Agenda item

To accept and note the information in the report.

The report was presented by Cllr Paul Rowlinson

DECISION

To accept and note the information in the report.

DISCUSSION

An update was provided on Council Plan projects that the Department was responsible for. The Member expressed pride that there had been significant progress with these projects, with satisfactory performance challenge measures, since previously reporting to the Cabinet.

He noted concern about the workload of the Homelessness Team, explaining that around 1,000 households registered themselves as homeless every year. It was emphasised that the Council had schemes underway to address this challenging situation, which included three new developments that were available for people presenting as homeless.

He expressed pride that the latest data indicated a reduced reliance on emergency independent accommodation (such as B&Bs) within the 2024/25 year. He hoped that these figures would continue to reduce in the future as the Mona building, Caernarfon and 137 High Street Bangor were being developed.

He highlighted that there was a huge demand for housing in Gwynedd and not enough houses to cope with the demand. However, he noted that the Department was trying to address the needs raised within the Housing Action Plan. He provided details of projects for supporting Social Housing Construction, Tŷ Gwynedd, the Buy to Let Scheme and the Empty Homes scheme. He shared an example by providing details of the Tŷ Gwynedd development in Maes Twnti, Morfa Nefyn that had received planning permission to erect 9 dwellings. It was elaborated that the work of appointing a contractor to undertake the work was already underway, and a tender would hopefully be published soon.

Pride was expressed in the fact that the Council had recently managed to receive a £13 million grant for a Social Housing Construction programme - the Council's work ensured that it could attract these types of grants. However, objections to planning applications posed a risk to the programme's implementation.

It was stated that 97% of social housing were let to people who had a connection to Gwynedd, with a high percentage being let to people who had a connection to the community in which the houses were located.

The members were updated that there were two Tŷ Gwynedd developments underway in Bangor and Llandygai, and it was hoped that more projects under the scheme would be developed in other areas of the County in the future.

It was reported that dealing with the energy cost crisis and fuel poverty was one of the Department's main priorities. It was elaborated that the Energy Service had been set up within the Housing Action Plan to collaborate with partners to promote and facilitate energy saving schemes, grants and benefits and to ensure that as many people as possible took advantage of the support available.   It was confirmed that the Service was very busy, with 661 people receiving advice over the phone, face to face or in events, during November and December 2024.

It was confirmed that matters around challenging performance received consideration regularly.

It was stated that the Department's latest reviews predicted that there would be £303,000 of underspend during this financial year. It was elaborated that the Department was aiming to realise savings of around £260,000 in 2024/25, but acknowledging that two of those relevant schemes were currently delayed.

Observations arising from the discussion:

·       In response to considerations that housing organisations would be able to deliver the Tŷ Gwynedd project faster than the Council, the Cabinet Member confirmed that there was no evidence to prove this as those housing organisations were bound by the same procurement, planning and contractor systems as the Council. He noted that the Council worked with the housing organisations where this was possible.