would be in bringing forward key worker housing and care leaver accommodation. The Cabinet Member for Children and Families agreed to take the feedback from the Member back to the team that would be responsible for delivering the strategy. The Leader explained that the county council was in discussions with a local council about the use of one of the properties mentioned by the member for key worker housing. Unfortunately this local council had not endorsed the strategy.

RESOLVED:

1.    That Cabinet endorses the benefit of and approach taken to initiating and developing a county-wide strategy for Housing, Accommodation and Homes,

2.    That Cabinet adopts the strategy and encourages others to do likewise in a spirit of collective endeavour to address the evidenced housing crisis in Surrey.

3.    That Cabinet Delegates authority to the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Housing and Executive Director for Partnerships, Prosperity and Growth to make any necessary final amendments to the strategy following a period of public consultation.

Reasons for Decisions:

The baseline assessment undertaken as part of the work of developing a strategy makes clear the challenges in housing, accommodation, and homes in Surrey, with advisors describing the situation as a crisis. While recognising the sovereign responsibilities and service responsibilities for Housing and Planning of other organisations, the strategy sets out a ‘Call to Government’ and a ‘Call to Action’ to which everyone involved in housing in Surrey is encouraged to contribute.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)