Issue - meetings

Option 1: Approve the draft Homes Strategy 2020-25

 Advantages: The council will have an up to date Housing Strategy within its policy framework. The Strategy outputs will make a significant contribution to increasing the provision of good quality energy efficient homes and affordable housing to meet those in the most housing need. It will positively contribute towards Climate Change mitigation. It will increase the portfolio of housing owned by Lancaster City Council. It will contribute to the council’s Investment Strategy. It ratifies the council’s commitment to jointly agreed priorities with other statutory organisations.

Disadvantages: The implementation of the Homes Strategy will have significant resource implications primarily but not exclusively in relation to capital funding.

Risks: The council will need to set up a Housing LATCo in order to bring forward a more diverse mix of housing tenures in Lancaster district. This is a new way of Page 86 working requiring specialist legal and finance advice initially as well as in the longer term impacting upon support services and separate governance arrangements will need to be established. Capital schemes identified have not yet been through a due diligence process to assess full costs and risks although an existing framework is already in place to assess proposed commercial investments. Future demand for housing but given the level of housing need identified and the standards being achieved. Market housing provision is a new area of business for the council but the existing council housing teams are well experienced to manage any PRS properties although outright sale units would be a new area of business for the council requiring proper market analysis and research.

Option 2: Do not approve the draft Homes Strategy 2020-25

Advantages: The council will not need to raise the capital and revenue funding required to implement the Homes Strategy.

Disadvantages: The council will not be contributing to increasing the supply of good quality energy efficient homes in Lancaster district. This will have wider implications upon the effectiveness of other approved Strategies i.e. the Homelessness Strategy 2020-23 by increasing the range of housing available to prevent homelessness. Limited opportunities/benefits around climate change mitigation. The council will primarily be an enabler rather than a provider of new housing.

Risks: The council will be less likely to achieve its agreed objectives and statutory duties around homelessness. The proposed regeneration of Mainway estate could lead to significant issues around the structure and quality of existing council properties. For schemes like Canal Quarter, the council as a key landowner could lose control in bringing forward a scheme which meets all its objectives and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68