Agenda item

Non Cabinet Members' Debate

Meeting of Council, Monday 12 July 2021 6.00 pm (Item 15.)

To enable non Cabinet Members to raise an issue of relevance to Brent for debate, on which notice has been provided in accordance with Standing Order 34 and to receive any reports from Cabinet Members, as required, on issues previously raised.

Members are asked to note that the subject identified for debate is as follows:

Housing: Somewhere to Call Home

The motion put forward as the basis of this debate has been attached.

Decision:

The following motion was agreed as an outcome of the non-cabinet member debate:

Somewhere to call Home

This Council understands that housing is amongst this city’s greatest social and economic challenges.

This Council recognises that there are no quick fixes or easy options, but remains nonetheless determined to make things better.

This Council can be proud of how far it has come in tackling the many problems afflicting the borough’s many housing markets and systems.

This Council notes its record of:

· Helping deliver more than 11,000 new homes, almost 30% of which at social or affordable level, including more than 1,000 brand new council homes;

· Bringing council housing services back in-house, leading to improvements in performance;

· Beginning the process of properly regulating and responding to the needs of people living in this borough’s substantial private rental market; and

· Tackling homelessness by developing i4B, an ethically managed, council-owned private rental service.

That said, this Council is of course alive to the fact that there is obviously much more to do if housing is to be made universally affordable, readily available, and of the highest possible standards.

To that end, this Council is determined to build on its proud record, and is committed to continue:

· Pressing government on giving us the powers we need to roll out landlord licensing across the borough;

· Campaigning against government plans to strip local residents of their democratic rights to participate in and contribute to the planning process;

· Intervening earlier when residents are at risk of homelessness, giving them the best possible chance of getting back on their feet;

· Helping every resident who loses their home find another they can afford;

· Working with other London boroughs and local partners to provide guaranteed emergency shelter to anyone forced to sleep rough;

· Growing i4B, changing the nature of the rental market from the inside, making it a fairer, more affordable, and decent place to live;

· Developing a new generation of Key Worker housing;

· Making it easier for those residents who need help to downsize, relocate or find a more suitable home;

· Encouraging and supporting the formation of independent Tenants and Residents Associations in the homes that we provide and manage, calling on Housing Associations to do the same; and

· Pressuring government to properly fund and support essential fire safety works across the public and private sectors.

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Order 34, the Mayor advised that the next item on the agenda was the non-cabinet member debate, with the subject chosen for consideration being the Council’s commitment to solving the housing crisis.

Members were advised that the motion submitted as the basis for debate had been circulated with the agenda and that the time available for the debate was 25 minutes.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Johnson to introduce the motion. As context for the debate, Councillor Johnson highlighted the importance secure and affordable housing provided for residents. In outlining his own experiences, he felt it was important to recognise the impact created by the lack of universally affordable, readily available and high quality accommodation within London. To that end, Councillor Johnson urged all members to support the motion submitted as the basis for the debate and the Council in its efforts to build on its record of delivering affordable homes through its own delivery programme and regulation of the borough’s private rental market.

The Mayor then opened up the debate to other members, with the following comments made during the discussion that followed:

Councillor Choudhary, speaking in support of the motion, felt it was important to recognise the Council’s impressive record on providing affordable housing despite the Government’s programme of austerity. He spoke in support of a range of planned developments across the borough such as in Neasden and Alperton, highlighting the positive impact they would have not only in providing much needed social and affordable housing but also various improvements to the public realm.

Councillor Miller also expressed his support for the motion, citing the difficulties being experienced by many in becoming homeowners and the resulting over reliance on the private rented sector. As a result, he felt there was need to continue encouraging central government to recognise the provision of social and affordable housing as a key means of addressing the housing crisis, which he felt could provide not only permanent solutions for residents but also the necessary assistance for those looking to be able to afford a permanent home.

