Issue - meetings

Recommendations

The recommendations to the Executive are as follows:

1)     To approve the North Yorkshire Community Housing Fund Framework as set out at Appendix A.

2)     To approve the use of £1m annually from the Council Tax premium on second homes, subject to availability, to further support the work of the Community Housing Fund in North Yorkshire for a period of three years initially.

3)     To delegate authority to the Corporate Director Community Development to approve allocations from the Community Housing Fund in line with the North Yorkshire Community Housing Fund Framework. 

Considered – A report of the Corporate Director Community Development which provided an update on the Community Housing Fund position and sought approval to use £1m from the Council Tax Premium on second homes to further support the work of the Community Housing Fund in North Yorkshire from April 2025. 

Approval was also sought for a consolidated North Yorkshire Community Housing Fund Framework to cover allocation of legacy Community Housing Fund resources and any future projects funded from Council Tax premium from April 2025.  Delegated authority was requested for the Corporate Director of Community Development to approve allocations from the Community Housing Fund in line with the Community housing Fund Framework.

Simon Myers, Executive Member for Culture, Arts and Housing, introduced the report and advised that North Yorkshire Council was the only council in England which spent all of its second homes council tax premium on housing related issues.  There were 120 homes currently in the pipeline for this funding, which focussed on affordable homes on smaller sites and were led by local communities.  The funding would assist with processes such as planning permission, provision of advice for such projects and seed funding.

Resolved (unanimously) – that

1)     the North Yorkshire Community Housing Fund Framework as set out at Appendix A be approved

2)     the use of £1m annually from the Council Tax premium on second homes be approved, subject to availability, to further support the work of the Community Housing Fund in North Yorkshire for a period of three years initially.

3)     Authority be delegated to the Corporate Director Community Development to approve allocations from the Community Housing Fund in line with the North Yorkshire Community Housing Fund Framework. 

Reasons for Recommendations

Community Housing Fund resources need to be allocated in a fair and transparent way to support the delivery of Community Led Housing projects across North Yorkshire in line with the council’s strategic housing priorities as set out within the Housing Strategy 2024 to 2029. 

Alternative Options Considered

Community Housing Fund resources need to be allocated in a fair and transparent way to support the delivery of Community Led Housing projects across North Yorkshire in line with the council’s strategic housing priorities as set out within the Housing Strategy 2024 to 2029.