Agenda for MCA - Housing and Infrastructure Board on Tuesday, 18th January, 2022, 1.00 pm

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome and Apologies

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. 

 

An extended welcome went to external guests: Nick Atkin (Yorkshire Housing), Matthew Harrison (Great Places Housing Group) and Paul Common (Arches Housing). 

 

Apologies for absence were noted as above.  

2.

Declarations of Interest by individual Members in relation to any item of business on the agenda

Minutes:

Members declared interests in respect of agenda item 7 regarding schemes in their own council areas.

3.

Urgent items / Announcements

Minutes:

None. 

4.

Public Questions on Key Decisions

Minutes:

None.

5.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 430 KB

Minutes:

C Blackburn provided an update on the actions arising from the Board meeting held on 7 December 2021, and were noted as follows:

 

·       The ‘Connected by Water Plan’ was contained on today’s agenda.

 

·       Work was currently on-going to finalise Digital Infrastructure Strategy Delivery Plan which is scheduled to be presented to the Board in March.

 

·       Discussions have begun with Housing Directors to develop a Housing Framework which would set out the collaborative actions required to address South Yorkshire’s Strategic Housing issues.

 

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2021 be agreed as a true record.   

6.

South Yorkshire Housing Prospectus pdf icon PDF 161 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

C Blackburn introduced a paper which asked the Board to receive the South Yorkshire Housing Prospectus and consider further collaboration with Housing Association partners to develop related proposals and opportunities that will deliver greater housing outcomes across South Yorkshire.

 

The draft South Yorkshire Housing Prospectus, attached at Appendix A, had been developed by Housing Associations through the South Yorkshire Housing Providers Forum.

 

The Prospectus set out five offers that had been developed to align with the housing priorities of the regional authorities and the SYMCA, and were noted as follows:

 

1. New Affordable Homes

2. Roadmap to Net Zero Carbon

3. Housing and health

4. Economic growth and employment

5. Preventing Homelessness

 

P Common, M Harrison and N Atkin presented the Board with background information to developing the Prospectus; details of the Housing Providers Forum; examples of collaborative work undertaken in the region; and an overview of the South Yorkshire Housing Prospectus.

 

The Board noted that the Prospectus would aim to be finalised and signed off by the Housing Associations over the next few weeks with the final Prospectus aiming to be launched in February 2022.

 

The Board were also informed that the intention was for the MCA Executive to  work with the Housing Associations, local authorities, Homes England  and other partners to explore  combined capacity and opportunities to deliver the Prospectus’ five ‘offer’ proposals, including  the potential for  a shared housing development pipeline.     A progress delivery update report would aim to be prepared and presented on an annual basis.

 

The Board was invited to consider and provide comments on the Prospectus and how it could support housing and economic growth across South Yorkshire which align with the priorities of the SYMCA. 

 

The Chair thanked P Common, M Harrison and N Atkin for their presentations and invited questions from the Board.

 

Key points arising from Members’ questions and discussion are summarised below:

 

·        The Board welcomed the development of the Prospectus and were supportive of the proposed approach for building collaborative capability to achieve and deliver the ambitions set out in the Prospectus.

 

·        It was queried how each local authority could provide its input to help address homelessness and social injustice. 

 

·        A discussion took place around local authority funding pressures and the significant differences in the levels of Homes England funding that Greater Manchester received in comparison to South Yorkshire. 

 

·        There was a shared agreement that there needed to be more collective working and coordinated approached when new funding opportunities were launched so we are in a stronger position to secure additional funding for housing in South Yorkshire.

 

·        The Board considered that work needed to take place to ascertain what affordable homes are required in different areas and sites across the region.  The Board said that there was also a need to provide more housing for single people and larger families. 

 

·        To achieve Net Zero targets, the Board considered that, we should build on the existing MCA policy for housing and seek even higher environment standards in future new build homes.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Programme Approvals pdf icon PDF 151 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

C Howard presented a paper which requested approval to enter into contract for one BHF (Brownfield Housing Fund) project, subject to the conditions set out in the assurance summary.  The paper also requested one GBF (Getting Building Fund) and one Gainshare funded project for full MCA approval.  Finally, the paper recommended changes for one approved scheme.

