Appendix 1

Housing Delivery Strategy Action Plan

The resources required to deliver these actions will either be found from within existing resources, or a separate report for decision will be brought to councillors where additional resources are required.

Short term – Aim to be complete by end of March 2023

	Description	Strategic Priority Area	Scope	Lead Service Area + Support Service(s)	Measurable outcome	Progress of action
1.1	Empty Homes – Identify the number of empty homes in the districts and consider the need for a strategy for reduction	1	Use existing data on homes empty for more than 2 years. SODC and VWHDC Any outline of a strategy for reduction will focus on the benefits for all, the tools available to the council and the resources required.	Housing Needs	Report to councillors	Complete Data was provided on the estimated number of empty homes in the districts in Feb 2023 A report on empty homes is coming in Q4 (March 2024).
1.2	S.106 funding – Update process and criteria for award of S.106 funds to social and affordable housing schemes.  Ensure that the role of low carbon developments is fully recognised.	2,4	As described	Housing Delivery	Report to councillors	Completed
1.3	Resources - Appoint a Housing Delivery Manager and create a Housing Delivery team (further resources will be subject to level of demand)	2,3,4	To deliver this strategy and identified actions.	Housing Delivery	Service Manager is in post	Complete Team Leader vacancies within the team are being recruited to

1.4	Increase social housing - In South Oxfordshire, use set aside capital of up to £2m to purchase property to be made available, at social rent level, for those with an identified need from the housing register.	1	As described	Housing Delivery Property	Completed financial. model Purchase of properties Identified model for management of tenancies and property	The purchase of properties has been closely linked to the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) scheme Two properties have been purchased specifically in South under this action. Various viewings are underway to secure the remaining three properties.
1.5	Closer working with Registered Housing Providers - Work with Registered Providers of social housing to ensure the councils have an up to date and accurate picture of all registered social and affordable housing in the districts.	2	Request data from significant RPs in SODC and VWHDC. Aim for data on 90%+ of social housing. • Number of bedrooms • Location • Tenure	Housing Needs	List of all RP properties in both districts (not for publication)	Complete as part of this report
1.6	Information for residents – Ensure that information on housing, particularly advice on grants, loans and maximising energy efficiency, is up to date and clear. on council webpages	1, 4	Review (and update) currently provided advice. Any information related to retrofitting existing homes, or building new homes, to lower carbon.	Housing	Updated webpages	Ongoing BAU Continual review of our website offers for stakeholders.
1.7	Closer working with Registered Housing Providers and other land and/or property-owning organisations – Investigate opportunities to deliver more affordable and social rent.	1,2,3,4	Use the outcome from the Strategic Property Review	Strategic Property Housing Delivery	Begin dialogue	Ongoing BAU Quarterly meeting with RPs to understand pinch points, opportunities and better working relationships.
1.8	Closer working with Registered Housing Providers – Request retrofit plans to understand plans to decarbonise social housing stock	4	Existing plans	Housing Delivery	Begin dialogue	Complete RPs are providing their impact statements on future planning.

Medium term – Aim to be complete by end of March 2024*

	Description	Strategic Priority Area	Scope	Lead Service + support Services	Measurable outcome	Progress of action
2.1	Private Rental Sector Strategy - Develop a draft Private Rental Sector Strategy for consultation, leading to formal approval.	1	This will include.  Approach to the management of Houses of Multiple Occupation How to ensure a private rental sector that works for all	Housing Needs	Report to councillors of draft strategy for consultation	Postponed to 2024/25
2.2	First Homes - Evaluate the local impact of First Homes policy	2		Housing Delivery	Report to councillors	Postponed Delivery of First Homes will not take effect until 2024/2025 and as such impact will not be understood until this time.
2.3	First Homes - Develop a strategic approach to First Homes in the districts	2	Introduce local connection and local eligibility criteria and consider the need for a higher minimum discount level	Housing Delivery)/Planning Policy	Report to councillors of draft strategy for consultation	Complete Incorporated within the Joint Local Plan.
2.4	Closer working with Registered Housing Providers - Work with Registered Providers of social housing in the districts to ensure that the Charter for Social Housing is delivered and that the voice of the tenant is taken into account.	2	Feedback from Registered Providers on plans	Housing Delivery	Completed financial. model Purchase of properties Identified model for management of tenancies and property	Ongoing BAU Quarterly Consultation with RPs to understand the impact of Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM). Subject to RP data, information will be provided after in June 2024 and every June thereafter directly from Regulator of Social Housing.

