The Head of Housing and Property submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which detailed the Draft Housing Strategy 2015-2018 with a proposed action plan that outlines the key priorities for the next three years, prior to wider consultation.

Cllr Seamons, Board Member for Housing and Estate Regeneration presented the report. He explained that the draft strategy had a wider focus than previous ones, as it took into account the whole housing market including the private rental sector rather than focussing only on the Council’s housing stock.

Consultation will run for 5 weeks. It will consist of proactive engagement with registered providers and an online submission process. The final strategy will return to the Board for approval in March 2015.

Cllr Tanner asked that the consultation process also include consulting employers, as a lot of them are struggling with recruitment because staff can’t find houses. The Head of Housing said that several public sector employers had already been consulted, but the process can be extended to private sector employers as well.

The City Executive Board resolved to approve the Draft Housing Strategy and Action Plan for wider consultation