 

In addition to the approval requests set out above, the Board received a late paper requesting the approval of a further GBF (Getting Building Fund) project entitled “SCC Fargate Measures” for full MCA approval. 

 

Full details of all the projects and risks identified were included within the papers and the Board considered each project separately. 

 

RESOLVED – That the Board approve:

 

i)         Progression of “Century BIC” project to the MCA for full approval of £2.6m Getting Building Funding/Gainshare to RMBC (Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council) subject to the conditions set out in the Assurance Summary attached at Appendix A.

 

ii)       Full approval of “Goldthorpe Residential Strategy – Market Site 1” project for £0.23m Brownfield Housing Funding to BMBC (Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council) subject to the conditions set out in the Assurance Summary attached at Appendix B

 

iii)      Approval of one project change for “Malthouses” which is requesting changes to an approved Brownfield Housing Fund project.

 

iv)      Progression of the “SCC Fargate Measures” project to the MCA for full approval of £6m Getting Building Funding to SCC (Sheffield City Council) subject to the conditions set out in the Assurance Summary attached at Appendix D.

 

Delegated authority be given to the Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Section 73 and Monitoring Officer to enter into legal agreements for the “Malthouses” and “Goldthorpe Residential Strategy – Market Site 1” schemes covered at number 2 and 3 above.

8.

Implementing the Connected by Water Plan pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Minutes:

A paper was presented asking the Board to consider a proposal for the use of an amount of previously committed but unallocated MCA Gainshare funding (for flood resilience and mitigation) to support implementation of the Connected by Water Plan.

 

The Board was reminded that, at its meeting of 7December 2021, Members had endorsed, and recommended that the MCA approve, the final draft of the South Yorkshire ‘Connected by Water’ Flood Catchment Plan. Subject to this approval by the MCA Board on 24January 2022, the Plan would be launched at a virtual event scheduled for 28 January 2022.

 

At its December meeting, the Board had also requested that a proposal be developed for the use of the previously committed but unallocated MCA Gainshare funding (for flood resilience and mitigation) to support implementation of the Connected by Water Plan.

 

C Blackburn reported that, to support implementation of the Connected by Water plan, partners were now exploring funding options.  Two bids were being prepared by the Environment Agency to seek to secure Environment Agency Local Levy funding (one for £0.15m to develop a delivery plan and begin to implement the Plan, and one led by Doncaster MBC to deliver a specific action within the Catchment Plan).

 

Other potential funding contributions could be secured through the Environment Agency (through Adaptation Pathway funding and Flood Defence Grant In Aid), and from Yorkshire Water.

 

As part of the South Yorkshire Renewal Fund, £5.5m of Gainshare funding was committed for flood resilience and mitigation.  £5m was allocated to accelerate the delivery of a number of early deliverable flood mitigation schemes in the South Yorkshire Priority Programme (currently progressing through the business case process).  A further £0.5m was identified as contingency, and currently remains unallocated.

 

It was proposed that £0.15m of the £0.5m contingency funding is used to directly support implementation of the Connected by Water plan, to match the proposed contribution from the Environment Agency.  The combined funding ‘pot’ would enable partners to undertake a number of the immediate actions set out in the paper. 

 

Following discussion, the Board agreed to support the proposed approach set out above. 

 

A Strategic Business Case for the full £0.5m contingency fund would now be developed with Local Authority partners and presented to a future meeting of the Board for consideration. 

 

RESOLVED – That the Board:-

 

i)         Considered and endorsed the proposal to utilise £0.15m of previously committed, but unallocated MCA Gainshare funding (for flood resilience and mitigation) to support implementation of the ‘Connected by Water’ Plan.

 

II)    Requested that a Strategic Business Case is prepared setting out the proposals for the full £0.5m previously committed but unallocated MCA Gainshare funding.

 

9.

Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Minutes:

The Board considered its Forward Plan.

 

RESOLVED – That the Board noted the Forward Plan.

10.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

None received.