Housing Summit Action Plan Appendix 1
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.
Page 1
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN The Housing Emergency Action Plan is detailed below: Housing Emergency Priority 1: Enable the Delivery of More Market Homes in Argyll & Bute Action Point Progress Priority Year 1-5 Lead Partner Delivery Partners 1.1 Implement a more flexible approach to infrastructure, roads and design requirements on development sites. New Roads Guideline / Almost complete / quick win Yr 1 A&BC 1.2 Increase capacity within Council services key to housing development including Planning, Roads and Building Standards. DM has increased capacity over recent months. New roads staff in place. Building Standards Fees increase over a 3 year period will improve resources. Monitoring performance. Scottish Govt. Resourcing Planning System Review is currently underway. Project officer to support Housing Group & improved internal communications has been agreed and is in the process of being recruited. Yr 1 / monitor A&BC Scott Govt. 1.3 Dramatically increase the number of college places for construction skills development in Argyll & Bute. Need to establish baseline, existing numbers, evidencing the need, scoping of options/ 1-3Yrs A&BC UHI / Construction Industry / Developers / Colleges / A&BC Education
Page 2
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN identification of target or direction. 1.4 Create an empowered Construction Forum bringing together all planning consultees to speed up decision making. Current communication channels exists between all statutory consultees & Key Agencies involved in the planning process both at Planning application stage, and during LDP production. Increased resources (see 1.2) will assist communication. Monitor improvement and evaluate need in year 3. Yr 3. A&BC 1.5 Develop funding and risk sharing models to enable infrastructure investment in housing sites. The Council is working with Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) and HubNorth who are already looking at this issue. Ongoing A&BC Scottish Futures Trust, HubNorth 1.6 Repurpose vacant spaces/derelict buildings to deliver homes for sale or rent (see 4.2) An additional Empty Homes Officer appointed with HSCP. NDR & Development and Economic Growth Teams developing repurposing with NDR. Yr1 A&BC Private landowners 1.7 Use rural housing burdens and RGD/Partnership Support for Regeneration Funding (PSRF) Rural Growth Deal Pilot will explore this delivery model. Outline Business Case already submitted. Yr3 ABC SG / UK Govt / SFT
Page 3
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN enabling developers to offer principal homes at a fixed price A&BC acts as developer in the pilot which will then be reviewed. A&BC seek to influence More Homes for review of PSRF 1.8 Create supplementary planning guidance to bring forward sites for speculative building that are not a housing allocation in the current LDP, making it easier for developers to take forward Feb 2024 LDP2 adoption allows consideration of development on a wider geographical area than previously. LDP3 work / OSDF / HSDF will seek to identify new development land. Yr1 (re LDP2) & Yr3 ABC Housing Emergency Priority 2: Enable the Delivery of More Affordable Homes in Argyll & Bute Action Point Activity Priority Year 1-5 Lead Partner / Delivery Partners 2.1 Consider the use of standard housing design types to speed up procurement/planning approvals and building warrant approvals. Primary beneficiary RSLs. RSLs should decide if they want it and take the lead with ABC being the supporting partner. Raise at Strategic Housing Forum. Yr 2/3 ABC Housing Forum / RSLs RSLs / A&BC 2.2 Create a ring fenced infrastructure fund for Argyll & Bute similar to the Highland Council model Highland Council model was a loan as part of their Rural Growth Deal. Alternatives: HIF applications scheduled for several projects. Ongoing. A&BC Scott Govt
Page 4
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN Issue of RPA flexibility raised with SG & Housing Minister. Council funding strategic Masterplanning will facilitate planned future investment in strategic infrastructure. (see 1.8). 2.3 Improve infrastructure planning across agencies Seek to influence improvements. Liaison activity already happens prior to LDP production and National Infrastructure Plan but doesn’t result in appropriate investment. Priority action. Ongoing COSLA / A&BC Scott Govt 2.4 Freedom to use Scottish Government housing funding more flexibly and as an allocation with local administrative control Raised with More Homes division and Housing Minister Seek to influence change. Ongoing A&BC / CPP Scott Govt / RSLs / Community Housing Trusts 2.5 Use Rural Housing Body status to enable land assembly, master planning and infrastructure investment The following are proposed as more deliverable actions: A&BC Have achieved Rural Housing Body Status, will implement to secure primary occupancy and potentially affordability in a variety of 1/5yrs ABC
Page 5
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN ways, guidance will be developed to support this. Land assembly and Masterplanning will be considered through OSDF / HSDF and LDP3. (see 1.8) See 2.2 & 2.3 for infrastructure investment. 2.6 Develop planning policies which tackle the housing crisis e.g. exception policies, Affordable Housing Policy contributions, rural burdens Currently reviewing and developing new approaches to planning policy including: primary occupancy restriction, planning control for short term lets, include key worker definition in affordable housing, construction worker housing strategies, seasonal worker accommodation. 1-3yrs A&BC 2.7 Create funding mechanisms for Community Housing Trusts to finance feasibility studies, professional fees and approval process Need to explore sustainable model for Community Housing Trusts & clarity of roles. Ongoing CPP / Scottish Government HiREP / HIE / Community Housing Trusts 2.8 Evidence the demand for intermediate housing to enable an RSL development pipeline and deliver more Have engaged with LAR to explore delivery of mid- market rent. A&BC / Housing Forum
Page 6
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN MMR and low-cost homes for sale Evidence exists within the HNDA. Will seek to review understanding of that evidence at Housing Forum, with a view to improving dissemination. 2.9 ACHA to develop a minimum of 300 new build homes of mixed tenure and a minimum of 50 buy backs by 2029 1-5Yrs ACHA Housing Emergency Priority 3: Enable the Delivery of More Homes for Argyll & Bute's Workforce Action Point Activity Priority Year 1-5 Lead Partner / Possible Lead Partner Delivery Partners 3.1 Deliver seasonal and temporary workforce accommodation using short term occupancy agreements Working with MICHT to deliver worker accommodation on Mull. (HubNorth & SFT involved). HIE have expressed interest in contributing to this work. Temp construction worker accommodation also needs to be tackled. SSEN and Cruachan Conditions Example. SG and HIREP looking at the issue. Yr1 & ongoing. ABC for Tobermory proposal. CPP re wider issue. MICHT / UK Govt & SG through Rural Growth Deal), HiREP / HIE. 3.2 Develop a strategic approach to evidencing the need for Already a lot of evidence/ HNDA / Consultants ABC Public sector agencies.
