Agenda item

The Service Lead – Strategic Planning and Development Management presented the report which outlines how the Governments Housing Needs Calculator has been used to produce a figure of 844 homes per year for East Devon in 2017, as well as the impacts of demographic change and how the affordability ratio is applied.

The report also highlights the changes since the report on growth principles at the September meeting and how new household projections data suggests an uplift to 953 homes per dwelling for East Devon in 2018. It is notable that within East Devon the annual housing needs from 2017 to 2018 has increased, especially when nationally it is in decline. Therefore, the Government are proposing in their consultation document that, for the short term, the household projections published in 2017 be used for housing need outputs to overcome an England wide picture of a housing needs outcome that falls below the 2017 generated level (and also below Government aspirations for 300,000 per year being built). In the longer term, they identify a need for a revision of the methodology to calculate local housing needs. This leads onto the proposed responses from this Council which will be submitted to the Government’s consultation on a proposed revised approach to determining housing numbers.

Furthermore, the report also highlights the CPRE evidence and picks up the issues raised in that document and how the conversation around housing needs for all groups can be taken forward. This will be driven through the commissioning of an independent study to consider the specific housing needs of all groups within the community and how these needs make up the overall housing needs for the area. Following this a Member workshop will be set up to consider the findings of the housing needs study and overall housing need.

Discussion covered:

·     Clarification was sought as to why East Devon has an increased housing need. In response, the committee were advised that it is partly a result of demographic changes, household projections and affordability ratios within the district. Furthermore, there is a current debate around the usability of the calculator, which has resulted in now using the 2017 housing needs data.

·     Concerns around the dysfunctional housing market and how it restricts the development of affordable housing.

·     Concerns around the lack of diverse housing developments to meet community need. In response, the committee were advised that the Oliver Letwin Review report identifies options to diversifying housing on large scale developments. It is important to understand what local people need and then to evidence that if we are to have policies in the future to diversify the housing market in East Devon. 

·     That inward migration is an uncontrollable unknown factor.

·     The need to encourage young people to stay within the district to diversify communities.

·     Clarification on when the employment monitoring report will be presented to the Strategic Planning Committee. In response, the committee were advised that the employment monitoring report will be presented in January 2019.

·     Clarification on when the housing needs member workshop would be held and who would be invited. In response the committee were advised that the would be with Members, CPRE, the National House Builders Federation and any other relevant bodies in the spring of 2019.

·     That an alternation be made to the response to question one in Appendix 1 of the report. That a sentence be added at the beginning of the response to state “crude demographic trends take no account of local infrastructure, type of housing needed or sustainable communities.”

RESOLVED:

1.   That the motion on future housing provision in East Devon from the Council meeting of 24 October 2018 be noted.

2.   That the proposed responses to the Government consultation on a proposed revised approach to determining housing numbers contained in Appendix 1 to this report be approved, subject to a sentence to be added to the beginning of the response to Question 1 to read: ‘crude demographic trends take no account of local infrastructure, type of housing needed or sustainable communities’.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

3.   That an independent study be commissioned to consider the specific housing needs of all groups within the community and how these needs make up the overall housing need for the area. 

a.   That a budget of up to £30,000 be set aside to meet the costs of the study.

b.   That a Member workshop be set up in the new year to consider the housing needs study and the overall housing need.