Decision

1.      that the
Director of Finance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for
Housing and Finance, and the Director of Pride in Place be granted
delegated authority, to acquire on appropriate terms the site
identified in Exempt Appendix 1, from the £1.2m revenue
reserve allocated to support affordable housing delivery by Cabinet
and Council in May 2025.
 

2.      that the
Director of Pride in Place bring forward proposals for how the site
will be developed at the earliest opportunity.

Reasons for the decision

The site offered a
timely opportunity to address the significant shortfall in
affordable housing and reduce reliance on costly temporary
accommodation.  In doing so, the
acquisition of the site supported Torbay’s Housing Strategy
and Delivery Plan, contributing to the goal of delivering more and
better affordable homes.

Alternative options considered

The alternative option
would be to not proceed with the acquisition, thereby avoiding
capital risk but missing the opportunity to address housing need,
potentially damaging the Council’s reputation and delaying
progress toward Local Plan targets. 
This option was discounted.