Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee - Thursday 26 October 2023, 11:00am - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee
Thursday, 26th October 2023 at 11:00am 

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  1. Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council)
  2. Liz Hunter
  3. Richard Butterfield, Advisory Representative (Historic England)
  4. Mr Tamsin Hart Jones (Private Sector Representative)
  5. Stephen Moore
  6. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  7. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Hannah Andrew, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Peter Glover, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  10. Helen Lennon
  11. Ben Aspinall (Private Sector Representative)
  12. Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw (Bradford Council)
  13. Lisa Littlefair (Private Sector Representative)
  14. Cllr Scott Patient Calderdale Council
  15. Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  16. Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council)
  17. Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council)
  18. Cllr Michael Graham (Wakefield Council)
  19. Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council)
  20. Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  21. Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council)
  22. Liz Hunter
  23. Peter Glover, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  24. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  25. Liz Hunter
  26. Helen Lennon
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  1. Helen Lennon
  2. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Richard Butterfield, Advisory Representative (Historic England)
  4. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Liz Hunter
  7. Alison Gillespie, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Liz Hunter
  9. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  10. Stephen Moore
  11. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  12. Liz Hunter
  13. Cllr Scott Patient Calderdale Council
  14. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  15. Stephen Moore
  16. Lisa Littlefair (Private Sector Representative)
  17. Liz Hunter
  18. Helen Lennon
Share this agenda point
  1. Liz Hunter
  2. Mr Tamsin Hart Jones (Private Sector Representative)
  3. Liz Hunter
  4. Ben Aspinall (Private Sector Representative)
  5. Stephen Moore
  6. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  7. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  8. Stephen Moore
  9. Cllr Michael Graham (Wakefield Council)
  10. Liz Hunter
Share this agenda point
  1. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Liz Hunter
  3. Ben Aspinall (Private Sector Representative)
  4. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  5. Stephen Moore
  6. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  7. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Liz Hunter
  9. Lisa Littlefair (Private Sector Representative)
  10. Cllr Scott Patient Calderdale Council
  11. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Richard Butterfield, Advisory Representative (Historic England)
  13. Helen Lennon
  14. Mr Tamsin Hart Jones (Private Sector Representative)
  15. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  16. Stephen Moore
  17. Cllr Ben Burton (York Council)
  18. Liz Hunter
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  1. Webcast Finished

Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council) - 0:00:04
I'm listening to him, the director of policing, in fact, in place of the Combined Authority.
Liz Hunter - 0:00:22
and just for everybody's benefit, those of you who knew the reason for using the speakers so you can hear each other, but also because that's when the livestreaming will pan to you, so please do turn it on and off, thank you.
hi everyone and Michael Graham on the Cabinet Member for Regeneration,
Richard Butterfield, Advisory Representative (Historic England) - 0:00:36
on Wigzell Council.
everybody, I'm Richard, was failed and possibly stimulated and historic England the auction.
Mr Tamsin Hart Jones (Private Sector Representative) - 0:00:43
tamsin Hart Jones, I am the head of in-house England.
Stephen Moore - 0:00:50
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:00:53
either Councillor Blackburn from City of York Council.
the morning Stephen Moore and the national operations manager for City fibre.
Ms. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:01
I, Rebecca Greenwood, head of housing at West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Hannah Andrew, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:06
Hannah Andrew, I am the face of planning.
pay Policy Manager for spatial planning and strategic sites for the
Peter Glover - 0:01:17
Combined Authority.
Helen Lennon - 0:01:20
hi, Patrick bosom, head of research and soldiers, a Combined Authority.
lower Forman Helen Lennon, Chair of the West, Yorkshire Housing Partnership.
Ben Aspinall (Private Sector Representative) - 0:01:27
that Aspinall directs Festival Verdi, perhaps a threat.
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw (Bradford Council) - 0:01:34
Councillor Reg Shore portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, Bradford Council.
Lisa Littlefair (Private Sector Representative) - 0:01:40
Lisa Little Fair City Director from McDonald and promise to
Cllr Scott Patient - 0:01:46
representative.
Scott, patient and cabinet member for climate action, active travel and housing Calderdale Council.
Myles Larrington, Governance Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:54
her Miles Leamington Governance Services Officer, West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council) - 0:02:01
Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council) - 0:02:08
Cllr Michael Graham (Wakefield Council) - 0:02:15
yeah, sorry, I was getting a cup of tea, Councillor Helen Hayden, Executive Member for sustainable development and infrastructure, Leeds City Council.
Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council) - 0:02:22
Myles Larrington, Governance Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:02:54
apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Masood, Ahmed and cathartic Chair.
