Agenda item

10.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Penny Baker, and formally seconded by Councillor Mohammed Mahroof, that this Council:-

(a)      believes that the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme has been detrimental to Sheffield, as:-

(i)       Sheffield is suffering from an annual affordable accommodation shortfall of 902 units;

(ii)       in 2021-22, this Council lost 408 units of housing stock to RTB sales, representing a net loss of 277 units of affordable housing in Sheffield;

(iii)      despite positive work being done to increase Sheffield’s social rented stock through the Stock Improvement Programme, Sheffield has suffered a net loss of affordable housing since 2015-16 due to the RTB;

(iv)      due to this long-term reduction in social housing stock, on average only 54 council properties are advertised each week in Sheffield, with 22,338 households on the housing register;

(v)      of these, 639 are in priority bands A and B, representing the highest housing need, including people who are homeless and people suffering from domestic abuse; and

(vi)      this Council has recently begun a review of planned new build housing, as due to construction inflation, a new build property being purchased under RTB after 10 years would represent a significant financial loss to the Council;

(b)      notes that a shortage of social housing impacts renters widely, as:-

(i)       tenants requiring extensive repairs can wait for months to be moved into a temporary property while repairs are carried out;

(ii)       the 881 households with a priority rehousing award will wait longer for rehousing, residing meanwhile in abusive relationships, homeless accommodation, and unsuitable properties;

(iii)      a 2015 evidence review found that the RTB intensified problems of housing affordability and increased Housing Benefit expenditure; and

(iv)      nationally over 40% of homes bought under RTB are now let privately, and that 1 in 3 private renters borrowed money to pay their rent in June 2023;

(c)      notes with concern that this Government has proposed to extend RTB to Housing Associations, and believes this is likely to exacerbate negative trends in affordable housing provision;

(d)      believes that, in addition to increasing housing stock, the Council must work more closely with private developers to prioritise affordable housing completions; and

(e)      therefore resolves to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, requesting the Government grant local councils the power to set the RTB discount locally (including the power to discontinue the scheme), and to make permanent the 100% retention of RTB receipts, in line with the Local Government Association’s position.

10.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Nabeela Mowlana, and formally seconded by Councillor Mark Jones, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (e) to (h) as follows, and the re-lettering of the original paragraph (e) as a new paragraph (i):-

(e)      believes that the RTB policy as currently enacted has done considerable damage to Sheffield, and the wider nation, and further believes that replacing properties lost through RTB on a one-to-one basis would be a huge help in replacing lost stock;

(f)       believes that strong local communities are built on the back of families having a secure and stable home, not being forced to repeatedly uproot on the whims of landlords or due to escalating prices, and notes that the Labour Party has promised to deliver a new housing settlement, rebalancing power between developers and communities, and ensuring local councils can deliver the affordable housing their communities need;

(g)      notes that the Labour Party have stated they will create a new definition of affordable homes pegged to local incomes, close the loopholes that let developers wriggle out of commitments and introduce tough new powers so councils can develop more land for affordable housing, and this Council supports this approach;

(h)      notes the stated ambition of the Labour Party to ensure that more council homes are built in every part of the country that provide secure, genuinely affordable tenancies and which will further boost communities through the skills, apprenticeships and jobs created to build these homes, with Labour recognising the challenges councils face in delivering these vital services and being committed to working with them to address these; and

10.3

It was then formally moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, and formally seconded by Councillor Brian Holmshaw, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraph (e) and the addition of new paragraphs (e) to (h) as follows:-

(e)      believes that Right to Buy legislation has decimated good council housing estates, subsidised an exploitative private landlord market and left numerous properties across the country in poor repair;

(f)       believes that former council homes now in private ownership are often a major obstacle to large-scale effective housing retrofit schemes, leaving both council and private tenants in fuel poverty;

(g)      notes the successful award of a small amount of government money to address the problems of private tenants in right to buy properties missing out on the benefits of retrofitting of council homes and believes this to be an acknowledgement of one of the disadvantages of the right to buy scheme; and

(h)      therefore resolves to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, requesting the Government to abolish the Right to Buy.