Page 7
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN workforce housing in the public sector Reports / MICHT survey / CPP survey. HSCP Empty Homes officer. CPP may be able to instigate a more formal route for monitoring live demand and consideration to a more collaborative approach such as sharing accommodation. CPP 3.3 Deliver emergency workforce housing options including the use of modular, temporary and tiny homes Rural Growth Deal worker housing project on Mull. HIREP work on worker housing. Housing Strategy conditions for major projects such as SSEN Sub-stations and Cruachan. Will incorporate in Planning Policy. Yr 2-3 ABC CPP SSEN / HiREP / HIE / DRAX 3.4 Deliver a Mid-Market Rent workforce housing programme LINK 18 units at Dunbeg. LAR exploring opportunities without Govt Finance. RSLs LAR
Page 8
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN 3.5 Identify public sector land and buildings which could provide workforce housing via repurposing and change of use. ABC property is mapped. CPP 3.6 Use the Partnership Support for Regeneration Fund to enable private sector workforce housing models Initial analysis suggested this would not prove attractive to developers in rural ABC. Will seek to influence SG / More Homes Division to review this Fund (see 1.7) Ongoing. ABC 3.7 Assess the potential to reintroduce the Rural Home Ownership Grant model for working households in partnership with Community Housing Trusts Community Housing Trusts Housing Emergency Priority 4: Make the Best Use of Existing Homes in Argyll & Bute Action Point Activity Priority Year 1-5 Lead Partner Delivery Partners 4.1 Further reform CPO processes to tackle abandoned homes more effectively Empty Homes Officers have delivered empty property back in to use via CPO before, currently exploring on one property to see if interest from developer / purchaser. Low ABC SG
Page 9
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN Not clear what reforms are needed if any. Input to SG consultation. 4.2 Create a multi-agency team enabling mixed tenure refurbishment and regeneration projects (see 1.6) Council NDR Team developing NDR relief scheme for empty property back in to use. Council CARS schemes. Private Sector Housing Grant funding to support this. Council APAG group for dangerous property. Work in Helensburgh Clyde Street with ACHA. Ongoing. ABC 4.3 Develop a housing model that offers apprenticeships with tenancies to keep young people in Argyll & Bute Home Argyll can discuss if they would want to implement a local lettings policy connected to apprenticeship. Yr2 HomeArgyll Construction Industry 4.4 Create more choice and flexibility within the Home Argyll policy to address identified housing pressures Home Argyll partners amended lettings policy to allow prioritization of identified pressures. Yr1 HOME Argyll Partnership
Page 10
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN 4.5 Increase the number of Empty Homes Officers with more flexibility to assemble funding New Empty Homes officer employed in partnership with HSCP. Yr1 ABC/HSCP 4.6 Develop a better range of housing options for older people to encourage movement in existing housing stock Incorporate into the LHS Action Programme and develop from there. Yr 2-3 ABC CPP 4.7 Introduce STL control areas in pressured housing market areas Now short term let license applications have been received. We can explore process of consulting on and establishing planning control areas. Yrs1-2 ABC 4.8 Double the Council Tax on Second Homes This was implemented on the 1st of April 2024. Have bid for additional officer resource to help support transition from second homes to long term rental. ABC 4.9 Map public sector land and buildings which could provide affordable housing via repurposing and change of use Duplicates 3.5 CPP 4.10 Extend the use of rural housing burdens across Rural Housing Authority Status Achieved. Yrs 1-2 ABC
Page 11
APPENDIX 1 - HOUSING SUMMIT ACTION PLAN Housing Market Areas to maintain primary occupancy and/or affordability Models to utilize this being developed.