Agenda item

To receive the report of the Director of City Development to update Members on the achievement of housing mix policies in the Adopted Core Strategy.

(Report attached)

The report of the Director of City Development updated the Panel on the achievement of housing mix policies in the adopted Core Strategy.

An addendum was tabled at the meeting in relation to the monitoring of Policy H4.

Members were informed of a joint scrutiny enquiry of Housing and City Development held in March last year where a range of recommendations were made. These related to overall Core Strategy housing targets which had been advanced and also in terms of Core Strategy policy H4 which seeks appropriate mix of dwelling types particularly bedroom types.

Members heard that at the time of the enquiry for the first three years of the Core Strategy a significant number of 3 and 4 bed houses had been approved against 1 and 2 bed properties.

Members’ attention was drawn to the tabled document which set out Policy H4 targets.

Concerns had been raised at the enquiry that developers were putting in a model that they wanted rather than a model that Leeds needed. The scrutiny enquiry came up with a number of recommendations one being that this issue be brought to Joint Plans Panel to update Members of the changes and what was being done.

The addendum also provided Members with monitoring which showed that 4 bed properties had fallen and that 1 and 2 bed properties had increased. This reflected a greater number of apartments being built in and around the city centre.

Members were advised that Scrutiny wanted to ensure that policy H4 targets were maintained across the city and on individual sites.

One of the recommendations included a consistent heading in Panel reports so that housing mix was flagged up and Members understood discussions that had taken place with developers on housing mix.

The tabled document provided Members with a number of housing market assessments of need in specific areas of Leeds. It was noted that there was a need to summarise outcomes of assessments in Panel reports where developments did not meet the specific mix required, to provide reasons for this and what the desired mix would be appropriate for that local area.

Members were advised that the Strategic Housing Market Assessment was a recent piece of work commissioned by ARC4 in the Summer of 2017. It was noted that there was also local area work on market characteristics basis that was now feeding through which provided more evidence on specific bedroom sizes and specific needs for mix in local areas. This information was also to be included in Panel reports.

Cllr. R Grahame raised an issue on housing and schools specific to the Aire Valley development. The Head of Development Management to address this and report back to Cllr. Grahame.

Members discussed the following points:-

·  The need to pay regard to Council’s planning policies;

·  Leeds Living – where at currently;

·  Need to know what percentage variation is in local areas; and

·  More information to be provided on how the housing mix of a site is calculated.

Members were informed that more work was required to look at what the SHMA was indicating in relation to 4 bed properties.

Members were advised that the Leeds Living was a housing market assessment on contract with ARC4. Officers were to provide more information to Members on Leeds Living via email.

RESOLVED – To note the report.