Milton Keynes Council (MKC)

Milton Keynes Council has historically supported residents associations where the estate contains council housing. This support has several aspects:

• Support Grant. This has been awarded annually, on the basis of a health check of the association, and the number of council house in the estate covered by the association. Tinkers Bridge has, in recent years, been always achieving the top health check grade (Gold or Platinum). The Spring 2018 health check did not occur due to changes in the council structure.
• Residents groups. There has been three different groups, but these stopped during 2017 due to council staff changes. Attendance was required to get the higher ratings of the support grant. The meetings were
  • Residents Association Network (RAN), 4 a year
  • Resident Involvement Review Group (RIRG), monthly
  • Housing Forum (HSF), 4 a year
    

That this Council acknowledges that:
(a)there is significant pressure on housing in Milton Keynes;
(b)the current continuing increase in the number of families in temporary accommodation are those who the Council has a legal duty to house and the associated cost of temporary accommodation is primarily due to the lack of supply in Housing Revenue Account properties; and
(c)the only sustainable solution to this problem is to build more homes that are affordable to those on all incomes and suitable for families in temporary accommodation, street homeless, young people living with parents, those in need of social and affordable housing to rent or buy and private renters who would like to purchase their own home.
2. That the Council notes that:
(a)for the foreseeable future, lifting the Housing Revenue Account debt cap is not a means of funding new homes;
(b)councils, including Labour run councils, have developed successful ways of building new homes financed via the general fund, private investment, or a combination of both; and
(c)some councils have set up their own Housing Company, or a Joint Venture, or partner with a Housing Association; there are many successful models out there.
3. That the Council further notes and endorses the policy of the Administration to operate more commercially, to be innovative and to progress new revenue streams.
4. That the Council therefore requests Cabinet to embrace the learnings from other councils and come forward urgently with proposals to build a significant number of new homes on Council land, combining a mix of housing types for rent (social, affordable, market rents) drawing on all available funding sources.
5. That this Council agrees to:
(a)support the building and acquisition of new Council and social housing, using all legal options possible, with a view to addressing the housing shortage while ensuring a mix of supply to meet all needs;
(b)explore all options for achieving such an outcome except for the privatisation of existing Council stock;
(c)explore co-operative and tenant led models of housing supply;
(d)support the cross-party Local Government Association’s position of:
(i)remove the cap on the ability of the Council to borrow through the Housing Revenue Account be build Council owned properties;
(ii) end the freeze on the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) which is a major contributing factor in rising homelessness;
(iii) allow the Council to retain 100% of receipts, without condition, from the sale of Council houses for reinvestment;
(e)urge and support the two MPs for Milton Keynes to publicly support Milton Keynes Council’s and the Local Government Association’s position and campaign accordingly.

Councillor C Wilson is putting forward the motion below, and has asked for members of the public to attend and speak in favour of it.

(I) Regeneration:MK – Reassurance to Residents

Councillor C Wilson - 8 November 2017

That this Council notes that:

1. the seven priority Regeneration:MK estates, and the existing residents, are important to the social, economic and cultural fabric of Milton Keynes;
2. Regeneration:MK is about more than the built environment, and each regeneration scheme must include social and cultural benefits to each community and current residents in conjunction with any possible physical regeneration;
3. Regeneration:MK will improve job opportunities, local amenities and public transport;
4. it is essential to the success of Regeneration:MK that the views and wishes of residents are central to how each area will develop its regeneration proposals;
5. there is a commitment in the Council Plan 2016 to ensure that the scheme for each priority estate is community-led; and
6. Regeneration:MK is supported on a cross party basis by this Council.

That this Council further notes that:

1. regeneration in Fullers Slade began on 24 June 2017 and Your:MK has begun consulting residents to co- design regeneration options, and that other priority estates will follow;
2. Your:MK will ensure the final design option(s) brought forward will be financially sustainable and feasible to deliver;
3. despite this engagement and assurances, long lead times and uncertainty has led to anxiety and worry for local residents;
4. information has not always been as readily or easily available to residents or councillors as it could have been and this has caused unnecessary worry and mistrust;
5. some important information required for communities to build trust and confidence in the process is still outstanding; and
6. unless the regeneration process has the trust and confidence of residents it will not succeed, and that more effort is still needed to ensure this trust and confidence is established and maintained.

That this Council therefore:

1. reaffirms the commitment made in Council Plan to a referendum of residents in each estate;
2. asks Cabinet to clarify policy, in particular ensuring that the referendum offers residents the final say on any proposals, and consider recommending to Council:
   1. that the ballot contains a clear YES or NO option;
   2. that Milton Keynes Council’s Electoral Services should conduct the referendum;
   3. that only those on the electoral roll in each regeneration area should be able to vote;
   4. that every effort is made to ensure registration on affected estates is improved before any ballot;
3. calls on Your:MK to make a step change in communication and engagement with residents to improve trust and confidence in the process;
4. asks Cabinet to reaffirm the commitment that existing Council tenants will be offered accommodation at least equal to their current circumstances (in room number), unless they explicitly wish otherwise;
5. asks Cabinet to reaffirms the commitment that new social housing will meet Parker Morris space standards;
6. asks Your:MK to ensure all information in the public domain is easily accessible and available to residents and that as much information as possible is placed into the public domain;
7. asks Your:MK to engage and develop the role of ward councillors and parish councils in the regeneration process; and
8. calls on Your:MK to complete the “detailed policy documents for residents, explaining the process for all tenures, including Compulsory Purchase Orders” at the earliest opportunity, to clarify the position for owner occupiers, social tenants and private tenants.