2.5	Closer working with Registered Housing Providers - Work with Registered Providers of social housing to ensure that any bids for funding are supported in line with corporate priorities.	2,4	S.106 funding bids	Housing Delivery	Ongoing relationship with Registered Providers Regular report on supported bids to cabinet members	Complete Quarterly meetings to promote funding, understand any pinch points, respond as appropriate. Press release and email to RPs to promote grant process. Distributed 27 October 2023.
2.6	Resources - Develop the Housing Delivery team to ensure that they have the skills, qualifications and experience to deliver the relevant actions within this plan.  Must include ability to evaluate zero and low carbon house building	3, 4	Housing Delivery team	Housing Delivery	Ongoing work	Ongoing BAU Recruitment for additional resource is underway to support self-build, zero carbon and development support.
2.7	Community Led Housing - Develop a policy and process for accessing community led housing schemes	3,4		Housing Delivery Planning policy Planning	Report to councillors	Complete Incorporated into Joint Local Plan – first draft published in November 2023.
2.8	Community Led Housing - Provide support and assistance to successful community led housing schemes to enable them to deliver affordable housing	3,4		Housing Delivery Planning	Ongoing work Regular report on supported bids to councillors	Ongoing Resource is being recruited Continued working with CoHo Hub. Quarterly meetings with CLTs.
2.9	Increase social housing - Assess council-owned sites for suitability for use for housing, and develop a process to take suitable sites forward for consideration	3,4	Using existing sites identified by the review of existing assets in each council area.	Strategic Property Housing Delivery	Information will form part of development reports for specific sites	Ongoing There are 4 sites currently under review by the Strategic property team and pre-app advice requests have been sent to planning.

2.10	Increase social housing - Using data from the Housing Register and other sources, ensure that housing need plays a vital role in informing the delivery of new affordable and social housing	1	Use of existing social register to identify needs, including. • Location • Property size • Adaptations • Amenities	Housing Needs Housing Delivery		Complete Housing Needs are providing this information monthly. Forms part of JLP
2.11	Leadership – Review this strategy, and the progress of actions, in line with the corporate plan	1,2,3,4	The strategy and the action plan	All services covered by this action plan	Report to councillors	Postponed to 2024/25 Ongoing monthly review of action plan within Housing Delivery Team Strategy review to be in 2024/25
2.12	Increase social housing – Bring through. a pipeline of suitable sites for development as social housing.  Opportunities for the councils to consider direct build, operate and maintain must be considered. Ensure that the role of low carbon developments is fully recognised	3, 4		Housing Delivery Planning Strategic Property	Number of council assets used to create new housing	Ongoing BAU Liaising with RPs, developers, CLTs and other stakeholders.

Long term – post March 2024*

	Description	Strategic Priority Area	Scope	Lead Service + support Services	Measurable outcome
3.1	Local Plan - Complete the new Joint Local Plan with overall housing targets including affordable and specialist housing targets.  Specifically, to take account of • Social rent • Threshold for affordable housing in rural areas • % of affordable homes • % of first homes • Community led housing. • Specialist accommodation e.g., for older people • Type and size of new homes • Self and custom-build	1,2,3		Planning Policy	Joint Local Plan is adopted	Complete First draft was circulated in November 2023
3.2	Increase social housing - Make better use of One Public Estate approach to identify suitable sites for affordable housing or other housing related shared objectives	3		Property	Report to councillors	Postponed to 2024/25 Under review by strategic property.