To receive Notices of Motion submitted under Standing Order No.12
1. Notice of Motion to be put to Council by Councillor Edwards
“This meeting of the Council:
· recognises the hard work already undertaken by Portfolio Holders and the Chief Executive to develop the key strategic sites in the Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 1 to reach the target of building over 13,000 new houses by 2028;
· is concerned that the Local Plan’s vision that up to 30% of the target being affordable homes – including homes for social rent – is not likely to be achieved on the basis of experience so far at Fairham Pastures (Land south of Clifton) given the growing shortfall of genuinely affordable housing to buy and social housing to rent in the Borough; and
· calls upon the Council to publish clarification that we reasonably expect developers and applicants to come forward with schemes that are viable with a minimum of 20% of affordable homes – including homes for social rent – towards the target of 30%.”
2. Notice of Motion to be put to Council by Councillor Robinson
“This Council recognises the importance of neighbourhood plans in facilitating and enabling local communities to communicate their preferences and needs to accommodate growth. However it calls upon the Government to ensure local communities are not placed at risk of unwanted development due to a lack of delivery of a five year land supply especially where the land supply is calculated for the benefit of areas outside the Borough Council boundary.”
3. Notice of Motion to be put to Council by Councillor Robinson
“Following the recent announcement that this Authority is to benefit from the support of £9.9 million housing infrastructure and £300,000 Land release funding, this Council endorses and supports the work of members and officers to maximise income opportunities to support the delivery of housing and growth in the Borough.”
Minutes:
a) The following motion was moved by Councillor Edwards and seconded by Councillor Plant.
“This meeting of the Council:
· recognises the hard work already undertaken by Portfolio Holders and the Chief Executive to develop the key strategic sites in the Rushcliffe Local Plan Part 1 to reach the target of building over 13,000 new houses by 2028;
· is concerned that the Local Plan’s vision that up to 30% of the target being affordable homes – including homes for social rent – is not likely to be achieved on the basis of experience so far at Fairham Pastures (Land south of Clifton) given the growing shortfall of genuinely affordable housing to buy and social housing to rent in the Borough;
and
· calls upon the Council to publish clarification that we reasonably expect developers and applicants to come forward with schemes that are viable with a minimum of 20% of affordable homes – including homes for social rent – towards the target of 30%.”
Councillor Edwards in proposing the motion asked for the Council to adhere to the principles set out in the Local Plan Part 1 with regard to affordable housing. Councillor Plant in seconding the motion reiterated that the motion was not asking for anything that had not already been agreed and was asking for the Council to publish clarification of our expectations of the percentage of affordable homes, including social houses to rent. Councillor Plant noted the severe problem of affordability of housing for those on average and below average wages in the Borough and the difficulties that this created for families and communities. Councillor Plant noted that many people would never be able to afford to buy a house in Rushcliffe but that they deserved a decent house with affordable rent. Councillor Plant noted that a good mix of affordable housing solutions would create better and more cohesive communities across the Borough and urged the Council to adhere to the vision outlined in the Local Plan Part 1, of the 30% of target being of new houses being affordable homes
Councillor Robinson acknowledged that there was a housing crisis in terms of affordability in Rushcliffe and agreed with the first two points raised by Councillor Edwards. Councillor Robinson noted that with the additional £9.9 million infrastructure funding recently awarded to the Council, he felt confident that the percentage of affordable homes delivered in the Borough would increase. Councillor Robinson disagreed with the final point of the motion, which was why he would be unable to support it and advised that Rushcliffe was more successful in delivering affordable housing on new developments than other neighbouring authorities and that the evidence confirmed that the Council was already delivering where others were not on affordable housing provision.
Councillor Upton praised the work of officers to deliver on the Council’s affordable housing target but noted that not all sites were appropriate for 30% affordable housing. Councillor Upton noted that the Council had delivered 430 affordable homes between 2009 and 2017 and anticipated an additional 805 affordable homes would be delivered before 2022.
Councillor Edwards thanked Councillors Robinson and Upton for their responses and welcomed the more detailed figures on affordable housing that they had provided
On being put to the vote the motion was declared lost.
b) The following motion was moved by Councillor Robinson and seconded by Councillor Inglis.
“This Council recognises the importance of neighbourhood plans in facilitating and enabling local communities to communicate their preferences and needs to accommodate growth. However it calls upon the Government to ensure local communities are not placed at risk of unwanted development due to a lack of delivery of a five year land supply especially where the land supply is calculated for the benefit of areas outside the Borough Council boundary.”
Following the proposal from Councillor Robinson, Councillor Inglis seconded the motion and noted his experience in the development of the Keyworth neighbourhood plan that had allowed his community to influence the future development of where they live and work.
Councillor MacInnes empathised with communities who had gone to the trouble of creating a neighbourhood plan that then appeared to be ignored due to problems outside of the Borough Council’s control.
Councillor Thurman advised that as East Leake, his ward, had created the first neighbourhood plan in Rushcliffe, they had also been the first to experience many of the problems. Councillor Combellack noted that many of the villages covered by her ward were considering creating neighbourhood plans but were concerned about how they could be subsequently enforced in the current planning environment. Councillor Upton noted his experience of creating the Radcliffe-on-Trent neighbourhood plan agreed that neighbourhood plans deserved more power.
Councillor Robinson thanked Councillors for sharing their experiences and advised that this motion sent a clear message to Central Government that neighbourhood plans were an essential part in shaping the future of the Borough.
On being put to the vote the motion was declared carried.
c) The following motion was moved by Councillor Robinson and seconded by Councillor Phillips.
“Following the recent announcement that this Authority is to benefit from the support of £9.9 million housing infrastructure and £300,000 Land release funding, this Council endorses and supports the work of members and officers to maximise income opportunities to support the delivery of housing and growth in the Borough.”
In proposing this motion, Councillor Robinson announced that he would like to alter the motion, as suggested prior to the meeting by Councillor Davidson, to read:
“Following the recent announcement that this Authority is to benefit from the support of £9.9 million housing infrastructure and £300,000 Land release funding, this Council endorses and supports the work of members and officers to maximise income opportunities to support the delivery of housing (including affordable housing) and growth in the Borough.” In accordance with Rule of Procedure 14.7 the alteration to the motion was accepted by the meeting.
Councillor Phillips in seconding the motion welcomed the recent housing infrastructure funding of £9.9 million and advised that this would increase the probability of the Council achieving its target of delivering 30% affordable housing on this site.
Councillors Davidson and Edwards supported the alteration to the motion and advised that they would like to see affordable housing covering a range of different affordability solutions such as social housing.
On being put to the vote the motion was declared carried.