Cllr Denise Jeffery (Wakefield Council) - 0:03:01
Liz Hunter - 0:03:52
OK or item that's better as item 6 is the
we had the Combined Authority meeting on the 12th of October and the housing accelerator fund was was followed up from the work of the Housing Revenue Fund, was supported and went through the Kambanda surgery, so that's a really good news for fascinates and then the monitoring indicators.
Peter, I think you're going to take us through this.
Peter Glover - 0:04:51
my apologies and these will be published in state of the region of 2023.
the Committee has previously received updates on these key metrics by exception, so each of your Committee meetings are accorded details, sort of overview of the latest information, but for to aid some of our summer reporting. Today we've included all of the latest information and the key metrics which will be published in the state of the region, reports which we're hoping to publish at the end of this year. The one new bits of information which we need to bring to the Committee's attention is information that was published around fuel poverty and that information is contained in the report and sort of highlights the latest official information in respect of fuel poverty. The report outlines the definition of fuel poverty,
and the fact that it's influenced by three factors energy efficiency of houses, energy prices and incomes in terms of the information that
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:05:47
we have, which is published recently, we know that around 17% of households in the West Yorkshire are in fuel poverty that's based on official statistics that's higher than the national average of 13%.
that's a roundabout 168,000 households
it's higher than some parts of the country suffering since it's higher than Greater Manchester, but it's slightly lower than West Midlands and and in South Yorkshire.
there is not a great deal of variation at local level, the highest rates of fuel poverty based on official statistics are in Bradford, but there's a very narrow range within which the local authority sits so typically most local authorities, given the range of 15 to 19% of 15 to 70% of households in fuel policy the official definition of fuel poverty in the official statistics though obviously the information's time lagged.
we are as part of our work on cost of living and the monitoring that we've been doing unsupported cost of living, and in response to that, we produced our own estimates of of fuel poverty, which are based on more up-to-date information but use similar assumptions and based information provided by the fuel poverty Alliance and that suggests that at its peak,
around about 36% of households in West Yorkshire were in fuel poverty that since dropped to 30%, currently we estimate that's still a substantial number of households that we believe are in fuel poverty, it's a roundabout 300,000 households.
they obviously are a range of factors influence at particularly energy prices or obviously the backdrop to that, as obviously over the last 12 months as you know has been set by by some of the price and decisions that are being made by by the OBR while the energy regulator are particularly in terms of the energy price cap and the ending of support to households in terms of what information we have at the national level mostly information that gives us insight on the kind of characteristics that then relate to fuel poor households for instance type of household,
Oral based on national data, so the summary in the report that highlights, based on that latest national information, what we what we know about, some of the characteristics of those that are in fuel, poor households and households that are are in private rented accommodation, tend to be more fuel, poor single parent households as a household type and the other ones that's experienced the most fuel poverty.
ethnic minority households tend to have a greater risk of being in fuel poverty
but obviously they're they're, they're that's particularly because the the the there's a higher propensity to to live in social housing, fuel poverty rates in England are typically.
higher amongst those containing people who have a disabled impairment and households are therein ma, the more deprived areas of West Yorkshire are 50% more likely to Act 2 to be in fuel poverty, so there are a range of different socio-economic factors that the that obviously influenced that,
in terms of sort of backdrop to where we are with energy prices at the moment, obviously our energy prices have been falling throughout throughout the year, but obviously since more recent events, sort of macroeconomic events or international prices for gas, I've started to rise earlier so for instance in the in the week immediately after the sort of incidents India in the Middle East the gas prices effective gas prices or used or traded here in the UK rose by 59%.
then nowhere near the peak where gas prices were trading in December 2022, but their beginnings arise in the beginning to rise quite quite sharply, so obviously there will still be challenges for household incomes, particularly in terms of those cost pressures around fuel prices, and it'll be interesting to see as well what kind of decisions the energy a regular item regularly regulator makes in terms of the price cap if those macroeconomic conditions continue but there is still some.
some are clear volatility in the energy markets after, after a long period where there was no, there had been a degree of stability in those international markets, so there's some some volunteers as well, so there's still still factors that are influencing those those the the supply side as well.
in the report as well, we touch on all what we're doing in response to that, because if you save one of the ways that we can influence them, we can respond to fuel poverty is by making households more energy efficient.
I don't know.
so in terms of the overview of what we've been doing on the better homes hub, it's, I think it's worth reflecting on the fact that we've been successful in securing funding from the local energy advice demonstrator and that we've also appointed a consortium led by the energy saving Trust to to be the client-side supports for the eruptive at the the the the better homes hub so so clearly we're making progress in that respect and I'm I'm not sure whether Rebecca or colleagues do not add anything to that side of it as well.
sorry, yeah obviously, the reports company by a detailed slide pack overviews that kind of key information which would be punishing state the region, which re you, know the committee takes responsibility for and are happy to take questions.