10.4

The amendment moved by Councillor Nabeela Mowlana was put to the vote andwas carried.

10.4.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 43 Members; AGAINST - 26 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.  Although Liberal Democrat Group Members and Councillor Sophie Wilson voted against, they voted for paragraph (e) of the amendment.) 

10.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson was put to the vote andwas lost.

10.5.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 11 Members; AGAINST - 27 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 30 Members.)

10.6

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)      believes that the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme has been detrimental to Sheffield, as:-

(i)       Sheffield is suffering from an annual affordable accommodation shortfall of 902 units;

(ii)       in 2021-22, this Council lost 408 units of housing stock to RTB sales, representing a net loss of 277 units of affordable housing in Sheffield;

(iii)      despite positive work being done to increase Sheffield’s social rented stock through the Stock Improvement Programme, Sheffield has suffered a net loss of affordable housing since 2015-16 due to the RTB;

(iv)      due to this long-term reduction in social housing stock, on average only 54 council properties are advertised each week in Sheffield, with 22,338 households on the housing register;

(v)      of these, 639 are in priority bands A and B, representing the highest housing need, including people who are homeless and people suffering from domestic abuse; and

(vi)      this Council has recently begun a review of planned new build housing, as due to construction inflation, a new build property being purchased under RTB after 10 years would represent a significant financial loss to the Council;

(b)      notes that a shortage of social housing impacts renters widely, as:-

(i)       tenants requiring extensive repairs can wait for months to be moved into a temporary property while repairs are carried out;

(ii)       the 881 households with a priority rehousing award will wait longer for rehousing, residing meanwhile in abusive relationships, homeless accommodation, and unsuitable properties;

(iii)      a 2015 evidence review found that the RTB intensified problems of housing affordability and increased Housing Benefit expenditure; and

(iv)      nationally over 40% of homes bought under RTB are now let privately, and that 1 in 3 private renters borrowed money to pay their rent in June 2023;

(c)      notes with concern that this Government has proposed to extend RTB to Housing Associations, and believes this is likely to exacerbate negative trends in affordable housing provision;

(d)      believes that, in addition to increasing housing stock, the Council must work more closely with private developers to prioritise affordable housing completions;

(e)      believes that the RTB policy as currently enacted has done considerable damage to Sheffield, and the wider nation, and further believes that replacing properties lost through RTB on a one-to-one basis would be a huge help in replacing lost stock;

(f)       believes that strong local communities are built on the back of families having a secure and stable home, not being forced to repeatedly uproot on the whims of landlords or due to escalating prices, and notes that the Labour Party has promised to deliver a new housing settlement, rebalancing power between developers and communities, and ensuring local councils can deliver the affordable housing their communities need;

(g)      notes that the Labour Party have stated they will create a new definition of affordable homes pegged to local incomes, close the loopholes that let developers wriggle out of commitments and introduce tough new powers so councils can develop more land for affordable housing, and this Council supports this approach;

(h)      notes the stated ambition of the Labour Party to ensure that more council homes are built in every part of the country that provide secure, genuinely affordable tenancies and which will further boost communities through the skills, apprenticeships and jobs created to build these homes, with Labour recognising the challenges councils face in delivering these vital services and being committed to working with them to address these; and

(i)       therefore resolves to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, requesting the Government grant local councils the power to set the RTB discount locally (including the power to discontinue the scheme), and to make permanent the 100% retention of RTB receipts, in line with the Local Government Association’s position.

10.6.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 68 Members; AGAINST - 0 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.  Although Labour Group Members voted for, they abstained from voting on paragraph (i) of the Substantive Motion. Although Liberal Democrat Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraphs (f) to (h) of the Substantive Motion. Although Councillor Sophie Wilson voted for, she voted against paragraph (i) of the Substantive Motion.)