Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to Elizabeth Jackson, Principal Democratic Services Officer, elizabeth.jackson@northyorks.gov.uk and supplied the text (contact details below) by midday on Thursday 14 March, three working days before the day of the meeting. Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item. Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:
· at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);
· when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.
If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not
wish to be recorded, please inform the Leader who will instruct anyone who may
be taking a recording to cease while you speak.
Minutes:
A public question was received from Mrs Anne Seex in
relation to Minute number 419 – Housing Strategy 2024 to 2029 as follows:
The on-line consultation
on the Draft Housing Strategy engaged less than 0.01% of the adult population
and NYC received only 14 ‘stand alone’ written responses. Although the report on the Consultation tries
to make the best of it, even within this limited number of respondents 3 in 10
either disagree or have no view on the ‘Vision’ and 4 in 10 disagree or have no
view on the priorities.
Many responses
comment adversely on the absence of a definition of ‘affordable’ housing, the
lack of evidence and relevant statistics, failure to engage with the National
Parks as Planning Authorities, failure to recognise the different area needs
and characteristics across North Yorkshire.
Cllr Myers
previously acknowledged that he did not have access to information about:
* how many new homes, in which areas and at
what sale price or rental levels, are required to meet the predicted housing
needs of people currently living in North Yorkshire;
* how many homes do not meet decent standards
and where such homes are located; or
* what resources North Yorkshire Council
predicts it will have to invest in housing in the next 10 years.
Will the
Executive now accept that the absence of such information has contributed to
the lack of engagement in the consultation on the Draft Housing Strategy, recognise
that the draft is not ‘fit-for-purpose’ and defer approving it until further
work has been done and there has been meaningful engagement with citizens,
social landlords and private landlords, housing developers and community
organisations?
Councillor Simon
Myers thanked Mrs Seex for her contribution and responded that Consultation on
the draft housing strategy took place with a wide range of key partners and
stakeholders, which included Registered Providers, Private Landlords, Housing
Developers, the two National Parks, all Town and Parish Councils in North
Yorkshire, plus a wide range of Community and Voluntary Organisations and the
wider community.
Both the National
Park Planning Authorities were consulted
individually, as well as via the YNY Housing Board. Responses were received
from both NPAs to the consultation and amends were made to the draft strategy
as a result.
The draft strategy
also made frequent reference to some of the different needs and characteristics
of various parts of the authority, including the demographic challenges,
affordability issues, rural housing challenges, the impact of second homes and
holiday lets and the concentration of private rented homes in some localities.
The consultation
lasted for 10 weeks and there was a high level of engagement with partners and
stakeholders, through various means, including attendance at and participation
in forums, events and individual meetings with key partners and stakeholders.
There was an on-line survey, which was advertised widely, through various
means, including through the Council’s website, targeted social media alerts
and media releases. The forums and events ensured that there was consultation
with a very wide range of consultees including various Partnerships, reaching a
greater range of consultees, such as the York and North Yorkshire Housing
Partnership, consisting of over 25 social housing providers operating across
York and North Yorkshire.
The Council also
undertook a mid-point review of the consultation, which identified a number of
key groups where response rates were low. As a result, targeting of those
particular groups took place in order to increase response rates.
Overall, more than
500 responses were received, (including 25 specific written responses). 70% of respondents
agreed with the Vision, whilst over 60% agreed with both the People and Places
themes and 71% agreed with the Homes themes.
It should also be
noted that there is no statutory requirement to produce a Housing Strategy and
as a consequence there are no prescribed requirements for undertaking such a
consultation. The feedback that the Council received to the consultation was
analysed and as a result, a number of meaningful amendments were made to the
final version, which reflected the feedback received.
We do also accept
that further work will be required to build our data and evidence bases.
However that is reflected and built into the strategy going forward. It should
also be noted that the consultation on the draft strategy was a starting point
of dialogue with partners, stakeholders, communities and others, which will be
continued as we undertake delivery of the action plans.
In consequence, we consider
the consultation to have been comprehensive and robust, with the feedback
shaping the final version of the Strategy being considered for adoption.
In response to a supplementary question from Mrs Seex on the benefit of selling homes at half price, Councillor Myers advised that that was not a part of the draft strategy.