I explained that to Peter.
Liz Hunter - 0:10:45
it's a.
Helen Lennon - 0:10:49
hello.
next year two questions through comments. The fuel poverty is obviously very alarming and West Yorkshire Housing Partnership members are very active in the better home homes hub and retrofit, but this is a long-term investment. It takes a lot of time and so it's not a quick fix for people right now and at the same time we're also having to invest in starting to tackle the implications of climate change. So flood defences increases in

7 Monitoring Indicators

actual impacts in the in terms of infestations L et cetera, et cetera, so I think it's is trying to work out strategically what what can, what else can we do in terms of fuel poverty in the shorter term, bearing in mind that retrofitted it will affect a small number of people every year improving their their energy efficiency but but not big numbers?
obviously, we're trying to tackle the worst first, but and then the second question is how do I, and maybe it's in the wider report, how do you link the this kind of data to outcome data that's available within the region in terms of educational outcomes or adult social care outcomes so that we can actually see the impact of the cost of
Helen Lennon - 0:12:10
living crisis in terms of people's lives but also other costs incurred yeah,
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:12:21
yet some good questions are trying to get the difficult one first and.
but he's a really good question. It is a difficult area to try to link specifically fuel poverty to other other outcomes, but I think that the key thing here is is deprivation. We know that those households that are in more deprived areas tend to have a lower education outcomes. They have a range of different sort of health challenges that they're facing, competitive areas that are more more affluent and also tend to be for your partner as a correlation between those combination of factors. So I think that so we do know a great deal about the kind of characteristics of those households are in them in the more deprived areas.
and we do have some insights from lead from the census of population recently, they give us some insights on some of the challenge, it is a little a little bit difficult to link all of those things together or specifically attributed to you know to to to to to fuel poverty so,
we when we know we know that sort of good housing.
we we, you know, if you if you reflect on on where we were, when we came out the health crisis, we know there was a link between housing and housing, type and housing tenure.
and people's propensity to be you know to to be exposed to you know to you know him to live up to the virus.
sorry, sir, so we know there is a clear link there as well, in all sorts of quality type nature of 10 years of quite important, and you know so I think there's sort of it's not just about housing efficiency, it's about the quality of the housing stock, it's about what we do to appeal to some of the broader ambition we've got to build more houses, to build more affordable houses. I think that that's the single biggest challenge that we face, we know we've got a housing market, the mum, perhaps in working the way we would like it to
a and and again, those are some sort of policy choices that perhaps are a little bit beyond the sort of Combined Authority, but I think I'll focus on building more houses, more him, A and L and houses that the the meet current building regulations and current building standards in I will address some of those for the other outcomes for the present on PE and I think we had a discussion at the last committee meeting about how we incentivise developers to build.
above them, in the them, in the minimum required, say free BC, yeah yeah, certification at sea level, you know at Abbey, how do we get them a bud above that level, so it's against how we incentivise developers do that as well, so I think that would be mindset on us on that one.
one of the first question, I'm not sure I've answered the first question, but it was because it was more generally, wasn't it about sort of you know, there are a range of sort of macroeconomic challenges that the that we're facing are you are absolutely right, I mean in some senses, yeah, you know, you know, in terms of tackling or retrofitting yeah, we're addressing a certain certain aspect of of of of of the those wider set of conditions, but I think I think it's absolutely true. It needs to be seen in the context of all the other things that we're doing in building more affordable housing. I think because, yeah yeah, I think that will be mindset
yeah
Richard Butterfield, Advisory Representative (Historic England) - 0:15:25
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:16:09
meter and overtook the Rebecca, if that's OK.
Ms. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:16:15
activated some of that same, the housing strategy Piaf, as well, sir, in West Yorkshire I think.
offer any Downing minutes from I appear for, but I think it's about 33% of our stock is pre 1919.
which is higher than the England average, one of the things that we're doing through better homes will be looking at area based schemes which look at testing different ways of retrofitting homes in different types of properties and across different tenures, so the EMAs have a pilot scheme across each of the local authorities in a paper was discussed at our climate committee on Tuesday in more detail around that.
sir, I think we recognise that as a huge challenge and the idea is across the area of their schemes, the different approaches to tackling that will help give us some of those those insights into how we deal with that, so that's probably a short answer that we don't have all the answers but are working across some of our programmes to look at the different different words we can address that are particularly interested in the work that you are doing in Lincoln that in, I think Richard would be really helpful to so depending on what we focus on results.
Liz Hunter - 0:17:30
ITEM or ultimate digital blueprint update, I think you're going to take us through this yeah, that's me, I think I'm showing your Michael OK, thank you.
