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RESOLVED:

a)   
Noted the work to date concerning the proposals for the site
including the progress of works, and plans including the delivery
programme.

b)   
Notes and approves the Housing Revenue Account Capital Budget
and Development Appraisal for the Ecton Brook Affordable Housing
Development as outlined in the exempt Appendix A.

c)    
Delegated authority to the Director of Communities and
Opportunities to, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for
Housing, Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer, approve the
appointment of a Principal Contractor to undertake the work
required at the former Ecton Brook Care Home site following a
compliant procurement process and subject to an appropriate level
of Homes England Affordable Homes Programme grant funding being
secured.

d)   
Noted that to enable the delivery of a viable scheme that
includes Social Rent properties we must seek to maximise grant
funding and reduce costs as much as possible, including by
accepting a reduced land value as outlined in Section
6.2.

e)   
Agreed in principle to accept a reduced land value for the
site when appropriating from the General Fund to the Housing
Revenue Account.

f)     
Delegated authority to the Assistant Director for Assets and
Environment to take necessary steps to transfer the land of the
former Ecton Brook Care Home site from the General Fund to the
Housing Revenue Account, assuming a reduced land value.
 
REASONS RESOLVED:

1.    
Accepting these recommendations will enable the construction
of 18 affordable homes with the maximum viable number of Social
Rent properties at the site of the former Ecton Brook Care Home,
which will help address the need for new affordable homes and
delivers on the objectives of the Council’s Housing Strategy
and Affordable Homes Delivery Plan.

2.    
The most recent Housing and Economic Needs Assessment (HENA)
sets out how acute the need for new affordable housing is, with
West Northamptonshire requiring 1,063 new affordable homes each
year – whilst recent average delivery is 580 per
year.

3.    
As set out in theme 1 of the Housing Strategy, WNC is
committed to “delivering the homes people need and can
afford”, additionally point 9 of the Affordable Homes
Delivery Plan is to “accelerate the supply of new Council
homes”.

4.    
Progressing with Ecton Brook represents a time and
cost-effective way to work towards meeting our housing need and
delivering on strategic objectives of the council as significant
work has been undertaken over the preceding years to bring the
scheme to its current state.
 
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:
Affordable housing relates to a broad range of different
tenure types, primarily social rent, affordable rent, and shared
ownership.