Agenda item

Just because Medway’s residents are not shouting outside Gun Wharf with placards or protesting on the street, it does not mean that Medway does not have a serious housing crisis causing misery and heartache to many thousands of residents trying to live and plan their lives in Medway.  

Medway Residents living in affordable and social housing contribute millions to our local economy and do the very important jobs which keep Medway running. Housebuilders have told the Council that the building of affordable homes needed for Medway residents is entirely the Council’s responsibility and are continuing to employ very specialist financial viability advisors to protect their 20% profits and reduce their Section 106 affordable housing commitment to a trickle under planning agreements. The current government refuses to give funds to Medway Council to replace affordable housing being unfairly lost to London commuters. The government also refuses to fund Councils for additional affordable homes needed for 350,000 people from the EU and elsewhere, arriving each year who pay millions in additional income tax. 

Medway Council must be bold and urgently find a solution to provide hope to the many thousands of people losing any hope of putting down secure roots in Medway and also satisfy business needs for growth and prosperity for the Medway economy where many essential local services and local businesses relying on paying mid-range or low salaries but cannot compete with London salaries. 

For Members’ information and example, the price of timber framed one bedroomed homes are £17,000 and two bedroomed £18,000 both include delivery to site but excluding land costs. The building regulations require any timber framed structures to have a minimum 60 year life expectancy and the NHBC ‘Buildmark’ and similar warranty schemes provide 10 years structural cover to accord with the requirements of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (subject, of course, to the builder being a registered member of whichever scheme is employed). So, in reality, 60 years would be an appropriate warranty period for the timber frame structural elements and, 10 years for everything else. The same as masonry built houses. In essence, timber frame and masonry construction are both classed as `Permanent Construction' and have the same life expectancy. Insurance companies, mortgage providers, and building societies do not differentiate between timber frame and masonry.

It is worth noting that although timber frame construction is not (currently) widespread in England and Wales, 80% of all new housing in Scotland is of timber frame construction. And, with the ever increasing drive towards thermal efficiency and sustainability in housing, this is likely to become the case in England & Wales, probably sooner rather than later. In North America, Canada and the Scandinavian countries, where this figure rises to 90%, timber frame have been the construction method of choice for many hundreds of years.

The Council's position regarding the provision of affordable housing has dramatically deteriorated since the Housing Task Group report to the Council. I would therefore ask the Council to recommend the Cabinet: 

1.    To obtain detailed information of timber framed homes as a credible and financial solution for the urgent need to provide affordable housing for desperate Medway people. 

2.    To urgently hold and further extend discussions with community groups under the Local Plan to promote and discuss the building of local communities of timber framed homes on brownfield sites.

3.    Following the Government decision on 3 October to substantially increase housing investment, to formulate a credible action plan to go forward to government and the The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government requesting that Medway Council be given urgent funding or be allowed to borrow money against Medway assets to buy brownfield sites and complete appropriate infrastructure building costs. This will allow Medway residents and housing associations to go forward in partnership with the Council with their own investments for the building of thousands of timber framed homes.

Just because Medway’s residents are not shouting outside Gun Wharf with placards or protesting on the street, it does not mean that Medway does not have a serious housing crisis causing misery and heartache to many thousands of residents trying to live and plan their lives in Medway.  

Medway Residents living in affordable and social housing contribute millions to our local economy and do the very important jobs which keep Medway running. Housebuilders have told the Council that the building of affordable homes needed for Medway residents is entirely the Council’s responsibility and are continuing to employ very specialist financial viability advisors to protect their 20% profits and reduce their Section 106 affordable housing commitment to a trickle under planning agreements. The current government refuses to give funds to Medway Council to replace affordable housing being unfairly lost to London commuters. The government also refuses to fund Councils for additional affordable homes needed for 350,000 people from the EU and elsewhere, arriving each year who pay millions in additional income tax. 

Medway Council must be bold and urgently find a solution to provide hope to the many thousands of people losing any hope of putting down secure roots in Medway and also satisfy business needs for growth and prosperity for the Medway economy where many essential local services and local businesses relying on paying mid-range or low salaries but cannot compete with London salaries. 

For Members’ information and example, the price of timber framed one bedroomed homes are £17,000 and two bedroomed £18,000 both include delivery to site but excluding land costs. The building regulations require any timber framed structures to have a minimum 60 year life expectancy and the NHBC ‘Buildmark’ and similar warranty schemes provide 10 years structural cover to accord with the requirements of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (subject, of course, to the builder being a registered member of whichever scheme is employed). So, in reality, 60 years would be an appropriate warranty period for the timber frame structural elements and, 10 years for everything else. The same as masonry built houses. In essence, timber frame and masonry construction are both classed as `Permanent Construction' and have the same life expectancy. Insurance companies, mortgage providers, and building societies do not differentiate between timber frame and masonry.

