NEARLY half of Colchester’s affordable homes target has been met in just two years.

This and other key figures were unveiled at Colchester Council’s last cabinet meeting before the May elections, where councillors agreed to build between 20 and 30 new council homes.

Since the council’s five-year housing strategy was adopted in 2015, 48 per cent of 426 affordable homes have been delivered early.

However, the evidence was slammed by former Conservative group leader Dennis Willets who criticised the council’s efforts on homelessness.

Despite the council having set out what it sought to achieve, the outspoken councillor said it should still be aiming higher. He added: “This report doesn’t identify how we’re going to do more.”

Tina Bourne, Cabinet member responsible for housing and communities (Lab), called the comment “a great soundbite”.

She said: “We have a rough sleeper co-ordinator we appointed last year and since October, 11 rough sleepers have been moved on to accommodation.

“They’ve either been repatriated with their families through mediation processes, moved into supported housing or moved back to the homes they had.

“Those things don’t happen overnight. They take a great deal of work and it’s outrageous to say nothing’s happening when there are voluntary sector organisations, officers and Colchester Borough Homes all working hard for that one aim - which is priority seven of our plan.”

Priority seven is to ensure existing and new homes are healthy, safe and energy efficient which has seen 50 houses in multiple occupation brought to standard and 3,600 council homes insulated and had their heating improved.

The strategy lists eight priorities and several actions including to maximise the supply of affordable homes on new developments.

To fund phase three of the delivery programme - 20 to 30 council homes - the plan is to use 1-4-1 Right to Buy receipts and up to £5 million of Housing Revenue Account borrowing.

Resources boss Mark Cory (Lib Dem) said the Government’s cap on HRA borrowing and increased discounts for tenants under Right to Buy had decimated available housing stock.

He said: “If we want to address the issue we need to change this Government because we need to end Right to Buy unless we’re able to build council housing. It doesn’t work.

“Over the years since being introduced in the 80s, it hasn’t delivered housing for people across the country, it has created a shortage.”

“So we’re tackling it but we need the Government’s support to go further.”

Gazette:

Sara Thakker, chief executive of Colne Housing Association, which was noted in the report

DID YOU KNOW?...

  • Colchester’s population is estimated to grow to approximately 203,466 people in 2026, an increase of 16,831 people over ten years 
  • This is the highest population growth in Essex with Basildon estimated to be the second highest
  •  Colchester is the largest district in Essex and accounts for 12.8 per cent of the county’s population- up 0.1 per cent from mid-2015
  • In the Government’s Indices of Deprivation 2015, Colchester was ranked 185 (326 being the least deprived) - up from 206 in 2010
  • Within Essex, Colchester is the fourth most deprived authority
  • Between April 2015 and March 2016, 933 new homes were built in the town
  • 100 new affordable homes were completed between April 2016 to March 2017
  • As of March 2017, the average price of a home was £286,000 - a rise of £27,000 on the year before
  • In the last year, there has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of homes sold under the Right to Buy scheme
  • 39 homeless applicants have been housed through Gateway to Homechoice during the 2016/17 financial year
  • In the past year, there has been a 13 per cent increase in the number of homelessness prevention cases
  • 18 per cent less young people, aged 16 to 25, have received services to prevent homelessness at the Youth Enquiry Service
  • Mental health is the main reason for referrals to One Support, the care and support arm of One housing, in Colchester