Agenda item

To continue consideration of the Affordable Housing SPD, which was deferred at the meeting on 22 March 2021.

11.1     The Mayor reminded councillors that they had begun consideration of the Affordable Housing SPD at the meeting on 22 March. At that meeting Cllr Mulliner proposed an amendment which revised the wording of paragraphs 93 and 94, and that amendment had been seconded by Cllr Foryszewski. As Planning and Legal officers had not had an opportunity to consider whether the proposed wording was a feasible alternative Council agreed to defer further discussion until Officers had an opportunity to review and comment on the amendment.

11.2     The Mayor referred councillors to pages 17 and 18 of their agenda and the schedule showing the original wording of paragraphs 93 and 94; Cllr Mulliner’s proposed wording submitted under his amendment; and, in the final column the officers’ comments and proposed alternative wording to these paragraphs.

11.3     The Mayor resumed the debate by asking Cllr Mulliner whether he wished to withdraw his amendment in favour of the alternative wording put forward by Officers, or whether he wished to proceed to a vote on his amendment.

11.4     Cllr Mulliner agreed that the proposed alternative wording put forward by the officers was a step in the right direction. However, he hadn’t been able to establish whether officers had appreciated that there were two scenarios of concern. One was where the applicant made it clear from the start that they wished to avoid their affordable housing obligations on a suitable site, and the new wording was certainly better than the old wording for dealing with that particular situation. The other situation which occurred was where applicants obtained planning permission and agreed to provide the full affordable housing contribution and then later come back to the council seeking a variation under S73 of the TCPA to relieve themselves of all or part of that obligation on the grounds of viability.

11.5     Cllr Mulliner was not clear that the alternative wording protected the council’s position in such a situation. However, he appreciated the progress made and agreed to withdraw his amendment and to support the alternative wording now proposed. Cllr Wilson seconded the alternative wording as set out in the schedule.

11.6     Council RESOLVED to agree the revised wording for paragraphs 93 and 94, as submitted by Officers and set out in the schedule in the agenda papers.

11.7     Cllr Seaborne welcomed the opportunity for Council to approve the Affordable Housing SPD, which had been in development for a number of years. It had been to the Housing Overview & Scrutiny Committee early in 2019, and the O&S committee members had had subsequent opportunities to comment on the SPD as it progressed through the consultations stages of its development. Council could be assured that the Affordable Housing SPD had been thoroughly scrutinised, and that changes had been made to it as a result of that scrutiny and also the public consultation. In his view, the Affordable Housing SPD was a good document that had been further improved by the amendments agreed in response to the challenge by Cllr Mulliner.

11.8     There were no further speakers, and Council RESOLVED unanimously to adopt the Affordable Housing SPD, as amended.