Housing Services Activity Update - Strategic Housing Investment Plan (Ship) - Annual Update
Argyll and Bute Council · 11 March 2025
Back to Helensburgh & Lomond Area Committee — 11 March 2025 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND AREA COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 11 MARCH 2025 HOUSING SERVICES ACTIVITY UPDATE - STRATEGIC HOUSING INVESTMENT PLAN (SHIP) – ANNUAL UPDATE 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 The main purpose of this report is to update Members of Housing Services activity and the delivery of the Local Housing Strategy within the Helensburgh & Lomond area. This report will detail the following housing activity:- • Housing Emergency • Housing Need and Demand • Homelessness • Affordable Housing Supply - Strategic Housing Investment Programme (SHIP) • Empty Homes • Private Sector Housing Grant Adaptations • Private Sector Housing Grant Repairs and Improvements • Energy Efficiency - Energy Efficiency Scotland: Area Based Scheme(EES:ABS) • Local Housing Strategy 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 Members are asked to consider the content of the report.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND AREA COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH 11 MARCH 2025 HOUSING SERVICES ACTIVITY UPDATE - STRATEGIC HOUSING INVESTMENT PLAN (SHIP) – ANNUAL UPDATE 3.0 INTRODUCTION 3.1 The main purpose of this report is to update Members of Housing Services activity and the delivery of the Local Housing Strategy within the Helensburgh & Lomond area. This report will detail the following housing activity:- • Housing Emergency • Housing Need and Demand • Homelessness • Affordable Housing Supply - Strategic Housing Investment Programme • Empty Homes • Private Sector Housing Grant Adaptations • Private Sector Housing Grant Repairs and Improvements • Energy Efficiency – Energy Efficiency Programme: Area Based Scheme • Local Housing Strategy 4.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Members are asked to consider the content of this report. 5.0 DETAIL 5.1 As the Strategic Housing Authority, the Council has a series of important statutory housing functions to fulfil. A Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) is carried out every 5 years which enables Scottish Government funding to be brought into Argyll and Bute primarily to deliver affordable housing. A comprehensive revision of the local HNDA was approved as “robust and credible” by the Scottish Government’s Centre for Housing Market Analysis in December 2021. The Council also produces a Local Housing Strategy (LHS) every 5 years. Full Council approved the LHS 2022-27 in December 2021. It is subject to annual updates, which are published on the Housing Strategy pages of the Council website.
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The LHS has been developed in accordance with Scottish Government guidance and local priorities as identified in the HNDA. .This sets out the vision for Argyll and Bute: “Everyone in Argyll & Bute has access to a suitable, high quality home which is affordable and located within a vibrant, sustainable and connected community.” This report details the housing activity taking place in the Helensburgh & Lomond area. 5.2 HOUSING EMERGENCY In June 2023, Argyll and Bute Council became the first local authority to declare a housing emergency. A number of key statistics informed the emergency. • In 2023 there were just under 3,300 people on social rented housing waiting lists, representing an increase of 8% since the previous year. • The average housing price in 2022 was £206,000 which is 7 times the average income level in Argyll and Bute. • 11% of all homes are ineffective stock, with 6% second homes and 4% empty. • 42% of the property sales are made to people living out with the Argyll and Bute area. • There were 131 private house completions in the last 5 years representing only 17% of the expected rate. • Constructions costs have seen a 22% increase in 2022 with island construction costs significantly higher. This trend is continuing currently. • 92% of residents responding to the Housing Emergency survey said that housing shortage was having an impact on their community • Of employers who responded to the workforce housing survey, 75% said a shortage of housing was a barrier to recruiting or retaining staff A copy of the Housing Emergency Summit Report held in November 2023 and associated progress reports are available here The housing emergency action plan developed in conjunction with partners at the Housing Summit has been appended to the Local Housing Strategy Annual update 2024, and will be fully embedded in to the next Local Housing Strategy. Members requested regular updates on activity to tackle the housing emergency including a set of metrics, which could be used as a benchmark to monitor progress. The housing system is complex and wide-ranging; the following table of statistics and indicators, which were approved by Council in November 2024, give a balanced representation of the housing system based on the issues across the housing market.
