Agenda item

Note:

Under the Council’s constitution, 30 minutes are available for the consideration of motions. In practice, this realistically means that there is usually only time for one, or possibly two motions to be considered.

 

With the agreement of the Lord Mayor, motion 1 below will be considered at this meeting.

 

Details of other motions submitted, (which, due to time constraints, are very unlikely to be considered at this meeting) are also set out for information.

 

MOTIONS RECEIVED FOR FULL COUNCIL

 

Golden Motion (Green Party): Setting a realistic housing target for Bristol

 

Full Council notes:

 

1.         Bristol City Council will this month begin public consultation on a new Local Plan which will guide development within the city for the next 10 to 20 years.

 

2.         The Local Plan will include local policies which will set locally developed standards for net zero carbon, biodiversity, green space protection, local shopping streets, and so on. Many of these policies are far in advance of national policy in terms of dealing with the climate and ecological emergencies. The local plan will also look at how and where housing will be delivered.

 

3.         Although it is a “Local” Plan it is subject to a “housing need” target that is subject to calculations set by central government.

 

4.         Central government is currently insisting that the largest 20 urban areas, including Bristol, should include a 35% uplift to its housing need target.

 

5.         The result of this is that Bristol has been set a housing need target of 67,000 homes to be delivered within the lifetime of the new Local Plan. 

 

6.         This produces an annual target of 4,467 homes per year over the next 15 years, far and above any single delivery year in Bristol’s recent history. It is a figure that has not been approached since the large-scale government investment in council housing of the 1950s. Even more challenging in the current economic climate where people’s inability to afford mortgages is already suppressing the housing market making it less attractive for developers.

 

7.         Government legislation insists that authorities need to demonstrate a rolling five year supply of available land to meet their housing target. If they cannot, private developers will be able to override local plan policies that have been approved by locally elected councillors following public consultation.

 

8.         There are over 16,000 families on the housing waiting list with many of them living in overcrowded and/or otherwise unsuitable accommodation, another 1,000 in expensive temporary accommodation with associated impacts on revenue budgets, whilst both visible and unseen homelessness continues to affect many individuals in our city.

 

Full council believes:

 

1.         There is a clear need to prioritise the housebuilding efforts of the city to reduce the impact of the shortage of housing for affordable rent, and in particular social rent.

 

2.         It is imperative that Bristol City has a new local plan with modern, relevant policies in order to unlock the highest quality development in the city. The adopting of a Local Plan will have far-reaching consequences for the future of the city at a critical time in our history as we seek to address the climate and ecological emergencies, and at a time of significant economic turmoil.

 

3.         Bristol does not have the delivery capacity nor the land capacity to deliver 67,000 homes in the next 15 years.

 

4.         It is appropriate to adjust the housing need figure to be based on more up-to-date evidence and detailed study rather than a top-down target imposed by central government.

 

5.         The WECA Spatial Development Strategy is unlikely to be completed on a reasonable timescale, and that its absence should not curtail Bristol’s efforts to bring a new Local Plan into effect.

 

Council resolves:

 

1.         To express its full support for the proposal agreed by councillors and officers on the Local Plan Working Group to produce an evidence-led housing target for Bristol’s Local Plan that is based on housing need figures for the West of England to be derived by expert consultants.

 

2.         To continue, in the absence of a Spatial Development Strategy, to work collaboratively with our immediate neighbours in North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and B&NES, in order to establish mutually agreed principles for development that recognises the close relationship between all four authorities and the need for cross boundary co-operation to protect biodiversity, address flood risk, and tackle the climate and ecological emergencies as well as addressing locally assessed housing need.

 

3.         To request the Mayor and Party Group Leaders, on behalf of Full Council, to write to central government requesting that they revoke the 35% uplift target as being incompatible with the principles of a locally developed plan designed to meet the needs of Bristol and its residents and approved by its elected representatives.

