The South Hams Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to consider a range of issues relating to housing in South Hams. The committee received a report from a Task and Finish group that had been set up to look at affordable housing allocations and local lettings plans, and were asked to review the local lettings plan for a new development in Dartington.

Housing Allocations and Lettings Plans

The committee was asked to note the findings of the report entitled Task and Finish Group Affordable Housing Allocations Policy and Local Lettings Plans . The Task and Finish group had previously been asked to review two existing council policies: the South Hams Local Allocations Policy¹ and the Local Lettings Policy for each parish. The report included a number of observations about the existing policies. In particular the report's authors felt that the current policies were difficult to understand:

Whilst the group acknowledged that the policy documents seek to assist applicants through the process, there was concern that the volume of information provided could make it harder for some to understand.

The report went on to make a number of recommendations to the committee, including:

• That Parish Councils should be required to pass a resolution confirming that their Local Lettings Plan is up to date
• That the local allocations policy should be simplified, and translated into other languages
• That a pro-active approach to identifying and assisting hidden homeless people should be taken, particularly in rural areas, and that consideration should be given to how best to support people at risk of homelessness due to no-fault evictions.
• That consideration should be given to whether the Local Connection criteria are still appropriate, whether the qualifying period could be reduced, and whether there were merits in introducing an exception for people who had to move away for education or training.
• That consideration should be given to how best to advertise the availability of section 106² units The report included a draft action plan, and the committee was asked to consider delegating responsibility for agreeing the action plan to the Head of Housing and the Chair of the Committee.

Elmhirst Court Local Lettings Plan

The committee was asked to review and approve the draft local lettings plan for a new development at Elmhirst Court in Dartington. The development is a new build by LiveWest Housing Association, and comprises 8 new flats.

The committee was asked to consider whether it agreed that the proposed marketing and advertising strategy for the properties was appropriate, including the suggestion that it should be advertised for three weeks in the local press and on Devon Home Choice.