Councillor Georgiou, whilst supporting the sentiments expressed in the motion, questioned the types of housing being delivered within his ward in Alperton. He felt that too many new developments were high-rise, offered too few affordable units and were being let under what he felt was a flawed leaseholder model.

Councillor Tatler, Lead Member for Regeneration, Property and Planning, also felt it was important to recognise the impact of the housing crisis not only within the borough but across London as a whole. In supporting the motion she expressed her pride in the Council’s record of delivering affordable housing. She also called on all members, including those from the Conservative Group, to support the stance within the motion being taken against the Government’s proposed national planning reforms, which she felt would remove the democratic right of residents to participate in the planning process and ability of the Council, as local planning authority, to support local employment, affordable housing provision and community cohesion.

Echoing the sentiments expressed by Councillor Miller, Councillor Mahmood also highlighted the importance of providing affordable high quality social housing as a means of tackling the housing crisis. Whilst supportive of the Council’s record in delivering new affordable housing he also took the opportunity to highlight, as an example of the problems needing to be addressed, a case of a disabled resident he had been involved with who had experienced a wait of over a year for a permanently adapted home.

In supporting the motion, Councillor Kabir also commended the Council’s record in delivering new social housing stock but recognised that more was needed to tackle the current housing crisis. As a specific example she highlighted the issue of leaseholders and those families needing to support children with special educational needs and was keen to ensure these issues were also addressed as part of the action needing to be taken to address the current crisis.

In responding to comments made during the debate, Councillor Maurice highlighted his own as well as the Conservative Groups concerns regarding the proposed national planning reforms, feeling that planning control should remain with local authorities and the democratic rights of residents to participate in the process should be protected. At the same time, he also pointed out his dissatisfaction with proposed developments within the borough which did not provide adequate levels of affordable housing due to a lack of viability, and the continued construction of high-rise developments, which he felt also adversely affected communities.

Councillor Kennelly, speaking in support of the motion, thanked the Council for its efforts to bring rogue landlords to justice and protect the safety and wellbeing of private tenants. He highlighted the efforts of the Council in delivering affordable housing across the borough and, in praising the development of key worker housing in Wembley Park, also encouraged the Council to ensure returning army veterans had access to high-standard, affordable housing upon their return.

As a final contribution to the debate, Councillor Kansagra also expressed concern over some types of housing being built in the borough and subsequent developer contributions. He also felt there was a need to ensure the Council complied with its planning policy at all times as well as ensure it spent all available Community Infrastructure Levy contributions.

As no other members had indicated they wished to speak the Mayor then invited Councillor Southwood, as Lead Member for Housing and Welfare Reform, to sum up and close the debate.

Councillor Southwood began by reaffirming the Council’s commitment to ensuring current and prospective residents had access to safe, secure and high quality affordable housing in order to maintain the Council’s approach towards tackling the housing crisis. She recognised that affordability remained a significant issue for residents, whilst praising the contribution of i4B and Capital Letters in accessing and regulating the private rental market. She also highlighted the Council’s efforts to ensure newly built homes were of a suitable standard and in adapting existing homes to provide more accessible accommodation for those which specific needs. As a final point, she felt it was important to recognise the Council’s record and progress being made against delivery of its new homes programme as well as in tackling homelessness and seeking to develop other initiatives to maximise use of available housing stock. She ended by also thanking the public for their engagement and support in delivery of the new homes programme in order to address local needs.

With one minute left for the debate, the Mayor then invited Councillor Johnson to provide the closing remarks. Councillor Johnson thanked all members who had contributed in the debate. Whilst recognising the progress made alongside the extent of work still required to address the current housing crisis and ensure the provision of adequate levels of safe and affordable housing within the borough, he also highlighted the need to ensure the Government was encouraged to properly fund and support the delivery programme in order meet the needs of local residents.

The Mayor thanked all members for their contributions and as an outcome of the debate it was unanimously RESOLVED to approve the motion as set out below:

“This Council understands that housing is amongst this city’s greatest social and economic challenges.