Argyll and Bute Housing Emergency Summit – Action Plan
Argyll and Bute Council · 20 June 2024
Back to Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee — 20 June 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 In June 2023 the Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure (EDI) Committee declared a Housing Emergency and approved the following: • The intention to update the Local Housing Strategy • The intention to hold an Argyll and Bute Housing Summit together with relevant stakeholders in the Autumn of 2023 1.2 This report is to update on the second of those points regarding a Housing Summit. The Housing Emergency Summit was held in November 2023 and 92 delegates attended. The purpose of the Summit was to bring partners together to forge commitments aimed at tackling housing shortage, pursuing innovation, coordinating planning and targeting delivery capacity. Details of the Summit can be found in the March 2024 EDI Housing Emergency Report Housing Emergency Report and the Housing Summit Report that has previously been circulated to Members Housing Summit Report. 1.3 A key outcome of the Housing Emergency Summit was the creation of an Action Plan for each housing emergency priority which will allow delivery partners to set proposed timescales, specify activities and detail partner responsibilities to drive further action and implementation. The Action Plan is included at Appendix 1. 1.4 Council officers identified the action points the Council is able to take forward as lead partner and it is intended these will ultimately be incorporated into the updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme later this year. The Council is not able to tackle and deliver all of the identified actions points. The Housing Summit Action Plan has been presented to the Community Planning Partnership Management Group (CPP) and it agreed to set up a CPP Housing Sub-Group to identify Partners that can contribute. 1.5 Following endorsement by the Council, the Housing Summit Action Plan will be circulated to all delegates at the Housing Summit, and any other relevant stakeholders and partners so that they might identify key actions they can contribute to. RECOMMENDATION Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee are asked to consider and endorse the Housing Summit Action Plan contained at Appendix 1 and note that appropriate elements will be incorporated into the ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 20 JUNE 2024 ARGYLL AND BUTE HOUSING EMERGENCY SUMMIT – ACTION PLAN
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updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme to be presented to Council later this year.
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2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 In June 2023 the Council’s EDI Committee declared a Housing Emergency due to a consistent reduction in supply of housing, a steady increase in demand for housing across all tenures and increasing levels of un- affordability. 2.2 This Committee approved a range of actions and this report is to update the EDI Committee one of those actions, which was to hold a Housing Emergency Summit. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee are asked to consider and endorse the Housing Summit Action Plan contained at Appendix 1 and note that appropriate elements will be incorporated into the updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme to be presented to Council later this year. 4.0 DETAIL 4.1 In June 2023 the Council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure (EDI) Committee declared a Housing Emergency due to a consistent reduction in supply of housing, a steady increase in demand for housing across all tenures and increasing levels of un-affordability. The Committee approved the following:- • The intention to update the Local Housing Strategy; and • The intention to hold an Argyll and Bute housing summit together with relevant stakeholders in the Autumn of 2023 4.2 This report is to update the EDI Committee on the second of those points regarding a Housing Summit. Declaring a housing emergency in Argyll and Bute is a call to action for government, public bodies and partners. It is intended as the catalyst to bring partners, stakeholders, investors and communities together to prioritise and commit to the collective action needed to tackle housing shortage. The Council is working hard with partners to programme a broad range of activities, both in the short term and long term, to ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 20 JUNE 2024 ARGYLL AND BUTE HOUSING EMERGENCY SUMMIT – ACTION PLAN
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target this collective action where it is needed most. 4.3 The Housing Emergency Summit was held on 27th November 2023 at the SAMS Campus, Oban and 92 delegates attended. The purpose of the Summit was to bring partners together to forge commitments aimed at tackling housing shortage by maximising resources, pursuing innovation, coordinating planning and targeting delivery capacity. Details of the Summit can be found in the March 2024 EDI Housing Emergency Report Housing Emergency Report and the Housing Summit Report that has previously been circulated to Members: Housing Summit Report. 4.4 The scale of housing emergency in Argyll and Bute is greater than the capacity of any one agency to address. A key outcome of the Housing Emergency Summit was the creation of a shortlist of priority actions and interventions to address housing shortages, to act as the catalyst for collective action. 