Purpose

Commencing work to develop a
strategy for improving housing outcomes in Westborough and Park
Barn area through the following steps:
 

1.    
Community
conversation with residents so we can make better decisions about
where to invest and how to use funding and support in ways that
really make a difference to your community.

2.    
Ongoing
community engagement and analysis of various improvement strategy
feasibility options which might include upgrades to homes;
redevelopment opportunities; improvements to public spaces and
roads/pathways.

3.    
Development of
detailed long-term improvement strategy through ongoing community
engagement.
 
 

Content

Decision:

1.      
Approve
the Westborough & Park Barn Better Homes Programme provided as
Appendix 1 to this report; and

2.      
Recommend to full
Council (meeting 29 July 2025) that it RESOLVE to:
Authorise
expenditure of up to £275k from the Housing Revenue Account
Revenue Fund to fund Phase 1 of the 'Westborough & Park Barn
Better Homes Programme', including community engagement activities
and feasibility work to get to Outline Business Case (OBC)
stage.
Reason(s):

1.      
The
Westborough and Park Barn Better Homes Programme is needed to
address various issues with the Council’s housing stock in
the Westborough & Park Barn area. The key issues are described
in detail in Appendix 1, in summary these include:
a)    
most
notably – severe structural issues;
b)    
poor
environmental performance;
c)    
accessibility
issues;
d)    
high
number of long-term voids not viable for re-letting in their
current state;

e)    
the
financial strain on Council’s HRA caused by the current
number of voids.

2.      
The
recommendation will support the delivery of the Council’s
Corporate Strategy (2024-2034) by facilitating the delivery of
decent affordable homes.

3.      
The
Westborough and Park Barn Better Homes Programme has the potential
to be a key scheme enabling the delivery of significant
improvements to social housing in the area through extensive
community engagement. This is an opportunity to establish a
long-term plan for improving the quality and increasing quantity of
council homes for the local residents addressing the current issues
as well as ensuring good quality homes for the future generations
of council tenants.

4.      
Various
options were considered - please refer to Section 8 in this report
and Appendix 1 for the details. We believe the recommended route
forward has the potential to achieve most strategic objectives and
unlock the potential for significantly improving the existing
housing stock as well as providing an ambitious programme of new
good quality sustainable affordable council homes, developed
through ongoing engagement with local residents and
communities.
Other options considered and rejected by the
Executive:
Options a, b, and c.
Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or
lead councillors and any dispensation granted:
None.