Issue - meetings

To receive an update on the request by Councillor A Fittock (APPENDIX A) and to consider the conclusions from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Working Group special workshop session held on 13 November 2025 as part of its initial assessment (APPENDIX B).

The Committee were reminded of the scrutiny request submitted by Councillor A Fittock (attached as Appendix A to the agenda). The Overview and Scrutiny Committee Working Group (the Working Group) had held a special workshop session on 13 November 2025 as part of its initial assessment of this request. A summary of the conclusions were set out in Appendix B to the agenda.

The Corporate Governance Project Officer provided the Committee with a brief outline of the scrutiny request, along with the conclusions and initial assessment from the Working Group, set out in Appendix B. He advised that in light of the publication of an updated Local Housing Needs Assessment accompanied by Technical Guidance, the Working Group was content to await the implications of this and had proposed that the request be reviewed in six months.

The Chairperson moved the recommendation set out on the agenda and this was duly seconded.

In response to comments regarding the housing mix, including the type of properties, the Director of Place, Planning and Growth advised that although the Working Group would be reviewing the housing mix in six months as agreed, this would also form part of annual monitoring. He highlighted that the key point was regarding market housing and those who did not qualify for affordable homes but struggled to access homes in the market.

The Chairperson put the recommendation and this was duly agreed.

RESOLVED that the Member Scrutiny request regarding the Local Plan Policy H2 Housing Mix should not be added to the scrutiny workplan but that the Committee reviews implementation of the new approach in six months based on the monitoring year to the end of next March and having regard to the housing mix within the permissions granted.