Agenda item

10.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Tony Damms, and formally seconded by Councillor Dianne Hurst, that this Council:-

(a)      notes that decent housing is linked closely to physical and mental wellbeing and that in a cost of living crisis people depend even more on the comfort, decency and security of their home, yet increasing numbers of residents are losing their homes because their landlords can no longer afford the mortgage or they themselves can no longer afford to pay increased private rents or mortgages; and further notes that 3,020 people presented as homeless between April and December 2023, and of these, 584 were assessed as being owed a full homelessness duty;

(b)      notes that in Sheffield we need to build 3,018 net new homes a year to satisfy increasing demand and yet, through right to buy and disposals, social housing stock is decreasing each year, and further notes that regeneration is good for the local economy, it brings in business, creates jobs and generates pride in the local economy;

(c)      deplores that because of increasing building costs, our Housing Service bought homes off plan this municipal year and struggled to maintain the decency of existing stock; notes that many tenants are living in homes with damp, mould and leaking roofs and this affects their mental and physical health; and further notes that during the current municipal year disrepair claims cost the Council dearly;

(d)      notes that during a climate emergency the Council has a role to play and, as a local authority, has pledges to meet by 2030, yet is still talking about devising a route map to invest in bringing homes up to a C grade of environmental efficiency and has a programme to retrofit just 355 homes by external cladding on the principle of worst first and this will draw to an end next financial year;

(e)      asserts that this catalogue of failure displays a lack of ambition that is unworthy of our citizens; and

(f)       therefore resolves to:-

(i)       re-commit to building council homes;

(ii)       invest in existing council stock to improve warmth, security and energy efficiency; and

(iii)      ask the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee to consider for its work programme consideration of the performance of the Housing Policy Committee against these aims.

10.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Nabeela Mowlana, and formally seconded by Councillor Ben Miskell, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition, at the end of sub-paragraph (f)(i), of the words “whilst supporting partnerships to significantly increase all types of affordable homes, including housing association properties”; and

2.       the addition of new paragraphs (g) to (i) as follows:-

(g)      notes the renewed focus on building affordable housing in the city, including through the development of the Housing Strategy under the oversight of the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee and the Council’s partnership work with Homes England, and welcomes the approval of the Council’s draft Local Plan which will make a huge difference in delivering affordable homes in the city;

(h)      notes Labour’s commitment to reforming the planning system in England to provide the clarity and certainty that industry and local government need to get Britain building more houses, to create new sources of green energy and to get the economy growing; and

(i)       believes a Labour government will reform arcane purchasing rules with reformed compulsory purchase rules to support strategic development on large sites, allowing local leaders to play a more active role in land assembly.

10.3

It was then formally moved by Councillor Penny Baker, and formally seconded by Councillor Sophie Thornton, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the deletion of paragraph (e);

2.       the addition of a new paragraph (e) as follows:-

(e)      notes that Liberal Democrats would have a national target for building social homes aiming for 150,000 per year with new powers for local authorities to build their own social and affordable housing;

3.       the substitution, in sub-paragraph (f)(i) of the word “affordable”, for the word “council”; and

4.       the deletion of sub-paragraph (f)(iii).

10.4

It was then formally moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, and formally seconded by Councillor Henry Nottage, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.       the addition of a new paragraph (c) as follows, and the re-lettering of the original paragraphs (c) to (f) as new paragraphs (d) to (g):-

(c)      endorses the response of the Local Government Association to the Government’s consultation on social housing allocations, in particular with regard to the call for reform of the Right to Buy system which has destroyed a large part of the country’s social housing;

2.       the deletion, in the new paragraph (d) [original paragraph (c)], of all the words after the words “increasing building costs,” and the addition of the following words instead - “councillors from all parties voted to reduce the number of homes that could be built under the Council’s Stock Increase Programme.”.

10.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Nabeela Mowlana was put to the vote and was carried, but in part. Part 1 and paragraph (g) in Part 2 of the amendment were carried, and paragraphs (h) and (i) in Part 2 of the amendment were lost.

10.5.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 41 Members; AGAINST - 24 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 0 Members.  Although Liberal Democrat Group Members voted against, they abstained from voting on Part 1 of the amendment. Although Green Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraphs (h) and (i) in Part 2 of the amendment. Although Sheffield Community Councillors Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraphs (g) and (i) in Part 2 of the amendment.)

10.6

The amendment moved by Councillor Penny Baker was then put to the vote and was carried, but in part. Parts 1 and 4 of the amendment were carried, and Parts 2 and 3 of the amendment were lost.

10.6.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 37 Members; AGAINST - 29 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 0 Members.  Although Green Group Members voted for, they voted against Parts 2 and 3 of the amendment.)

10.7

The amendment moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson was then put to the vote and was carried, but in part. Part 1 of the amendment was carried, and Part 2 of the amendment was lost.

10.7.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 66 Members; AGAINST - 0 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 0 Members.  Although Labour Group, Liberal Democrat Group and Sheffield Community Councillors Group Members voted for, they voted against Part 2 of the amendment.)

10.8

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

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)      notes that decent housing is linked closely to physical and mental wellbeing and that in a cost of living crisis people depend even more on the comfort, decency and security of their home, yet increasing numbers of residents are losing their homes because their landlords can no longer afford the mortgage or they themselves can no longer afford to pay increased private rents or mortgages; and further notes that 3,020 people presented as homeless between April and December 2023, and of these, 584 were assessed as being owed a full homelessness duty;

(b)      notes that in Sheffield we need to build 3,018 net new homes a year to satisfy increasing demand and yet, through right to buy and disposals, social housing stock is decreasing each year, and further notes that regeneration is good for the local economy, it brings in business, creates jobs and generates pride in the local economy;

(c)      endorses the response of the Local Government Association to the Government’s consultation on social housing allocations, in particular with regard to the call for reform of the Right to Buy system which has destroyed a large part of the country’s social housing;

(d)      deplores that because of increasing building costs, our Housing Service bought homes off plan this municipal year and struggled to maintain the decency of existing stock; notes that many tenants are living in homes with damp, mould and leaking roofs and this affects their mental and physical health; and further notes that during the current municipal year disrepair claims cost the Council dearly;

(e)      notes that during a climate emergency the Council has a role to play and, as a local authority, has pledges to meet by 2030, yet is still talking about devising a route map to invest in bringing homes up to a C grade of environmental efficiency and has a programme to retrofit just 355 homes by external cladding on the principle of worst first and this will draw to an end next financial year;

(f)       therefore resolves to:-

(i)       re-commit to building council homes whilst supporting partnerships to significantly increase all types of affordable homes, including housing association properties; and

(ii)       invest in existing council stock to improve warmth, security and energy efficiency; and

(g)      notes the renewed focus on building affordable housing in the city, including through the development of the Housing Strategy under the oversight of the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee and the Council’s partnership work with Homes England, and welcomes the approval of the Council’s draft Local Plan which will make a huge difference in delivering affordable homes in the city.

10.8.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote on the Substantive Motion was FOR - 66 Members; AGAINST - 0 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 0 Members.  Although Liberal Democrat Group and Sheffield Community Councillors Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraph (g) of the Substantive Motion.)