Agenda item

Consider report by Service Director Regulatory Services (copy attached)

With reference to paragraph 3 of the Minute of 17 October 2017, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Service Director Regulatory Services seeking approval of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2019-2024 due to be submitted on line and by hard copy to the Scottish Government by 26 October 2018.  The report explained that Local Authorities were required to produce an annual SHIP submission to Scottish Government and that this was the Council’s 10^th report. Scottish Borders Council, with the involvement of its key partners via the SHIP Working Group, had prepared this SHIP submission.  The SHIP articulated how the Council and its RSL partners would seek to deliver the Borders affordable housing investment needs and priorities identified in the Council’s Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 2017-2022 over a 5 year planning horizon. Homes would be counted towards the Scottish Parliament’s target of 50,000 Affordable Homes.  Based on Resource Planning Assumptions (RPAs) from Scottish Government Officials of £44.855m for the period 2018-2021, £4.6m from charitable bonds, Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) partner private sector borrowing and a commitment from the Council’s Affordable Housing budget, approximately 751 new affordable homes would be delivered over the next 2 years and up to 1,047 within the next 5 year period.  This latter figure assumed that all identified challenges and infrastructure issues were resolved in a timely manner, funding was available and that agreement had been reached between all interested parties and the construction sector had capacity to deliver projects.  SHIP also included a number of new build extra care housing developments in key Borders towns.  It was noted that a total investment of £185m had contributed to various affordable homes within the Region.  Eildon Housing Association was also building a number of passive houses which would dramatically reduce the cost of heating for tenants and that this could be a major switch for housing standards across the Borders.

DECISION

APPROVED the SHIP 2019-2024 for submission to the Scottish Government More Homes Division by 26 October 2018.