The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services reported on the outcome of formal consultation on the draft Local Housing Strategy 2016-18 and recommended the Strategy for approval. 

The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services informed Cabinet that the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 requires local authorities have a strategic role to play in the functioning of the local housing market.  He stated that the principal way this can be delivered is through a Local Housing Strategy which sets out the locally agreed, long term vision for housing and it provides a statement of local strategic housing-related priorities and outcomes, set against a framework of national legislation, plans and strategies.  The current Local Housing Strategy has been in place since 2009 and requires revision in order to take account of new legislation introduced by the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.    

The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services reported that the draft Local Housing Strategy has been the subject of consultation which ran from December 2015 until the end of March 2016, with both online and written submissions encouraged.  At the close of the consultation, 30 responses had been received, 25 via the online consultation process and 5 written responses from stakeholders.  He stated that reasoned responses, decisions and actions were given to the representations received, which had resulted in an amended Strategy. 

The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services outlined the detail of the Strategy which sets out five key housing priorities, which will contribute to improving the quality of life for people within the County Borough.  He stated that the priorities will underpin the work of the Council and that of its partners and he outlined what each priority will focus on.

A Member referred to the pie chart included in the Strategy which showed 16% of the dwelling stock to be privately rented and questioned whether there are landlords in the private rented sector that had yet to register in accordance with legislation due to concerns in relation to the condition of some properties.  The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services informed Council that landlords are encouraged to licence their properties but it was always able to enforce registration.  He stated that the Council needed to work in partnership with private sector landlords to encourage them to improve their standards.  He also stated that the Council was able to enforce through legislation but where legislation did not exist through persuasion. 

A Member of Council referred to the requirement in the Bridgend Local Development Plan for the construction of approximately 10,000 new dwellings in the County Borough up to the year 2012 to meet anticipated growth and questioned the pressures this would bring on schools, health care and on the highway network and how the Council would work with partners to mitigate against this.  The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services informed Council that the strain on services and infrastructure would be considered as part of the planning process in order to facilitate development.  The Corporate Director Education and Family Support that school places are based on a formula and all data is fed into the profiling process currently up to the year 2020 and eventually would be up to 2024.  She stated that there is pressure in Bridgend town centre to provide a new primary school and solutions were being considered. 

The Corporate Director Education and Family Support stated that she would share the schools data report which had previously been considered by Cabinet with all Members of Council.   

 RESOLVED:                That Council:

1.    Noted the representations and responses to the formal consultation;

Approved the amended and updated Local Housing Strategy following the consultation exercise.