Lancaster City Council leader gives update on Skerton High School housing plans after political row

Green councillor Caroline Jackson has written a report for the forthcoming full council meeting, which includes funding talks with national government bodies and local MPs, and local activity on council houses, no-fault evictions and help for homeless people.

It also includes Lancaster’s Skerton and Mainway areas, where the city council hopes to get financial support from the government regeneration agency Homes England towards affordable homes.

Last month, Labour city councillors questioned Coun Jackson about progress at Skerton including a business plan for Homes England, the government regeneration agency which works with councils.

Some Labour councillors claimed the leader had previously misrepresented the state of progress and one suggested the council’s work had stalled.

However, Coun Jackson rejected the accusations and, separately, a city council spokesperson said the council was awaiting details of the next Affordable Homes England programme to submit a funding application.

In a new update, Coun Jackson has written about various housing topics including new affordable homes, repairs, bids for home energy and insulation improvements and communicating with tenants on issues, from rents and repairs or anti-social behaviour complaints.

She says: “On the Skerton site we were successful in the planning application for 100 apartment homes and 35 terraced houses. The site has been cleared using brownfield release funding.

"Currently, the Mainway Green Book business case for the project is nearing completion. Homes England funding has been announced to open in the summer and we are already working with Homes England in anticipation of a bid.”

The Green Book is a Treasury guide for local councils and national government on how to judge factors involved in projects.

Coun Jackson adds: “We have had two meetings with our MPs, Cat Smith and Lizzi Collinge. to increase their appreciation of the sector and the need for funding, for increasing and updating the stock of council and affordable housing in the area.”

Regarding other parts of Lancaster, she writes: “Work on the Coopers Field site in the Canal Quarter had temporarily halted last year, but it will now go ahead to provide 120 new dwellings including shared ownership, affordable and council housing.

"The Nelson Street site is now proceeding towards development by a registered provider, which will also provide further affordable housing.”

Coun Jackson added that the increasing number of Section 21 no-fault evictions over the previous year led to a steep increase in temporary accommodation costs, similar to that experienced in authorities across the country.

However, this year has seen a budget saving of around £300,000 against the council’s B&B budget due to better management of homeless households, quicker turnaround in acquiring suitable rental properties and using some of the council’s own empty properties.

“We are using hotel accommodation as little as possible and for short term needs, though problems with finding suitable larger family accommodation continue,” she reports.

A homelessness advisory group has begun meetings with particular reference to supporting homeless people on the streets. Numbers have slowly increased to between 10 and 15 over the last two years. Housing association Calico has a support service but the city council is seeking more accommodation.

Coun Jackson says the council’s commitment to maintaining council housing and services has been made clear in signing up alongside more than 100 other councils to Southwark Council’s ‘The Future of Council Housing’ report.

And a recent government officer visit ‘confirmed the rapid, visible progress the council’s housing team has made over the last 18 months,’ she adds.