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* Consents Figure is June23-March24, & will be corrected for next year 5.3 HOUSING NEED AND DEMAND HOMEArgyll WAITING LIST November 2024 – Active Applicants (excluding those with 0 points/no defined need) Helensburgh and Lomond Minimum Bedroom Size Required TOTAL 0/1beds 2beds 3beds 4+beds 226 142 93 36 497 In addition there were 199 applicants for Helensburgh & Lomond who received nil points according to the Common Allocation Policy and therefore would be deemed to have no housing need. For Helensburgh and Lomond as a whole the majority of applicants (45%) require one bedroom and 29% require 2 bedrooms.19% require 3 bedrooms and just 7% need 4 or more. However, to establish actual need, the available supply must be factored into this, based on the available lets within the RSL stock during a year. Applicants per available RSL Let (Pressure Ratios) Helensburgh and Lomond HOMEArgyll Applicants RSL Lets 2023/24 (All Landlords) Pressure Ratio 497 137 4:1 HOUSING EMERGENCY - METRICS Year Measures 2023/24 2024/25 2025/26 Housing Completions – All Tenures 144 Planning Consents Granted 512* Resource Planning Allocation(RPA) £18.26m Resource Planning Allocation(RPA) spend Available Mid 2025 Strategic Housing Fund (SHF) spend £1.057m Number of Homeless Applications 492 Number of Households on social housing waiting list 3209 Multiple of median wage to median house price 5x (£35k / £175k) Number of Registered Short Term Lets 3031 Number of Second Homes 2811 Number of Empty Homes 2364
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While the pressure ratios are only one factor in determining need and demand, they are useful indicators of areas where further research and analysis may be required. The fully revised Argyll & Bute HNDA 2021 takes account of a wide range of factors to determine existing need and future demand for new build housing, and demographic projections have a critical role in this assessment. Although the default population projections suggest a significant and continuous decline across Argyll and Bute, and consequently minimal or zero requirement for new build housing, the council has developed ambitious Housing Supply Targets based on an alternative, positive growth scenario for all areas. In this instance, 22% of the Argyll & Bute Housing requirement would be apportioned to Helensburgh & Lomond; and over the next 5 years this could amount to at least 320 new builds across all tenures for the HMA as a whole. 5.4 HOMELESSNESS The incidence of homelessness decreased in the Helensburgh and Lomond area in 2023/24 (121 down to 87). During 2023/24, there were 86 homeless cases closed in the Helensburgh and Lomond area. The figures below illustrate the number of homeless applications and cases closed for the period from 2019/20 to 2023/24. The main reasons for presenting as Homeless last year were “Asked to Leave”, “Dispute with household/relationship breakdown non-violent or abusive”; and “Other action by landlord resulting in the termination of the tenancy”. There were also a number of cases involving “violent or abusive disputes”. 0 50 100 150 200 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Homeless Applications and Cases Closed 2019/20-2023/24 Helensburgh & Lomond Applications Helensburgh & Lomond Cases closed
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Rough Sleeping Helensburgh and Lomond experienced an increase in the incidence of rough sleeping over the same period last year, with 8 cases (+1) in total across the area reporting that they slept rough the night preceding their presentation and 9 (+7) reporting that they had slept rough in the 3 months preceding their homeless application. AREA Number of Rough Sleepers in 2023/24 Night Before Application 3 Months Prior to Application Helensburgh and Lomond 8 9 Argyll & Bute 33 56 5.5 AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUPPLY This continues to be a very challenging period for the construction sector and there is ongoing slippage in the new build programme due to disruption and shortages with materials and staffing. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) delivered 12 new affordable homes in Helensburgh & Lomond in 2023/24. RSL PROJECT Units Funding Dunbritton HA Jeannie Deans, Helensburgh 12 £2,750,644 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 1. Termination of tenancy/mortgage due… 10. Dispute with household/relationship… 11. Fleeing non-domestic violence 12. Harassment 13. Overcrowding 14. Asked to leave 15. Other reason for leaving… 2. Other action by landlord resulting in… 3. Applicant terminated secure… 4. Loss of service/tied accommodation 5. Discharge from… 6. Emergency (fire,flood,storm,closing… 7. Forced division and sale of matrimonial… 8. Other reasons for loss of… 9. Dispute with household violent or… Helensburgh & Lomond Reasons for homelessness 2023/24
