Housing Development Strategy - Report - Page 12
Land and property acquisition
We expect that the opportunities to source and deliver new housing will be via:
1.
Using existing sites within the district – where we own land such as garage sites that have potential to be developed.
2.
The acquisition of regeneration sites within our district which would include small infill areas and major strategic sites such as
Kirkley Waterfront. .
3.
The acquisition of Rural Exceptions Sites if economically viable that would help deliver new homes to remote rural areas in East Suffolk.
4. The acquisition of s106 opportunities with developers and housebuilders in partnership with our registered provider partners.
5.
The acquisition of existing dwellings that would provide a value for money option and meet an identified need. We will consider any
former RTB property that becomes available where the Council has the first option on repurchase.
Acquiring land
RTB buy back
Garage sites
Development provides good value for money if it takes
place on Council owned land. As such it is important to
also explore the potential of the Council’s land holdings to
contribute towards improving the supply of new Council
housing. However, the Council must consider acquiring
land on the open market or by negotiation where practical
in order to ensure that homes can be provided where they
are needed as our existing land holdings are limited.
Previous tenants that
bought their former
council
property
through
RTB
are
required to give the
Council first option in
buying their home.
This option will be
actively
considered
as a means of adding
social housing back
into our stock. These
types of dwellings are
known to us and can
be easily managed
and maintained.
We have several garage blocks in a poor state
of repair due to their age and construction
type.
Our Housing Strategy and HRA Business Plan recognise
the need to develop Lake Lothing in Lowestoft as a means
of providing new homes at volume. Housing development
is an integral part of the regeneration in Lowestoft and we
recognise the role we must play in building new houses
within the area. A programme of land acquisition in the
area has commenced and will continue. It is projected that
a significant proportion of our house building programme
will take place here.
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We have a programme of identifying these
sites for demolition as either additional
parking or for potential development. Our
recent new builds have taken place primarily
on garage sites though inevitably viable sites
are now scarce.