4.5 Council officers, working with the consultants, engaged to facilitate the Housing Summit, have developed a final list of action points under each housing emergency priority, which reflects the options appraisal and prioritisation carried out by the delegates attending the Housing Emergency Summit. 4.6 The result is a Housing Summit Action Plan covering each housing emergency priority. This will allow delivery partners to set proposed timescales, specify activities and detail partner responsibilities to drive further action and implementation. It is proposed that the collective identified actions to tackle housing shortages should be programmed initially over a 5-year delivery period and subject to regular review. The Housing Summit Action Plan is included at Appendix 1. 4.7 Council officers have identified the action points the Council is able to take forward as lead partner, and where appropriate have identified an indicative delivery timescale, and any likely delivery partners. It is also likely the Council will identify additional actions that were not prioritised, but are contained within the Housing Summit Report, to take forward in the development of future housing strategy. 4.8 Given the scale of collective action required, the Council is not able, resourced sufficiently, or empowered to tackle and deliver all of the identified action points. In the first instance, the Housing Summit Action Plan has been presented to the Community Planning Partnership Management Group (CPP). The CPP acknowledged the relevance and need for the identified actions and agreed to set up a CPP Housing Sub-Group which would be led by HIE to explore what and how the CPP might contribute. 4.9 It is proposed that the Housing Summit Action Plan should be endorsed by the Council for incorporation into an updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme as appropriate. The updated Local Housing Strategy Action Programme will then form the formal indication of policy and delivery for the Council as Housing Authority, and this is anticipated to be brought to Council in September of this year.
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4.10 Following endorsement by the Council, the Housing Summit Action Plan will be circulated to all delegates at the Housing Summit, and any other relevant stakeholders and partners so that they might identify key actions they can contribute to. 4.11 It is proposed that the Argyll and Bute Strategic Housing Forum and the Community Planning Partnership Management Group will also form appropriate vehicles for monitoring of progress, and suitable reporting mechanisms will be agreed and publicised on the Council’s website. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 As requested by EDI Committee, the Council held a Housing Emergency Summit in November 2023. This was well attended by a wide range of stakeholders and was a useful exercise not only in placing focus on the issues of the Housing Emergency but allowing a broad range of stakeholders to identify and prioritise a range of actions and potential solutions. These have now been incorporated into a Housing Emergency Action Plan. This covers a range of actions for a variety of stakeholders and no one agency can fulfill all that is required. The Committee is asked to endorse the Housing Summit Action Plan so that it can be circulated, and so that relevant elements can subsequently be incorporated in to a revised Local Housing Strategy Action Programme. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy - The ongoing activity is consistent with current Council priorities and the Local Housing Strategy vision and outcomes which are directly aligned with the overarching objectives of the Outcome Improvement Plan, in particular Outcome 2 – we have infrastructure that supports sustainable growth. 6.2 Financial - None directly arising from this report but future housing delivery actions will require additional funding at some stage from the Council and our partners if delivery is to be accelerated. 6.3 Legal – None. 6.4 HR – None. 6.5 Equalities (Fairer Duty Scotland) - The activity outlined in the report is consistent with aims and objectives set out in the Local Housing Strategy, which is subject to an EQSEIA. 6.5.1 Equalities – Protected Characteristics - There are targets set within the SHIP to deliver housing which meet the needs of specialist groups. 6.5.2 Social-Economic Characteristics - The delivery of affordable housing across Argyll and Bute facilitates socio-economic opportunities for all. The SHIP links with the Child Poverty Strategy.
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6.5.3 Islands - The delivery of affordable housing across Argyll and Bute facilitates socio-economic opportunities for all. The SHIP links with the Child Poverty Strategy. 6.6 Risk - The Housing Needs and Demand Assessment process takes full account of housing need on the islands. 6.7 Climate Change – New housing in the right location helps reduce carbon outputs particularly when heating is provided using renewable energy and utilising high standards of insulation which can also be applied to existing stock. 6.8 Customer Service – None. 6.9 Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None. Kirsty Flanagan, Executive Director with overall responsibility for Development and Economic Growth Councillor Jim Lynch, Depute Policy Lead for Economic Development, Housing, Communities and Islands May 2024 For further information contact: Fergus Murray, Head of Development and Economic Growth Fergus.Murray@argyll-bute.gov.uk Matt Mulderrig, Development Policy and Housing Manager Matt.Mulderrig@argyll-bute.gov.uk Douglas Whyte, Team Lead – Housing Strategy Douglas.Whyte@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Housing Summit Action Plan