NOTES OF MEETING HELD ON 14th SEPTEMBER 2011
AT Ocean offices, St Austell
CHAIRPeter Moore, Cornwall Rural HA /
SECRETARIAT
Morwenna Milburn, Cornwall CouncilATTENDEES
NAME
/ORGANISATION
/CONTACT DETAILS
Versha Koria VK
/ Homes & Comms Agy /Clare Salmon CS / Carrick Housing /
Will Morris WM / Cornwall Council /
Christopher Lunn CL / Cornwall Council /
Louise Dwelly LD / Cornwall Council /
Anthony Bassett AB / Ocean Housing /
Simon Jones SJ / Devon & Cornwall HA /
Michelle Richards MR / Carrick Housing Ltd /
Michelle Foster MF / Coastline /
Ian Hamilton IH / Cncl of Isles of Scilly /
Justin Cartwright JC / Sanctuary Housing /
Andrew Golay AG / Cornwall Council /
Andy Boon AB / Aster /
Stacey Sleeman SS / Cornwall Council /
1. APOLOGIES
Andy Moore AM / Penwith HA /Alan Fox AF / Cornwall CLT /
Fran Turner FT / Ocean Housing /
Darren Charles DC / Ocean Housing /
Isabel Manners IM / Tamar Housing Soc /
Ryan Hosken RH / Guinness Trust /
Neil Clements NC / Sanctuary Housing /
Neil Edwards NE / Westcountry HA /
Joanne Flint JF / Hastoe HA /
Item / Action
2
Minutes of the 2nd June meeting
Correction on page 1 – Alan Fox is employed by Cornwall Community Land Trust and not Cornwall Rural Housing Association as stated.
3 Matters Arising from Meeting on 2nd June 2011
No matters arising
4 HCA Affordable Homes Programme
2011 cash spend for Cornwall = £1.8m and completions 95 units
SW regional delivery for 2008-2011 programme is low. VK to contact those RPs in year 10-11 who have unspent allocations.
Programme 2011 – 2014 – still working through contracts. No SW partners have yet signed up to their contracts. This process is likely to extend into the new year. There was a discuss about how and whether information about packages could be shared locally. LD confirmed it was crucial from a Council capital programme management perspective to be able to anticipate the overall level of investment required. It would be good to have an idea of what the programme looks like before the Council’s budget setting Star Chamber on 22nd September.
VK suggested partners shared their programmes with other partners. VK happy to set out headlines but detail will have to come from RPs willing to communicate with each other and the Council prior to contracts being signed. No date has yet been set for the contracts to be signed.
LD explained that she has been asked to book some workshop slots with Kevin Lavery and Tom Flanagan (Corporate Director of Environment, Planning and Economy) to discuss RP partnerships in Cornwall and their contribution to future delivery.
VK will send the information on the Community Land Programme out. / VK
VK
5 Update on Countrywide Affordable Rents Data
There is a meeting scheduled for 15th September to discuss the affordable rents database. Cornwall Council are willing to take on the dataset and updates, contractual issues to be discussed. It is intended that the dataset will become public information however issues surrounding the partial refund of payments to the original financial contributors need to be discussed and agreed.
Some anomalies in the data were discussed. RPs indicated they wanted to use the 15% tolerance in a variety of ways – some using the values except in exceptional circumstances, others using the flex every time. LD explained that the 15% tolerance was partly to reflect the discrepancy between the LHA and Countrywide values. . Countrywide’s data was felt to be a better reflection of the market than relying on the local housing allowance records. It was agreed that the CHP should try to develop a common understanding of the principles of using the dataset . This would be explored at the meeting. It was also important to involve housing management staff in the issues around re-lets.
6 Development outside of the HCA’s programme – other products including intermediate rent
VK was asked to give an update on the guidance circulated on charging affordable rents outside packages. VK confirmed that even for s106 nil grant schemes, DQS and code standards would be required.
There was a discussion about the use of the short form agreement which allows organisations not in a Framework Development Agreement to charge affordable rents. RPs also raised their concerns about adding schemes and charging affordable rents outside the package when this had an impact upon the grant rates agreed between partners. Inevitably there would be attempts to deliver units outside the packages and charge, for example rents which would provide intermediate housing but not meet the 80% definition. RPs felt that the guidance would incentivise them to do this.
7 Partnership update
Developers’ Forum – there is a seat for someone from CHP to attend these meetings. Information is stored on a secure area on the Cornwall Council website which people need to register for – please contact James
Welch for information Vanessa to send link out again.
