Issue - meetings

Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy

Meeting: 22/01/2013 - Cabinet (Item 100)

100 Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy PDF 83 KB

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Leytham)

Report of the Head of Health & Housing

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Leytham)

Cabinet received a report from the Head of Health and Housing to provide members with a summary of the legal requirements placed upon local authorities by the Localism Act 2011 in relation to the adoption of a Tenancy Strategy, and to provide a final version of the document for approval by Cabinet.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

	Option 1: Approve the Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy in its current form.	Option 2: Approve the Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy with amendments
Advantages	The council will satisfy the legal requirements of the Localism Act 2011 and the Strategy will provide the necessary framework for all social housing providers to work within.	None.
Disadvantages	None identified	If the Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy is amended, it will be necessary to undertake further consultation and EqIA before final approval.
Risks	None identified	The Tenancy Strategy will not be in place by the required timescale set out in the Localism Act 2011.

The officer preferred option was option 1. This would ensure that the Council met the necessary statutory requirements within the required timescale, and that immediately following approval, all social housing providers could have regard to the Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy when adopting their own Tenancy Policies, and adhere to the requirements set out within the document.

The Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy had been developed through partnership approach with other Lancashire authorities and Registered Providers (R.P) partners but was informed by the local circumstances and housing markets that exist, to ensure that the framework put in place was appropriate and relevant. The statutory consultation requirements had been satisfied and further consultation had been conducted with other key stakeholders and elected members. Cabinet members were therefore requested to approve the document.

Councillor Leytham proposed, seconded by Councillor Hanson:-

“(1) That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1) That the report be noted and the Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy 2012 approved.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Head of Health and Housing

Reasons for making the decision:

The Localism Act 2011 required every authority to have a Tenancy Strategy in place by 15^th January 2013. The decision was consistent with the Corporate Plan 2012-2015 – Health and Wellbeing Priority: Enhanced quality of life of local residents through access to good quality housing and reduce homelessness. Lancaster City Council’s current allocation scheme and policy sought to create balanced communities and ensure that social housing was offered to those in the greatest need.