New Lincolnshire housing strategy must focus on providing homes for those most in need, councillors warn

At a Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) business and infrastructure board meeting on October 1, councillors heard that the newly-created body is looking at where new housing developments can be built.

The GLCCA has been given £62,000 from the government to work with Homes England to develop a strategy to unlock new sites for economic development and employment opportunities.

The strategy will not replace the existing housing and planning functions of district councils in Lincolnshire, but will focus on unlocking new areas in the county to be developed.

While most councillors supported the project, some said that the strategy needs to focus on providing housing for people most in need.

Coun Rob Waltham (Conservative), leader of North Lincolnshire Council, who represents Brigg and the Wolds, said: “I broadly agree with this strategy. But we need to be clear that we’ve got a vision for our older people, our veterans and young people.

“We’ve got to be very clear when going to the government about what our responsibilities are. We’ve got this vision for our older people, our veterans and young people.”

He added: “The market will build what the market will build. They will build what is profitable for them.

“But we do know that 60 per cent of our population is over 65. We will have more older people in and out of our hospitals because we haven’t got the right homes for them to live in.

“Getting young people onto the housing ladder is also important. Most young people don’t have the money to buy a house.”

Coun Richard Wright (Conservative), who represents Ruskington, said the number of homes built across the country has dropped so far this year.

The county councillor said: “We’ve got a government which wants to put in 1.5 million homes without a deal to put them there in the first place.

“The building rates have been dropping. There are fewer homes being built this year than there have been in the last five years.”

Coun Wright said that the GLCCA must develop a clear housing strategy to ensure it receives government funding.

He added: “There is a hope that Homes England will work with us as a combined authority. Unfortunately, it’s run by the government.

“The government has said it will stop funding local authorities which do not have a local plan in place.

“But housing is still market led. I would like to see that it works in partnership with the authority to make sure our plans are up to date.

“If we’ve not got the bedrock right then we haven’t got anything we can build on and the rest of the process has the chance of failing massively.”

Coun Donald Nannestad (Labour), deputy leader of the City of Lincoln Council, who represents the Castle ward, said he wanted the strategy to focus on providing homes for vulnerable people.

He said: “I would like to see more investment in affordable and social housing.

“They are people that cannot afford to buy a home and they need social housing.

“If it’s supported living that’s required, then it needs to have the level of support needed to meet the needs of that person.

“If people cannot get the support that they need then that’s a real issue.”

He went on to say that the homes also need to be built in the ‘right place’ to ensure that they cater for the people that they’ve been designed for.

He said “It’s also an issue for older people who are in need of extra care. We also need to make sure that these homes are built in the right place.

“You can build a care home for as many as 60 people but if it’s put in a small village then we will really struggle to fill that home.

“But if it’s built in an urban area then you will get it right.”