Agenda item

(Lead Member: The Mayor, Director: Melanie Corcoran)

Resolved:

(a)      That the Combined Authority notes the work undertaken so far on the Brownfield Housing Fund Programme.

(b)      That the Combined Authority sequencing of Waves and associated projects in Exempt Appendix 1 be endorsed.

(c)      That in light of the proposed changes to Committees, future project approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway and approval route outlined and approved by the Combined Authority in September 2020, including at the next decision point through delegation to the Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee and at decision point 5 through a delegation to the Combined Authority’s Managing Director following a recommendation by the Combined Authority’s Programme Appraisal Team.

(d)      That to ensure the programme progresses at pace, to delegate to the Director of Delivery, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Place, Regeneration and Housing:

(i)       The review and transfer of projects between the project prioritisation ‘Waves’ detailed in Exempt Appendix 1.

(ii)      The acceptance of new projects on to the programme.

(iii)      The transfer of projects which place greater risk on the programme back to the Strategic Housing pipeline for consideration as part of future investment programmes.

The Combined Authority considered a report from the Director of Delivery providing an update on the Brownfield Housing Fund Programme.

The Combined Authority had been allocated £66.7 million of funding from the Government to build a minimum 4,500 homes on brownfield land by 2025. This was noted as a challenging deadline, and it was cautioned that the Government reserved the right to withdraw all or part of the funding if milestones and targets were not met. The report identified a number of projects that could be delivered quickly and would support meeting these targets, as well as providing more sustainable and affordable housing throughout the region whilst also providing employment and training opportunities for young people. The majority of these homes would be near to transport hubs and over 1900 were expected to be categorised as ‘affordable’.

Members welcomed the investment into the region, noting it would not have been possible if not for becoming a Mayoral Combined Authority, but questioned whether this funding would mean that viability concerns in regard to renegotiating affordable homes and Section 106 monies were no longer an issue. It was noted that 60% of the scoring for schemes intending to enter the programme was set by the Government, and that the primary factor in this scoring was evidence of a market viability gap and a need for public investment, although deliverability, timescales, local priorities and other factors were also considered.

Clarification was requested on whether the 5000 homes needed to fulfil the Mayor’s housing pledge would be delivered through the Brownfield Housing Fund or would additional homes be needed. Members were advised that potential sites from the Brownfield Housing Fund would make a contribution to the 5000 affordable homes pledge but would not deliver all of them. The Combined Authority will therefore need to work with Local Authorities and other providers with the expectation that they would identify development sites in their districts for affordable houses and the Combined Authority would work with them on delivery.

Resolved:

(a)      That the Combined Authority notes the work undertaken so far on the Brownfield Housing Fund Programme.

(b)      That the Combined Authority sequencing of Waves and associated projects in Exempt Appendix 1 be endorsed.

(c)      That in light of the proposed changes to Committees, future project approvals are made in accordance with the assurance pathway and approval route outlined and approved by the Combined Authority in September 2020, including at the next decision point through delegation to the Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee and at decision point 5 through a delegation to the Combined Authority’s Managing Director following a recommendation by the Combined Authority’s Programme Appraisal Team.

(d)      That to ensure the programme progresses at pace, to delegate to the Director of Delivery, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Place, Regeneration and Housing:

(i)       The review and transfer of projects between the project prioritisation ‘Waves’ detailed in Exempt Appendix 1.

(ii)      The acceptance of new projects on to the programme.

(iii)      The transfer of projects which place greater risk on the programme back to the Strategic Housing pipeline for consideration as part of future investment programmes.