This paper seeks agreement to proceed with the outline design of a number of selected council owned sites identified across the county. At Cabinet on 26 November 2020 the decision was taken on how the council would progress the delivery of net carbon zero affordable housing across the county over the coming years.

http://hc-modgov:9070/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=7360

Cabinet also approved Phase 2 of this strategic work to develop a pipeline of sites suitable for development as affordable housing to support discussions with key partners including Homes England.

That:

a)    The output of the feasibility work completed on selected council owned sites is noted;

b)   An outline design for the council site at the former Holme Lacy Primary School is commissioned to allow housing market assessment and for the designs up to and including planning submission for houses on this council owned site;

c)    An outline design for the council site at The Paddock, Aylestone Hill Ward, is commissioned to allow for the design, submission of planning application and disposal of the site subject to securing planning permission; and

d)   The Chief Finance Officer is authorised to take all operational decisions with regard the former  Holme Lacy Primary School and The Paddock, Aylestone Hill Ward, projects including any potential future land sale of the site within a budget of £400k.

1.            The council could choose not to proceed with the outline design of the sites to assist in the provision of housing in the County and allow the current arrangement of Registered Providers (RPs) and house builders to meet provision. However, the type and scale of development produced via RPs and private house builders in recent times has not kept pace with demand for affordable housing seen as one of the key components of the County’s wider economic ambitions. This option was rejected.

2.            The council could choose not to proceed with the outline design of the former Holme Lacy Primary School (“the Holme Lacy Site”) and The Paddock and explore the potential to work in partnership with third party developers and or the purchase of open market sites which already have full planning permission or are under construction in order to facilitate affordable housing ownership. This option was rejected because these sites represent the most proceedable of the council’s owned sites.  As such further work is recommended to take these sites forward to outline design and planning application stage.