Councillors backed plans to enter into talks to buy a brand new block of flats in Brighton from a property developer.
Their aim would be provide homes for people on the waiting list at the Kubic Apartments, in Whitehawk Road.
The block, which was valued at £8.9 million last year, would be used as “permanent” housing rather than as temporary or emergency housing.
When planning permission was granted, 15 of the 38 flats were required to be “affordable” homes but Martin Homes, the developer, has been unable to persuade a housing association to manage them.
Martin Homes and Brighton and Hove City Council discussed the council managing the 15 “affordable homes” but now the option for an outright purchase is on the table.
Labour councillor Amanda Grimshaw told the council’s Housing and New Homes Committee yesterday (Wednesday 21 June) said that the move was “absolutely fabulous”.
She asked whether the new building would be used to encourage transfers and “downsizing”.
The council’s assistant director for housing management Martin Reid said that the block was particularly suitable for people wishing to downsize, freeing larger family homes for those on the council waiting list.
He said: “If there’s a nice home to move into, you’ve got more chance of getting someone to move in. Brand new homes encourage people to downsize.”
Labour councillor Tobias Sheard asked about the large proportion of one-bedroom homes. Of the 38 flats, 19 are suitable for one person and six are one-bedroom flats for two people.
Mr Reid said that a letting plan was needed to ensure that there was no “over-concentration” of vulnerable people who often occupied one-bedroom homes because the building is unsuitable for supported housing.
Green councillor Ellen McLeay asked about the prospect of a 10-year warranty for the building and guarantees about any untested building methods.
Mr Reid said that the council was carrying out surveys and taking the potential purchase seriously.
Labour councillor Gill Williams, who chairs the committee, said that the purchase was partly possible because of a grant from Homes England – and the flats would be available at “social rents”. Further details about the proposed rents were set out in a confidential report.
At annual “budget council” meetings in February 2021 and February last year, councillors agreed to spend up to £6 million on a “substantial one-off property acquisition”, subject to a detailed report.
Conservative councillor Anne Meadows asked for a debate in private about the financial details, including rent levels.
She told the meeting at Hove Town Hall: “It is an exciting opportunity if it’s for the £6 million. I am aware we are still £1.4 million overspent.”
Earlier in the meeting, housing campaigner Daniel Harris urged the council to use the building as temporary accommodation to reduce overspending on privately owned short-term and emergency housing.
He said that 43 homeless people died in Brighton and Hove last year, adding: “I understand you have brought some services in-house for the last four to five years.
“I feel you should be going further and looking at the bigger picture in terms of money and costs – and this building is used as in-house temporary accommodation to save lives.”
Councillor Williams said: “All of these are being taken into consideration. We are looking at the temporary accommodation offer at the moment very closely.
“We will be looking at the issue of safeguarding of people in our homes and emergency and temporary accommodation very closely also.”
The committee agreed to recommend that the council’s Strategy, Finance and Regeneration Committee move forward with the purchase.
To read an earlier story about this scheme, click here.
How about my council tax money doing the basics first like collecting the rubbish properly, sweeping the streets, getting rid of the weeds and perhaps even power washing the everything . The return of the seafront lamps would also be good , it has been years since they were taken away to be repaired! The people that actually pay into the overpriced system seem to be the ones that get very little in return. It’s not value for money!
Its very high considering the developers love tax havens and employing cash in hand. Agree its jumped from £6m which seemed fair, to now £9m, how did they get to that?
Need more transparency here. This is part funded by homes england money, so not local council tax money, also its people who rent council homes and pay rent where that money is used to maintain and build new council homes.
Obviously 38 more council tax payers is good for city services?
Definitely agree with you on having more people, Daniel; 38 more families are good for Brighton for multiple reasons; more workers, more taxpayers, more customers for businesses, more community, more healthcare availability, and more remit for new business ventures.
Tbh it’s probably better this way as whenever the council do a refurbishment or build it goes massively over budget. Zero cost control ect. As for the numpty comment from Johnny 60, they already are on that stuff. This is about housing which changes people’s lives.
The council would do well to bulldoze the flats on hollingdean and put family houses up there.