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In addition, further sites/projects in the Helensburgh and Lomond area which are progressing onsite or in early stages of development and will be programmed in the SHIP for completion in future years include: Dunbritton Grant Street, Helensburgh – 14 units; 2025/26 Cardross – 30 units; 2025/26 Helensburgh Golf Club ( 18th Tee) – 16 units; 2027/28 Helensburgh Golf Club (Main Site) – 45 units; 2028/29 Succoth phase 2 – 12 units; 2029/30 ACHA East Clyde Street – 14 units; 2025/26 Additional commitment to 50 property acquisitions, across whole local authority area. LINK Luss – 8 units; 2028/29 5.6 EMPTY HOMES In 2023/24 there were 6 private empty homes brought back into use in H&L, amounting to 20% all the empty homes brought back into use across Argyll and Bute last year with assistance of the Empty Homes Officer (30). Council Tax Information on Empty Homes The following table breaks down the numbers of empty homes including those subject to premium Council Tax charge across the H&L area. The table does not include properties which are empty and exempt from Council Tax. The numbers of recorded empty homes can vary from day to day due to natural changes and reported numbers are snapshot from November reports. Helensburgh & Lomond Council tax data as at 01.11.24 Number of properties on Council Tax register Empty Homes Properties subject to 200% council tax levy Total EMPTY Helensburgh & Lomond 12,511 172 129 301 Council Tax Exemptions There are also a number of empty properties which are on the Council Tax register which are exempt from paying council tax. In Helensburgh & Lomond there are 218 properties which are empty and exempt from Council Tax. The categories for empty properties include: • Class 2A = Unoccupied dwelling – under renovation (12) • Class 4A = Properties recently occupied but now empty and unfurnished (86) • Class 5A = Living or Detained elsewhere – e.g care home, hospital or prison (16) • Class 6A = Deceased owners – where estate has not been settled (93)
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• Class 7A = Dwellings Empty Under Statute – Closing or Demolition Order (6) • Class 19A= Difficult to let separately (5) Second Homes As at November 2024 there were 156 registered Second Homes in Helensburgh and Lomond. This figure represents 5.85% of the total number of Second Homes in Argyll and Bute (2,666). Self-Catering Properties As at March 2024 there were there were 192 self-catering lets on the Rates register in the Helensburgh & Lomond area 8.7% of the Argyll and Bute total (2,210). Short Term Let Licence As at 1st March 2024, there were 314 applications for short-term let licences in Helensburgh & Lomond. This was 10% total applications (3,031). These can apply to wide range of properties and can include home sharing, home letting, and secondary letting. There is a public register for all short-term lets, which can be accessed here. 5.7 PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING GRANT – ADAPTATIONS In 2023/24, there was a total of 17 individual adaptations installed in Helensburgh & Lomond with PSHG aid. 5.8 PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING GRANT – REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS In 2023/24, there were a total of 16 PSHG repair and improvement grants completed in Helensburgh & Lomond, (across Argyll and Bute, the total was 41). Total cost of the works was £172,406.83 of which PSHG covered £59,213.16. PSHG ADAPTATION COMPLETIONS 2023-24 HMA Grant Value Works Value ADAPTATION INSTALLED Ramp Stairlift Access Bathroom Adaptation H&L £87,660 £120,433.50 2 1 1 13
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5.9 ENERGY EFFICIENCY (ENERGY EFFICIENT SCOTLAND: AREA BASED SCHEME (EES:ABS) There were 33 individual energy efficiency measures fitted to 29 properties across Helensburgh and Lomond in 2023/24 via the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland – Area Based Scheme (EES-ABS), at a total cost of £126,839.28 with EES-ABS grants in support of this work amounting to £125,457.02. Current estimates of Fuel Poverty are based on Home Analytics data (Scottish figure sourced from The Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel) Area Likelihood of Households in Fuel Poverty Extreme Fuel Poverty Helensburgh & Lomond 22% 11% Argyll and Bute 30% 25% Scotland (SHCS Figure) 34% 23% 5.10 Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 2022-2027 As the strategic housing authority for Argyll and Bute, the Council has a statutory duty to develop, implement and monitor a Local Housing Strategy over a five-year planning cycle, based on a robust and credible Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) for the area. Following completion of the previous Argyll and Bute LHS (2016-2021) last year, a comprehensive revision and update of the strategy has been approved by the council and is due to be formally launched in March 2022. The planning process was based on a robust process of consultation and stakeholder engagement, which has been acknowledged as an exemplar model for other local authorities by the Scottish Government, the CHMA, and the Scottish Housing Network LHS Forum. The revised HNDA was approved as “robust and credible” by the Scottish Government’s CHMA in 2021, and this has informed the revised Housing Supply Targets set out in the new LHS. These targets are based on a positive demographic and economic growth scenario for Argyll & Bute and include ambitious and challenging Housing Supply Targets for the Helensburgh & Lomond HMA over the next 5 years and beyond. Progress with these targets and the new LHS Action Plan will be reported on an annual basis to this area committee. Work has commenced on the preparation of the next HNDA due to be approved in 2026. The Local Housing Strategy is subject to annual updates and the 2024 update can be found in the Housing Strategy pages of the Council website Microsoft Word - Local Housing Strategy Annual Update 2024 - FINAL as at 170924
