To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet (Minute 214(a)) as an amendment to the following Notice of Motion submitted previously to the Council by Councillor Wrigley and referred thereto in accordance with Standing Order 8(2), namely;
The Council notes:
• The world-wide concerns on the supply of food, in particular wheat following the war in Ukraine and climate change issues globally.
• The need for improved food security in the UK, encouraging more food production requiring grade 1 agricultural land including use in less intensive ways.
• The need for affordable homes, especially for health and social care workers set in sustainable locations.
• The change of work patterns of many Devon residents to have fewer days in an office setting and more days working from home in a hybrid model.
This Council commends:
The acquisition of 34 Hectares of Grade One agricultural land for county owned Markham’s Farm in 2009 with the express purpose to make the farm viable.
In the light of the need for thousands more affordable homes for Devon families, the lack of any form of homes to rent long-term in Devon, and to enable homes for incoming workers for health and social care provision this council resolves to:
1) Review the land assets held by the County Council with the aim of identifying opportunities to use brownfield sites for new rented affordable homes to generate long term and reliable revenue for the council.
2) Work with the District Councils and their registered provider partners as housing providers
3) Deliver a significant programme of homes for rent remaining in the ownership of Devon County Council providing a long-term revenue stream to reduce Council Tax requirements.
4) Withdraw the sites at Manor Farm, Markham’s Farm and other County Farms from local plan allocations for housing and preserve farm viability.
In the site review particular attention will be given to the Topsham Road County Hall site. This site is antiquated and in the wrong place for modern council operation. Office space and meeting space would be far more efficient in a modern working location such as alongside the council’s other offices in Sowton or in Marsh Barton – both out of the town centre but well connected by train, bus and by road.
The current County Hall site would be far more effective if it were re-modelled to become homes for rental, with a proportion reserved for NHS and social Care staff and many at social rent levels. This would provide much needed affordable homes and a rental income stream for the council. Turning a liability into a significant revenue generating asset.
Converting the existing office blocks and building new homes on the enormous supply of parking space would provide a highly desirable and green residential location with good connection to the RD&E hospital site and the city centre.
The hundreds of rented flats delivered would not only provide homes for local families, but also a long-term rental income for the Council that should exceed the cost of out of town office space.
Other sites owned by the council across the county should be identified and used in a similar way.
Having had regard to the aforementioned, any factual briefing/position statement on the matter set out in Report (CSO/22/14)and other suggestions or alternatives considered at that meeting the Cabinet subsequently resolved:
that Council be recommended to;
(a) note the number of affordable housing units across Devon which the Council’s land has enabled over the past five years;
(b) confirm that in the short to medium term (3-5 years) the Council does not have plans to dispose of County Hall;
(c) endorse the approach to review the use of DCC assets as part of the Council’s financial sustainability programme to identify opportunities for the provision of (in particular) DCC key worker accommodation;
(d) note the continuing work of the Devon Housing Task Force and DCCs involvement in this; and
(e) support the inclusion of strategic DCC farm land in relevant local plan allocations (including land at Markham’s and Manor Farm) as part of the Council’s work to support housing provision across the County whilst ensuring that farm holdings remain viable and where possible land is replenished (subject to financial resources being available) to maintain the Farms Estate at c10k acres.
Decision:
Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the Cabinet’s advice be accepted and that Council;
(a) note the number of affordable housing units across Devon which the Council’s land has enabled over the past five years;
(b) confirm that in the short to medium term (3-5 years) the Council does not have plans to dispose of County Hall;
(c) endorse the approach to review the use of DCC assets as part of the Council’s financial sustainability programme to identify opportunities for the provision of (in particular) DCC key worker accommodation;
(d) note the continuing work of the Devon Housing Task Force and DCCs involvement in this; and
(e) support the inclusion of strategic DCC farm land in relevant local plan allocations (including land at Markham’s and Manor Farm) as part of the Council’s work to support housing provision across the County whilst ensuring that farm holdings remain viable and where possible land is replenished (subject to financial resources being available) to maintain the Farms Estate at c10k acres.
The Motion in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.
Minutes:
Pursuant to County Council Minute 130 of 21 July 2022 relating to the Notice of Motion set out below as previously submitted and formally moved and seconded by Councillor Wrigley that:
The Council notes:
• The world-wide concerns on the supply of food, in particular wheat following the war in Ukraine and climate change issues globally.
