This meeting will include discussions about the Council's housing strategy, and will provide an update on the Supported Housing Improvement Programme and the Council House Delivery Programme. Councillors will also be asked to note the latest financial forecast for the Regeneration, Economy and Growth directorate, and will be asked to note the minutes of a previous meeting.

County Durham Housing Strategy

The report pack for the meeting provides details about revisions to the draft County Durham Housing Strategy. There are proposed changes in relation to the Council House Build Programme, which was deferred from a previous council meeting over concerns about the timeframe of the programme and how many houses would be delivered. The report pack states that

The intention was always to build 500 new homes, this was always the target, with the target to be delivered by 2026. The Strategy and Delivery Manager continued that what has changed is the delivery date, that has been rolled forward to 2029 with the intention that if the programme is successful to continue to roll the programme on following 2029 with further new builds.

It also says that the strategy's handling of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) will also be revisited. The report pack says that

Currently the policy in relation to HMOs is contained in the County Durham Plan, which will be going through a process of review in the near future, therefore it is timely to look at amending the policy within the County Durham Plan to reflect the concerns raised by members.

The report pack details the results of an assessment of the performance of Major Programmes and Projects in the Regeneration, Economy and Growth (REG) directorate. In particular, the report pack includes a detailed breakdown of the progress and challenges of 3 specific projects:

• The Story, a museum in Durham,
• Belmont Primary and Secondary School, and
• NETPark Phase 3, a science park in County Durham.

Supported Housing Improvement Programme

The report pack provides details about the Supported Housing Improvement Programme (SHIP) and the positive impact it is having for the council. The report states that

The SHIP has been in place for the past 23 months and is making significant progress with increasing Durham County Council’s oversight in relation to the non-commissioned supported housing sector, as well as making significant improvements with the property and support standards across this sector.

It also notes that the SHIP has helped to reduce expenditure on housing benefit. It says that

The programme is also making a positive financial impact for the council by progressing with plans to reduce housing benefit subsidy loss. The SHIP team are working with supported housing providers to reduce bed blocking, as well as challenging new provision and scrutinising existing housing benefit claims.

Council House Delivery Programme

Councillors will be asked to note an update on the Council House Delivery Programme. The report pack details the progress of the programme, which aims to deliver 500 new homes in County Durham by 2029. The report says that

The council will deliver 500 new build council houses and associated infrastructure as part of the council house delivery programme. The original intention was to deliver these 500 houses by 2026; however, the impact of Covid 19 and wider economic conditions including inflationary pressures and rising interest rates have presented delivery challenges for the programme. As a result, the programme will be delivered by 2029.

It includes details about the appointment of the main contractor, T Manners, the first three sites for the programme, and an overview of the acquisitions scheme, which includes properties in Annfield Plain, Bishop Auckland, Bishop Middleham, Blackhill, Brandon, Catchgate, Chester-le-Street, Chilton, Consett, Coundon Grange, Coxhoe, Crook, Crossgate Moor, Darlington, Delves, Easington Colliery, Esh Winning, Evenwood, Ferryhill, Fishburn, Framwellgate Moor, Gilesgate, Horden, Howden-le-Wear, Lanchester, Langley Park, Middlestone Moor, Murton, Nevilles Cross, Newton Aycliffe, Newton Hall, Pelton, Peterlee, Roddymoor, Seaham, Sherburn Hill, Shildon, Spennymoor, Stanley, Station Town, Trimdon Colliery, Ushaw Moor, West Auckland, West Rainton, and Wheatley Hill. There are further details in the report pack about a conversion programme and an acquisition programme for new homes. It also includes details of a number of sites that have been identified as unsuitable for the programme, including sites in Seaham, Bridgehill, Murton, Bishop Auckland, Wheatley Hill, New Kyo, Thornley, Sacriston, Langley Park, and Annfield Plain.

Quarter Two Financial Forecast 2024/25

The report pack includes a forecast of outturn for the REG directorate for the second quarter of 2024/25. It shows a forecast overspend of £0.645 million against a revised budget of £58.990 million. The report pack breaks the forecast down by service, with an anticipated overspend in Culture Sport & Tourism of £1.356 million, an anticipated underspend in Transport & Contracted Services of £0.125 million, an anticipated underspend in Corporate Property & Land of £0.319 million, an anticipated underspend in Planning & Housing of £0.121 million, and an anticipated underspend in REG Central of £0.146 million.

The capital budget for the service is £178.209 million. The report pack shows an anticipated spend of £72.492 million in Economic Development, £20.824 million in Planning and Housing, £12.185 million in Corporate Property and Land, £47.732 million in Transport & Contracted Services, and £24.976 million in Culture, Sport & Tourism.

Minutes of the County Durham Economic Partnership Board

The final item in the report pack is the minutes of the County Durham Economic Partnership Board meeting held on 25 September 2024. The minutes record updates from representatives of several organisations, including the Engineering and Manufacturing Network, Believe Housing, New College Durham, Durham County Council, the Federation of Small Businesses, Culture Sport & Tourism, the North East Chamber of Commerce, Durham University, Public Health, County Durham Community Foundation, Durham Community Action, Raby Estates, Business Durham, and the Durham Business Group.

The minutes show that there was discussion of the Local Skills Improvement Partnerships. The North East Chamber of Commerce explained that the partnerships do not cover the County Durham area, and that they will contact Durham University to discuss their involvement in the scheme. They also noted that the partnerships will run until the end of the financial year, when a decision will be made about what happens to them.

There was discussion of the newly launched County Durham place brand, and how it would align with the Inclusive Economic Strategy.

The minutes also record an update on devolution and UK Government Policy Developments, including an update about the North East Investment Zone. The minutes state that

On the verge of submitting a business case for infrastructure funded through NE Investment Zone. There is around £80m in first 5 years of investment. There is already a big ask been approved around skills in Sunderland and Nissan and another big offshore ask coming. We need the NETPark Phase to grow to enable inward investment opportunities so looking at a £12m business case into Durham at the moment which we are hoping to submit that would be ahead of the £20m we had already secured through devolution deal.

The minutes conclude by confirming that the next meeting of the board will be a special meeting on Rural Issues, held at Raby Castle on 4 November 2024. The next regular meeting of the board will be on 4 December 2024 at 1pm.

It should be noted that this summary only describes what the report pack says will be discussed during the meeting, and it is not possible to know what topics will actually be discussed or what decisions, if any, will be made.