 

4.         To confirm its support for the ‘Project 1000’ principles of delivering 1,000 affordable homes per year and that at least 70% of these homes should be for long term affordable rent, and especially social rent, to help address the identified need for truly affordable homes for rent as evidenced by the number of families on the housing waiting list.

 

 

Motion proposed by: Councillor Tony Dyer (Green Group)

Motion submitted: 27/10/22?

 

Motion 1 – Golden Motion: Setting a realistic housing target for Bristol

 

Councillor Tony Dyer moved the following motion:

 

Full Council notes:

 

1.         Bristol City Council will this month begin public consultation on a new Local Plan which will guide development within the city for the next 10 to 20 years.

 

2.         The Local Plan will include local policies which will set locally developed standards for net zero carbon, biodiversity, green space protection, local shopping streets, and so on. Many of these policies are far in advance of national policy in terms of dealing with the climate and ecological emergencies. The local plan will also look at how and where housing will be delivered.

 

3.         Although it is a “Local” Plan it is subject to a “housing need” target that is subject to calculations set by central government.

 

4.         Central government is currently insisting that the largest 20 urban areas, including Bristol, should include a 35% uplift to its housing need target.

 

5.         The result of this is that Bristol has been set a housing need target of 67,000 homes to be delivered within the lifetime of the new Local Plan. 

 

6.         This produces an annual target of 4,467 homes per year over the next 15 years, far and above any single delivery year in Bristol’s recent history. It is a figure that has not been approached since the large-scale government investment in council housing of the 1950s. Even more challenging in the current economic climate where people’s inability to afford mortgages is already suppressing the housing market making it less attractive for developers.

 

7.         Government legislation insists that authorities need to demonstrate a rolling five year supply of available land to meet their housing target. If they cannot, private developers will be able to override local plan policies that have been approved by locally elected councillors following public consultation.

 

8.         There are over 16,000 families on the housing waiting list with many of them living in overcrowded and/or otherwise unsuitable accommodation, another 1,000 in expensive temporary accommodation with associated impacts on revenue budgets, whilst both visible and unseen homelessness continues to affect many individuals in our city.

 

Full council believes:

 

1.         There is a clear need to prioritise the housebuilding efforts of the city to reduce the impact of the shortage of housing for affordable rent, and in particular social rent.

 

2.         It is imperative that Bristol City has a new local plan with modern, relevant policies in order to unlock the highest quality development in the city. The adopting of a Local Plan will have far-reaching consequences for the future of the city at a critical time in our history as we seek to address the climate and ecological emergencies, and at a time of significant economic turmoil.

 

3.         Bristol does not have the delivery capacity nor the land capacity to deliver 67,000 homes in the next 15 years.

 

4.         It is appropriate to adjust the housing need figure to be based on more up-to-date evidence and detailed study rather than a top-down target imposed by central government.

 

5.         The WECA Spatial Development Strategy is unlikely to be completed on a reasonable timescale, and that its absence should not curtail Bristol’s efforts to bring a new Local Plan into effect.

 

Council resolves:

 

1.         To express its full support for the proposal agreed by councillors and officers on the Local Plan Working Group to produce an evidence-led housing target for Bristol’s Local Plan that is based on housing need figures for the West of England to be derived by expert consultants.

 

2.         To continue, in the absence of a Spatial Development Strategy, to work collaboratively with our immediate neighbours in North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and B&NES, in order to establish mutually agreed principles for development that recognises the close relationship between all four authorities and the need for cross boundary co-operation to protect biodiversity, address flood risk, and tackle the climate and ecological emergencies as well as addressing locally assessed housing need.

 

3.         To request the Mayor and Party Group Leaders, on behalf of Full Council, to write to central government requesting that they revoke the 35% uplift target as being incompatible with the principles of a locally developed plan designed to meet the needs of Bristol and its residents and approved by its elected representatives.