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6.0 CONCLUSION 6.1 This report provides the detail of the Council Housing Services team activity and an overview of the progress achieved with the Local Housing Strategy Action Plan in the Helensburgh & Lomond housing market area. There are a variety of housing issues within the area which are being tackled by Housing Services and partner agencies with the aim of delivering a functioning housing system which meets the needs of the communities we serve. The scale of the challenge is shown in statistical evidence and the declaration of the Housing Emergency and the subsequent Housing Emergency Summit has shown that many concerns are common across agencies and communities. 7.0 IMPLICATIONS 7.1 Policy - Complies with approved SHIP and Local Housing Strategy. 7.2 Financial - None arising from this report. 7.3 Legal - We have a statutory duty to deliver statutory housing functions 7.4 HR – None. 7.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: Positive in terms of delivering affordable housing. 7.5.1 Equalities - Protected characteristics - none 7.5.2 Socio-economic Duty - Positive in terms of delivering affordable housing. 7.5.3 Islands – Positive in terms of delivering affordable housing on the islands 7.6 Climate Change – The strategy and housing service deliver positive impacts for energy efficiency and climate change. 7.7 Risk – None. 7.8 Customer Service – None. 7.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – The housing activity described in the report will deliver affordable housing for families with children Kirsty Flanagan, Executive Director with the responsibility for Development and Economic Growth Councillor Jim Lynch, Policy Lead for Economic Development, Islands and Rural Communities, Housing January 2025
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For further information contact: Fergus Murray, Head of Development and Economic Growth Fergus.Murray@argyll-bute.gov.uk Douglas Whyte, Team Lead – Housing Strategy douglas.whyte@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Extract from LHS 2022 - 2027 (data as of 2020) Helensburgh & Lomond
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APPENDIX 1 – EXTRACT FROM LHS 2022 - 2027 (DATA AS OF 2020) HELENSBURGH & LOMOND Helensburgh & Lomond combines the largest urban settlement in the authority with a more rural hinterland, and has close links with the Glasgow-Clyde-central belt region. The hinterland of Lomond falls within the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park planning area and this impacts on the operation of the local housing market. Over a quarter of house sales (27%) are to purchasers from elsewhere in Scotland. The area has consistently exhibited high average house prices however it also has one of the highest average household incomes of the HMAs in Argyll & Bute, and consequently affordability is actually relatively better than many areas, albeit still unaffordable to many local residents in absolute terms. This area has a quarter of the total housing stock within the whole authority area, unsurprisingly; however it has seen only modest growth, compared to the rest of Argyll and Bute, with only 4% increase in the number of dwellings between 2015 and 2020. It also has the lowest proportion of second/holiday homes and vacant properties in the authority (5% of the total, albeit this is still above national levels; and levels may be higher in the National Park area of Lomond, which is seen as a significant concern for the Park Plan). There were 1,538 RSL homes in 2020, almost 18% of the Argyll & Bute total, and around 4 applicants for every available let. Over 25% of all homeless cases present here and around 21% of the HOMEArgyll waiting list are seeking to be rehoused in this area. The committed growth of the population serving the MOD naval base at Faslane, and the potential impact of ancillary family over time, is also a significant factor here that will impact on need and demand in the wider housing system. Population Households Dwellings Ineffective Stock (%) RSL Stock Waiting List Applicants RSL Lets (2019/20) Pressure Ratio Lower Quartile House Price Lower Quartile Income LQ Affordability Ratio 25,670 11,189 12,171 5% 1,538 524 122 4:1 £92,938 £19,508 4.8 Helensburgh & Lomond Key issues for Helensburgh & Lomond HMA: Increasing the supply of affordable housing remains a priority for this area. Sustaining the strategic partnership with HMNB Clyde also continues to be essential to address accommodation needs. Delivering Housing Options services, providing Tenancy Support and pro- actively preventing homelessness remain primary goals. Ensuring appropriate specialist provision is available to meet the requirements of those with particular needs will also be important.