Barclays are coming to the next Developers’ Forum to discuss private finance conditions in Cornwall and there would also be a discussion about section 278 agreements and highway bonds. Meeting scheduled for 7th October.
Stacey Sleeman is undertaking a partnership review. LD and SS agreed to prepare a briefing note mapping all the relevant partnerships in which RPs may want top become involved.
ALMO – there was some discussion about the fact that some core operational functions eg Homechoice – would be transferring to the ALMO and how this would work. SS confirmed that the policy development/strategic policy function would be retained by CC and an exercise was currently drawing up proposals for how these splits and the commissioning role would work in practice. / JW
8 Empty homes update
The HCA will soon be seeking expressions of interest under their empty homes prospectus. VK is keen to hear about ideas to de-risk empty homes work for partners. The Minister is announcing the empty homes strategy in November and the HCA will draft guidance for bidding in January, with decisions in April.
LD confirmed that CC was also keen to tackle empty homes given the impact on the allocation of New Homes Bonus. This is based on a net stock position, so empty homes are deducted from the allocation. Cornwall Council have lost significant funds in the allocation this year given that over 3,000 homes are recorded as empty for council tax purposes. . Cabinet have approved the use of the NHB to go into empty home, affordable housing and infrastructure projects.
CC was keen to see an innovative approach to the issue from CHP. For example there was scope for a spatial approach in Redruth town centre – WM acting as Project Manager. Volunteers to email Will –
SS to ask the Empty Homes team to circulate their empty properties hotlist
LD sought EOI for a small project working group of RPs to be formed.
9 Cornwall Council update
LD - Cabinet have approved changes to the £1m CLT Revolving Load Fund to be accessible for smaller, individual CLTs.
The Council’s budget setting process was beginning with “Star Chamber “sessions due to take place where additional money for Affordable Housing will be sought. A number of ideas were under discussion including a loan facility for RPs at preferential rates, the CLT revolving loan fund increased to £5m, £3m for a direct access new build hostel, funds for land acquisition and a solution for PFI sites. These ideas had been developed into an Affordable Housing manifesto.
A proposal for a Local Authority equity loan product in conjunction with the HCA is being worked up and going to Cabinet in October.
A Strategic Viability Study to test the impact of affordable housing targets and CIL on sites was on-going. The likely outcome would be lower targets. .
SS – there have been a number of changes in Housing. The majority of housing functions were to go across to a new Cornwall ALMO. A strategic and commissioning function would be hosted within Planning. Currently this role was undertaken by Stacey but additional functions and resources were likely to be developed.
The Cornwall Council Traveller sites bid had gone through regional moderation and would go through national moderation on 19th September.
AG – introduced himself as an Affordable Housing Planner working within LDs team. He provided an update on the rural toolkit and distributed a leaflet outlining the principals that Cornwall Council will be using as an approach to rural delivery. Partners can feel free to use the principles if they wish / ALL
ALL
SS
ALL
10 National Planning Policy Framework – implications in Cornwall
Consultation closes 17th October and any representations to be made to Terry Grove-White by then
Debate around housing numbers and levels of growth is going to Cabinet in October.
Neighbourhood Plans bids going in for a further 6 areas. A detailed presentation on the core strategy consultation would be a future agenda item.
11 Organisational changes at the HCA and the region
Restructuring has taken place and there are now 7 area managers headed up by Iain Knight. The Exeter office will be closed on 14th October and Bristol will be the nearest office now. VK will be based at home and in Bristol 3 days/2 days. RDA assets and some staff coming over into HCA including he former RDA offices in Truro. The HCA aims to become more economy-led and one profile will be to look after jobs and workspace created.
TSA joining HCA on 1st April.
12 Super-Fast Broadband
Discussion around how to allow tenants to access the digital network as BT connection costs are prohibitive at present. Potential to approach BT with a prepayment offer to try to obtain a discount and include this cost as part of the usual fixed costs associated with connection to utilities. PM to speak to Julian Cowan, the CC officer leading on the programme. LD to circulate Julian’s presentation. / PM
LD
13 AOB
IH explained that as the Isles of Scilly have no allocations in the programme, he will not be attending the CHP on a regular basis.
LD offered ongoing support to the partnership.
LD to send presentation she did at the last meeting on the top 20 need areas.
PM – NHF SW Rural Housing week 3rd – 9th October. Could be a good opportunity to tag onto regional publicity if anyone has anything they’d like to promote.
SW CLT conference 3rd October in Taunton. / LD
14 Date of next meeting
14th December 2011