Decision details

The Executive will be asked to consider proposals relating to the construction of new Council housing

Further to Minute 89 (17 November 2009), received a report from the Chief Executive and the Corporate Director of Resources on the proposals to progress the building of new Council housing in the light of the announcement on 11 January 2010 that the Council has been successful in securing significant investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) via the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP).

The Council has secured £3.217m under the latest round of NAHP bids which will support the entire Phase 1 programme, as identified at our earlier meeting, and three of the sites identified under Phase 2.  A further £4.044m has been separately secured towards the development of 31 new homes at King William Street Quarter, in the area of the former Lintons estate.  As a result, the Council’s contribution to these projects will be £4.883m and this leaves the sum of £2.189m, from the £7.073m set aside in the Capital Programme, to be reallocated to support the remaining projects.

The officers also reported on the progression of contracting arrangements for the developments at King William Street Quarter and those under Phase 1.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in achieving the Community Priority “Prosperous” through increasing the supply and range of family sized social rented housing by utilising existing Council land and development sites, to:

  (i)  The use of £1.228m from the re-allocated resources of £7.073m to fund the borrowing requirement for the delivery of Phase 1 Council Housing New build programme;

  (ii)  The use of £2.435m from the re-allocated resources to meet the borrowing required after grant to deliver 31 homes at King William Street Quarter;

  (iii)  The use of a further £1.219m from the remaining re-allocated resources to meet the borrowing required for the remaining sites allocated grant at Beamway and Charlton Crescent (sites 1 and 2);

  (iv)  Note that a further report will be submitted in due course on options for the use of the remaining re-allocated resources up to the borrowing limit of £7.073m; and

  (v)  The procurement of construction services, in accordance with national and EU procurement legislation and the Council’s Contract Rules, for the construction of the Phase 1 Council Housing and King William Street Quarter Phase 1 developments as detailed in the report, and to authorise the Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with Legal Partners, to appoint the preferred contractors.