Issue - meetings

Councillor Draycott submits a report outlining issues regarding the provision of ‘affordable housing’ within City Centre housing developments and submitting proposals for how to promote suitable site regeneration and redevelopment.  The report also deals with a proposal from the Leicester Regeneration Company for a ‘moratorium’ on the requirement for private developers to provide ‘affordable housing’ in parts of the City Centre.  The Cabinet is asked to support the proposals.

Councillor Kavia submitted a report outlining issues regarding the provision of ‘affordable housing’ developments and submitted proposals for how to promote suitable site regeneration and redevelopment. This included an experimental proposal put forward by the Leicester Regeneration Company for a ‘pilot’ area including the Frog Island, St Georges and Old Town areas for a moratorium on requirements to provide ‘affordable housing’ until 31 March 2003.

It was noted that the Cabinet continued to be committed to the provision of affordable housing but that this ‘pilot’ project in three areas of the City would hopefully boost regeneration in the given period and subsequently improve the attractiveness of the area to Housing Associations and the private sector and therefore ultimately increase the provision of affordable housing.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the Cabinet give their support to the proposal put forward by Leicester Regeneration Company for a ‘pilot’ project affecting planning applications within the St. George’s, Frog Island and Old Town areas, to operate until 31^st march 2003 subject to the applications having obtained formal planning approvals and commenced works on site for the full development agreed in their planning approval within 18 months of that approval;

(2)that elsewhere in the City Centre, the City Council will actively seek contributions towards ‘affordable housing’ in line with Circular 6/98 and the existing Supplementary Planning Guidance on Affordable Housing, and in tandem with the LRC will actively promote the provision of ‘affordable housing’ with developers and landowners;

(3)that the Cabinet give its support for the linking of public funds or assets to the delivery of broad regeneration outcomes that will include the provision of ‘affordable housing’; and

(4)that the Cabinet support the consideration of amendments to local ‘Supplementary Planning Guidance’, in particular for the role of viability appraisals.