Housing company latest

Plans to assess the potential for Monmouthshire council to form a local housing company was given an ‘unrealistic timescale’ to be completed, a meeting has heard.

Following a meeting last June, councillors were expecting officers to deliver an ‘evidence-based proposition’ by September – but will now have to wait until April.

The scheme would allow the council to start buildings it own houses for the first time since 2008, when it transferred its council housing stock to Monmouthshire Housing Association.

Council leader Peter Fox reiterated that the council had asked officers to focus on delivering housing developments, such as the Crick Road site, and securing commercial investments.

But Cllr Fox said Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, the Labour group leader who originally called for the local housing company, had not raised the issue further with him since last year.

“The timeframe was unrealistic as it was approaching the summer break and I personally couldn’t get close to it,” said Cllr Fox.

“It doesn’t mean that anything has been delayed, or opportunities lost by not having something before you.

“We as leaders have not sat down and taking this forward. We have a duty to collectively recognise that we haven’t made progress.”

Cllr Batrouni said he contacted officers regarding the issue and received assurances that work was being done.

“There’s a habit of motions like this going in, dropping off and never being heard of again,” he added.

The meeting heard that Councillor Sara Jones would be taking over the housing portfolio, with Cllr Fox given assurances that a report would come before councillors in the spring.

Meetings with other authorities who have explored similar schemes, including Carmarthen and Bristol, are also due to take place.

Independent councillor Debby Blakebrough said the creation of a local housing company would be an ‘important piece’ of the jigsaw in addressing the lack of affordable housing in Monmouthshire.

But Independent councillor Simon Howarth, who described the timescales as ‘tight’ last June, said things had to start moving ‘as quickly as possible’.