Cllr Suzie Ellis shares this latest release on behalf of the Isle of Wight Conservative Group of councillors. Ed
The Conservative Group on the Isle of Wight council have published a housing paper with a five-point plan to deliver affordable homes.
The paper comes a matter of days after it was reported to January’s Full Council meeting that in the past year only five properties have been bought by the Council to re-house Islanders currently in temporary accommodation.
‘Key priority’ for Alliance Group
Housing Needs comes under the cabinet responsibility of the Deputy Leader of the Council and is described as a “key priority” by the ruling Alliance Group.
The Council’s Affordable Housing paper says, “that the council considers the most pressing affordable housing need for the Island is for the genuinely affordable homes to rent.” The 2022 update to the Housing Needs Assessment says that 372 social homes a year are required.
Council’s Housing Company
The Conservatives are calling for the Council to use its own housing company set up in 2019 to deliver affordable homes.
The Council allocated itself £40 million of low rate Government borrowing over three years after a Conservative Budget amendment was passed back in February of last year.
To date none of the money has been borrowed or spent.
Robertson: I have no doubt that a viable plan can be developed
Cllr Joe Robertson, Leader of the Conservative Group, said,
“After nearly two years of promising to deliver affordable homes, the Council’s own housing company remains dormant with a single director, no staff and no business plan. If the Alliance cannot produce a viable business plan then it should come clean and say so.
“However with millions of Council money being spent on housing families in temporary accommodation like bed and breakfasts, and low rate borrowing available from the Government, I have no doubt that a viable plan can be developed if the appetite and political will is there.”
Drew: Five flats represents 0.004% of the housing waiting list
Cllr Warren Drew, Policy Spokesman for the Conservative Group and Deputy Chair of Planning Committee added,
“The acquisition of five flats in a year is plainly inadequate, even as a starting point. It represents just 0.004 per cent of the housing waiting list which is growing at a considerably faster rate annually. Well meaning words will not put a roof over the heads of those in need.
“The Alliance Group need to end the excuses and start delivering. Portsmouth City Council’s wholly owned development company, established in the midst of the pandemic, has already started delivering affordable homes for local families. Meanwhile, on the Island, our development company sits languishing.”
Better utilisation of Council owned land
The Conservative paper also proposes better utilisation of Council owned land, working with the private sector and applying for Government grants such as the Brownfield Release Fund 2 announced on 18th January 2023.
The Conservatives are proposing a break-up of the Council’s Regeneration department which they see as a structural block to delivering homes – currently one of the department’s responsibilities.
Robertson: Needs to be a fundamental restructure
Cllr Robertson said,
“It has become clear to me that there needs to be a fundamental restructure within the Council in order to deliver anywhere near the number of homes its own Housing Needs Assessment says it should. One of the primary objectives of the Regeneration department is to generate revenue – plainly the delivery of affordable housing does not sit comfortably within that.
“If a private developer is willing to work with the Council to deliver affordable homes on Council owned land, and another developer offers to buy the land at market value in order to build large unaffordable homes on the open market, it seems inevitable to me that a department with an aim to maximise income will be inclined towards choosing the latter with Islanders in need missing out.”
The Conservatives say that they are willing to work cross-party to deliver affordable homes and have already had direct conversations with the Council Leader, Chief Executive and Director of Regeneration.
Image: josh olalde under CC BY 2.0
