Agenda item

Notice of Motion Given by Councillor Jayne Dunn

That this Council:-

 

(a)       is concerned that, if passed, the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill would threaten the provision of affordable homes through:-

 

(i)         forcing ‘high-value’ council homes to be sold;

 

(ii)        extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants; and

 

(iii)       undermining requirements on private developers to provide affordable homes;

 

(b)       notes that there is no commitment in the Bill that affordable homes will be replaced on a like-for-like basis in the local area;

 

(c)        further notes that, whilst measures to help first-time-buyers are welcome, the ‘starter homes’ proposals in the Bill will:-

 

(i)         be unaffordable to families and young people on ordinary incomes in most parts of the country; and

 

(ii)        be built at the expense of genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy; and

 

(d)       believes that the Bill undermines localism by providing new wide and open-ended powers to the Secretary of State over councils, including the ability to mandate rents for council tenants, and, in effect, to impose a levy on stock-holding councils, violating the terms of the housing revenue account self-financing deal.

Minutes:

 

Housing

 

 

 

It was moved by Councillor Peter Rippon, seconded by Councillor Pat Midgley, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       is concerned that, if passed, the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill would threaten the provision of affordable homes through:-

 

(i)         forcing ‘high-value’ council homes to be sold;

 

(ii)        extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants; and

 

(iii)       undermining requirements on private developers to provide affordable homes;

 

(b)       notes that there is no commitment in the Bill that affordable homes will be replaced on a like-for-like basis in the local area;

 

(c)        further notes that, whilst measures to help first-time-buyers are welcome, the ‘starter homes’ proposals in the Bill will:-

 

(i)         be unaffordable to families and young people on ordinary incomes in most parts of the country; and

 

(ii)        be built at the expense of genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy; and

 

(d)       believes that the Bill undermines localism by providing new wide and open-ended powers to the Secretary of State over councils, including the ability to mandate rents for council tenants, and, in effect, to impose a levy on stock-holding councils, violating the terms of the housing revenue account self-financing deal.

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Steve Ayris, seconded by Councillor Penny Baker, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new paragraph (e) as follows:-

 

 

 

(e)       recalls the motion on this topic proposed by the Liberal Democrat group at September’s full Council meeting and therefore proposes that:-

 

(i)         this Council works with other neighbouring authorities and housing associations to oppose the current Government proposals; and

 

(ii)        a copy of this Motion is sent to our local MPs asking them to support the Council’s position; to speak up in Parliament for more social housing and not less and to push for a genuine “one for one” replacement but not at the cost of losing more Council housing.

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

 

 

 

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried as follows:-

 

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       is concerned that, if passed, the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill would threaten the provision of affordable homes through:-

 

(i)         forcing ‘high-value’ council homes to be sold;

 

(ii)        extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants; and

 

(iii)       undermining requirements on private developers to provide affordable homes;

 

(b)       notes that there is no commitment in the Bill that affordable homes will be replaced on a like-for-like basis in the local area;

 

(c)        further notes that, whilst measures to help first-time-buyers are welcome, the ‘starter homes’ proposals in the Bill will:-

 

(i)         be unaffordable to families and young people on ordinary incomes in most parts of the country; and

 

(ii)        be built at the expense of genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy; and

 

(d)       believes that the Bill undermines localism by providing new wide and open-ended powers to the Secretary of State over councils, including the ability to mandate rents for council tenants, and, in effect, to impose a levy on stock-holding councils, violating the terms of the housing revenue account self-financing deal.