• The need for improved food security in the UK, encouraging more food production requiring grade 1 agricultural land including use in less intensive ways.
• The need for affordable homes, especially for health and social care workers set in sustainable locations.
• The change of work patterns of many Devon residents to have fewer days in an office setting and more days working from home in a hybrid model.
This Council commends:
The acquisition of 34 Hectares of Grade One agricultural land for county owned Markham’s Farm in 2009 with the express purpose to make the farm viable.
In the light of the need for thousands more affordable homes for Devon families, the lack of any form of homes to rent long-term in Devon, and to enable homes for incoming workers for health and social care provision this council resolves to:
1) Review the land assets held by the County Council with the aim of identifying opportunities to use brownfield sites for new rented affordable homes to generate long term and reliable revenue for the council.
2) Work with the District Councils and their registered provider partners as housing providers
3) Deliver a significant programme of homes for rent remaining in the ownership of Devon County Council providing a long-term revenue stream to reduce Council Tax requirements.
4) Withdraw the sites at Manor Farm, Markham’s Farm and other County Farms from local plan allocations for housing and preserve farm viability.
In the site review particular attention will be given to the Topsham Road County Hall site. This site is antiquated and in the wrong place for modern council operation. Office space and meeting space would be far more efficient in a modern working location such as alongside the council’s other offices in Sowton or in Marsh Barton – both out of the town centre but well connected by train, bus and by road.
The current County Hall site would be far more effective if it were re-modelled to become homes for rental, with a proportion reserved for NHS and social Care staff and many at social rent levels. This would provide much needed affordable homes and a rental income stream for the council. Turning a liability into a significant revenue generating asset.
Converting the existing office blocks and building new homes on the enormous supply of parking space would provide a highly desirable and green residential location with good connection to the RD&E hospital site and the city centre.
The hundreds of rented flats delivered would not only provide homes for local families, but also a long-term rental income for the Council that should exceed the cost of out of town office space.
Other sites owned by the council across the county should be identified and used in a similar way.
and having had regard to the advice of the Cabinet set out in Minute 214(a) of 26 September 2022:
Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor McInnes SECONDED that the Cabinet’s advice be accepted and that Council;
(a) note the number of affordable housing units across Devon which the Council’s land has enabled over the past five years;
(b) confirm that in the short to medium term (3-5 years) the Council does not have plans to dispose of County Hall;
(c) endorse the approach to review the use of DCC assets as part of the Council’s financial sustainability programme to identify opportunities for the provision of (in particular) DCC key worker accommodation;
(d) note the continuing work of the Devon Housing Task Force and DCCs involvement in this; and
(e) support the inclusion of strategic DCC farm land in relevant local plan allocations (including land at Markham’s and Manor Farm) as part of the Council’s work to support housing provision across the County whilst ensuring that farm holdings remain viable and where possible land is replenished (subject to financial resources being available) to maintain the Farms Estate at c10k acres.
The amendment in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.
Councillor Wrigley then MOVED and Councillor Leaver SECONDED that the motion be amended as follows (strikethrough denotes removed words and red denotes new text);
that Council
(a) note the number of affordable housing units across Devon which the Council’s land has enabled over the past five years;
(b)
confirm that in the short to medium term (3-5 years) the Council
does not have plans to dispose of County Hall;
(b) the council will look at office provision and requirements at County Hall and elsewhere given the change in working conditions and determine what excess exists, and consider other uses for excess spaces – such as County Hall - for full or partial conversion to revenue generating, rented, residential accommodation for key workers and others.
(c) endorse the approach to review the use of DCC assets as part of the Council’s financial sustainability programme to identify opportunities for the provision of (in particular) DCC key worker accommodation;
(d)
note the continuing work of the Devon Housing Task Force and DCCs
involvement in this; and
(e) support the inclusion of strategic DCC farm land in relevant local plan allocations (including land at Markham’s and Manor Farm) as part of the Council’s work to support housing provision across the County whilst ensuring that farm holdings remain viable and where possible land is replenished (subject to financial resources being available) to maintain the Farms Estate at c10k acres; and
(f) prevent any further high grade County Farm land being put forward for development.
The amendment in the name of Councillor Wrigley was then put to the vote and declared LOST.
The Motion in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.