Decision details

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Housing and Communities, copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as Item 11.

The report before Members followed the extensive consultation work being undertaken with residents examining options for the future of the Southwick Estate, the increasing demand for emergency and temporary accommodation (EA/TA) in Adur, and the Council’s commitment to owning and managing its own stock of EA/TA. The report outlined the advantages of purchasing leasehold properties on the Southwick Estate to help meet the increasing demand for EA/TA whilst also supporting longer term estate improvement, and the proposed process for doing so.

Agreement was sought from Members for the process of identifying and acquiring leasehold properties by the Council on the Southwick Estate for temporary use as Emergency and Temporary Accommodation as well as approval of a budget released from £2.25m to enable swift purchase of eligible properties.

Members welcomed the report and explored ways in which properties could be purchased and refitted.

Decision

The Adur Sub Committee of the Joint Strategic Committee

1)     Approves the principle of acquisition of leasehold properties on the Southwick Estate to enable the council to fulfil its statutory housing duties under S188 and S193 of the Housing Act 1996, using the methodology and approach set out in the body of this paper.

2)     Recommends to Adur District Council to approve a budget of £2,250,000 to enable the acquisition of up to 10 homes on the Southwick Estate to facilitate the redevelopment of the estate and to provide temporary accommodation in the interim. This is to be funded from £0.9m retained right to buy receipts and £1.35m from borrowing.

3)     Delegates authority to the Head of Housing to approve the purchase of specific properties identified under this initiative and to enter into all contracts to acquire the properties and deliver any improvements required.

Call-in

The call-in deadline for the decision will be 5pm on 27 June 2023.