It is worth noting that although timber frame construction is not (currently) widespread in England and Wales, 80% of all new housing in Scotland is of timber frame construction. And, with the ever increasing drive towards thermal efficiency and sustainability in housing, this is likely to become the case in England & Wales, probably sooner rather than later. In North America, Canada and the Scandinavian countries, where this figure rises to 90%, timber frame have been the construction method of choice for many hundreds of years.

The Council's position regarding the provision of affordable housing has dramatically deteriorated since the Housing Task Group report to the Council. I would therefore ask the Council to recommend the Cabinet: 

1.    To obtain detailed information of timber framed homes as a credible and financial solution for the urgent need to provide affordable housing for desperate Medway people. 

2.    To urgently hold and further extend discussions with community groups under the Local Plan to promote and discuss the building of local communities of timber framed homes on brownfield sites.

3.    Following the Government decision on 3 October to substantially increase housing investment, to formulate a credible action plan to go forward to government and the The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government requesting that Medway Council be given urgent funding or be allowed to borrow money against Medway assets to buy brownfield sites and complete appropriate infrastructure building costs. This will allow Medway residents and housing associations to go forward in partnership with the Council with their own investments for the building of thousands of timber framed homes.

Councillor Griffiths, supported by the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Services, Councillor Doe, proposed the following amendment:

To delete and insert as below:

Just because Medway’s residents are not shouting outside Gun Wharf with placards or protesting on the street, it does not mean that Medway does not have a serious housing crisis causing misery and heartache to many thousands of residents trying to live and plan their lives in Medway.  

Medway Residents living in affordable and social housing contribute millions to our local economy and do the very important jobs which keep Medway running. Housebuilders have told the Council that the building of affordable homes needed for Medway residents is entirely the Council’s responsibility and are continuing to employ very specialist financial viability advisors to protect their 20% profits and reduce their Section 106 affordable housing commitment to a trickle under planning agreements. The current government refuses to give funds to Medway Council to replace affordable housing being unfairly lost to London commuters. The government also refuses to fund Councils for additional affordable homes needed for 350,000 people from the EU and elsewhere, arriving each year who pay millions in additional income tax. 

Medway Council must be bold and urgently find a solution to provide hope to the many thousands of people losing any hope of putting down secure roots in Medway and also satisfy business needs for growth and prosperity for the Medway economy where many essential local services and local businesses relying on paying mid-range or low salaries but cannot compete with London salaries. 

For Members’ information and example, the price of timber framed one bedroomed homes are £17,000 and two bedroomed £18,000 both include delivery to site but excluding land costs. The building regulations require any timber framed structures to have a minimum 60 year life expectancy and the NHBC ‘Buildmark’ and similar warranty schemes provide 10 years structural cover to accord with the requirements of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (subject, of course, to the builder being a registered member of whichever scheme is employed). So, in reality, 60 years would be an appropriate warranty period for the timber frame structural elements and, 10 years for everything else. The same as masonry built houses. In essence, timber frame and masonry construction are both classed as `Permanent Construction' and have the same life expectancy. Insurance companies, mortgage providers, and building societies do not differentiate between timber frame and masonry.

It is worth noting that although timber frame construction is not (currently) widespread in England and Wales, 80% of all new housing in Scotland is of timber frame construction. And, with the ever increasing drive towards thermal efficiency and sustainability in housing, this is likely to become the case in England & Wales, probably sooner rather than later. In North America, Canada and the Scandinavian countries, where this figure rises to 90%, timber frame have been the construction method of choice for many hundreds of years.

The Council's position regarding the provision of affordable housing was recognised as part of the cross-party Housing (Demand, Supply and Affordability) Task Group. Council notes that all recommendations from the cross-party Task Group were accepted in full by the Cabinet. Council will ensure that communities and key stakeholders are fully consulted on all aspects of housing as part of the Local Plan process.  has dramatically deteriorated since the Housing Task Group report to the Council. I would therefore ask the Council to recommend the Cabinet: 

1.    To obtain detailed information of timber framed homes as a credible and financial solution for the urgent need to provide affordable housing for desperate Medway people. 

2.    To urgently hold and further extend discussions with community groups under the Local Plan to promote and discuss the building of local communities of timber framed homes on brownfield sites.

3.    Following the Government decision on 3 October to substantially increase housing investment, to formulate a credible action plan to go forward to government and the The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government requesting that Medway Council be given urgent funding or be allowed to borrow money against Medway assets to buy brownfield sites and complete appropriate infrastructure building costs. This will allow Medway residents and housing associations to go forward in partnership with the Council with their own investments for the building of thousands of timber framed homes.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

On being put to the vote, the substantive motion was carried.

Decision:

The Council's position regarding the provision of affordable housing was recognised as part of the cross-party Housing (Demand, Supply and Affordability) Task Group. Council notes that all recommendations from the cross-party Task Group were accepted in full by the Cabinet. Council will ensure that communities and key stakeholders are fully consulted on all aspects of housing as part of the Local Plan process.