Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllr Lubna Khan.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the last meeting.

The minutes of the last meeting were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

In accordance with the Regulations, Members are required to declare any personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests in respect of items on this agenda and/or indicate if S106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

Agenda Item 8 – Article 4 Direction Houses in Multiple Occupation.

Cllr Afrasiab Anwar declared a ‘loose’ other prejudicial interest as a trustee of an organisation with a rental property.

Cllr Howard Baker declared a ‘loose’ disclosable pecuniary interest as a shareholder of an estate agency.

To note the urgent decision taken by the Chief Executive.

The urgent decision was noted.

To receive an update on consultation carried out, and consider granting approval to confirm the proposed Article 4 Direction.

Cllrs Anwar and Baker left the room and took no part in the debate or decision-making.

Cllr Margaret Lishman took the Chair.

PURPOSE

The report set out to:

1.    Update the Executive with the results of the consultation on the proposed Article 4 Direction, undertaken in October/November 2023; and

2.    Seek Executive approval to confirm the Article 4 Direction which will remove the permitted development rights for the change of use from Use Class C3 (dwellinghouses) to Use Class C4 (Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) in the nine wards of the Borough, as illustrated on the plan accompanying the Direction. If confirmed, the Direction will become effective on 14 October 2024.

REASON FOR DECISION

The Houses in Multiple Occupation and Small Flats SPD (2022) highlighted that, should the need arise, the Council could consider an Article 4 direction to better manage the creation of small HMOs and their impacts on the amenity of certain areas. The background report appended to the previous Executive report on 20 September 2023 demonstrated the need to introduce an Article 4 direction.

DECISION

The Executive resolved to:

i)          approve the confirming of a non-immediate Article 4 direction to remove permitted development rights for changes of use from individual dwellinghouses to smaller houses in multiple occupation in line with the procedure set out in paragraph 16.

ii)         authorise the Director of Economy and Development to prepare the necessary documentation and carry out the notification of the confirmation as required by the Regulations and set out in paragraph 16.

Cllrs Anwar and Baker returned to the meeting, and Cllr Lishman vacated the Chair in favour of Cllr Anwar.

To consider granting approval to accept an additional £134,800 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (‘DLUHC’) to deliver a further two homes for continued use as temporary accommodation.

PURPOSE

To seek approval to accept the additional £134,800 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (‘DLUHC’) do deliver a further two homes for continued use as temporary accommodation.

REASON FOR DECISION

To reduce the ongoing revenue cost of temporary accommodation as the Council will no longer pay the annual lease cost to the property owners.

To have control of the temporary accommodation to ensure the properties are maintained to a good standard, well managed for homeless families and remain in use as temporary accommodation for as long as the Council determines there is a need.

To increase the number of Council owned temporary accommodation properties by two taking the total to twenty-two including the six from the Rough Sleeping Accommodation.

DECISION

The Executive resolved to delegate authority to the Head of Legal & Democratic Services to enter into an agreement with the DLUHC to deliver the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 3 25/26 as per the report.