 

4.         To confirm its support for the ‘Project 1000’ principles of delivering 1,000 affordable homes per year and that at least 70% of these homes should be for long term affordable rent, and especially social rent, to help address the identified need for truly affordable homes for rent as evidenced by the number of families on the housing waiting list.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Jenny Bartle.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote, the motion was CARRIED (59 For, 0 against, 0 abstentions) and it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

Full Council notes:

 

1.         Bristol City Council will this month begin public consultation on a new Local Plan which will guide development within the city for the next 10 to 20 years.

 

2.         The Local Plan will include local policies which will set locally developed standards for net zero carbon, biodiversity, green space protection, local shopping streets, and so on. Many of these policies are far in advance of national policy in terms of dealing with the climate and ecological emergencies. The local plan will also look at how and where housing will be delivered.

 

3.         Although it is a “Local” Plan it is subject to a “housing need” target that is subject to calculations set by central government.

 

4.         Central government is currently insisting that the largest 20 urban areas, including Bristol, should include a 35% uplift to its housing need target.

 

5.         The result of this is that Bristol has been set a housing need target of 67,000 homes to be delivered within the lifetime of the new Local Plan. 

 

6.         This produces an annual target of 4,467 homes per year over the next 15 years, far and above any single delivery year in Bristol’s recent history. It is a figure that has not been approached since the large-scale government investment in council housing of the 1950s. Even more challenging in the current economic climate where people’s inability to afford mortgages is already suppressing the housing market making it less attractive for developers.

 

7.         Government legislation insists that authorities need to demonstrate a rolling five year supply of available land to meet their housing target. If they cannot, private developers will be able to override local plan policies that have been approved by locally elected councillors following public consultation.

 

8.         There are over 16,000 families on the housing waiting list with many of them living in overcrowded and/or otherwise unsuitable accommodation, another 1,000 in expensive temporary accommodation with associated impacts on revenue budgets, whilst both visible and unseen homelessness continues to affect many individuals in our city.

 

Full council believes:

 

1.         There is a clear need to prioritise the housebuilding efforts of the city to reduce the impact of the shortage of housing for affordable rent, and in particular social rent.

 

2.         It is imperative that Bristol City has a new local plan with modern, relevant policies in order to unlock the highest quality development in the city. The adopting of a Local Plan will have far-reaching consequences for the future of the city at a critical time in our history as we seek to address the climate and ecological emergencies, and at a time of significant economic turmoil.

 

3.         Bristol does not have the delivery capacity nor the land capacity to deliver 67,000 homes in the next 15 years.

 

4.         It is appropriate to adjust the housing need figure to be based on more up-to-date evidence and detailed study rather than a top-down target imposed by central government.

 

5.         The WECA Spatial Development Strategy is unlikely to be completed on a reasonable timescale, and that its absence should not curtail Bristol’s efforts to bring a new Local Plan into effect.

 

Council resolves:

 

1.         To express its full support for the proposal agreed by councillors and officers on the Local Plan Working Group to produce an evidence-led housing target for Bristol’s Local Plan that is based on housing need figures for the West of England to be derived by expert consultants.

 

2.         To continue, in the absence of a Spatial Development Strategy, to work collaboratively with our immediate neighbours in North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and B&NES, in order to establish mutually agreed principles for development that recognises the close relationship between all four authorities and the need for cross boundary co-operation to protect biodiversity, address flood risk, and tackle the climate and ecological emergencies as well as addressing locally assessed housing need.

 

3.         To request the Mayor and Party Group Leaders, on behalf of Full Council, to write to central government requesting that they revoke the 35% uplift target as being incompatible with the principles of a locally developed plan designed to meet the needs of Bristol and its residents and approved by its elected representatives.

 

4.         To confirm its support for the ‘Project 1000’ principles of delivering 1,000 affordable homes per year and that at least 70% of these homes should be for long term affordable rent, and especially social rent, to help address the identified need for truly affordable homes for rent as evidenced by the number of families on the housing waiting list.