Alison Gillespie, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:17:46
so we've put a few papers to you on digital, so this one is again seeking your views on our emerging West Yorkshire digital blueprint. So the blueprint will replace the Leeds city region digital framework that was developed in 2019. Having a plan for the digital economy that better reflects the central role digital plays in our lives is crucial for the region, so it will help us boost productivity, reduce skills gaps and shortages, improve our connectivity, make us attractive for investment and improve the lives of everyone who lives and works here. So it's intended that the new blueprint will take us up to 2030, so the overarching aim in the blueprint is a productive, thriving, sustainable digital landscape in West Yorkshire and that's underpinned by digitally empowered people digitally enabled places and digitally thriving businesses. So those are described as horizontal elements in your paper
there is, then a number of focus areas or themes being proposed for the imagined blueprint and those are described as vertical in the paper. They're all listed out in the paper, but I will go through them because I think we're looking today for your feedback on these and whether there's anything missing as well as some discussion about the wider opportunities that digital brings. So the themes of Showcase the digital opportunities the region has to offer and ensure that we're benefiting from advanced technologies, tackling digital exclusion, understanding and using data to make West Yorkshire a well connected digital destination, ensuring that digital technologies make day to day life easier for West Yorkshire residents and businesses, establishing digital as a method to help West Yorkshire, tackle the climate emergency and then collaborative working of digital stakeholders in West Yorkshire. So the paper details some of the engagement that's already been undertaken and it also explains that there is an interface with the health check strategy, that's in development and that those two strategies combined support. The sector focus for our emerging investment zone in the region, which we've talked to you about briefly before
so we have this week launched a survey to collect some information from the public that will help inform the strategy as it emerges, and we can circulate the link to that we'd be grateful for you to.
pass that through your networks it's on the combined authorities, your voice pages, and it went live this week, but today we're seeking views from the committee at this early stage of development of the blueprint. There are a number of questions as set out at paragraph 2.1 1, so the first are a couple of questions just on the scope and structure that I've just talked through in particular, are there any key themes that are missing and given your Committee focus on place and infrastructure, are there any particular spatial issues that we think needs to be considered and then there are a set of broader questions around the challenges and opportunities, so what could the role of advanced digital technology be in our town and city and rural areas? How can the public sector stimulate and accelerate commercial digital infrastructure roll-out in rural or hard to reach areas in particular,
what are the challenges of digital exclusion from a place, an infrastructure perspective, and how can we start to tackle those and how should the availability of resources and capacity to deliver the blueprints aspirations be considered, so I'll pose there and pass back to you chair them to invite reflections and ideas please.
Liz Hunter - 0:21:12
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:21:15
yeah, who's gonna go from right, thank you. Thank you, Chair I, I think it's excellent that we're really grasping the nettle with this
Stephen Moore - 0:21:23
movie and I'm having a positive a plan and move forward with it. I think it's it's a complicated area, so identifying clear gap hoots is sometimes difficult because it's constantly hovering. Think I've just set the example that because he mentioned the rural question sorry 2 to 2
put it into context, if your few live rurally, or in an area where there is bad connectivity broadly on low and the latter the most expensive areas to reach, let's put it that way, then you might not gonna get connectivity to your homes, your schools, your businesses, for into 2030, so if you imagine somebody going through schooling at that point, you're you're gonna be immediately
back footed compared to to all your peers, so having a planet of this having it out and and having it evolve, I think he's a is a hugely important step forward and I I.
I welcome this. I think it's not in respect of any gaps, but just to focus on what can we do to to support investment, what can we do to make it easier to invest
we know the market is very difficult, we know it's very competitive.
we know that we want to get people off copper and onto for fibre, so there's some big themes that we know we we need to do, and it's just how, as a as a district, how can we get behind that and support both
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:22:55
the public sector programmes as well as the private sector investment?
Liz Hunter - 0:22:59
Cllr Scott Patient - 0:23:06
thanks to that stadium, an annual unnerve Scott, thank you Chair, and yes, I will talk about rural locations and Sherwood Hub or rural places in our boroughs, but
I guess for us the current challenges, the withdrawal and investment in Bill by CityFibre.
within within Calderdale, I know that's not just sort of unique for us.
I know the blueprint wants us to stimulate and accelerate roll out, but investors are withdrawing, as it is kind of part of that, and I'm just wondering how we could support in those challenges.
that might enable us to sort of push back a little bit against some of that perceived lack of investment.
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:23:52
so I think in terms of a disinvestment, we still have a broad plan 3
Stephen Moore - 0:24:00
for investment, I think, the overall as a as a as an industry, it's it's about what we can do to get over of copper and onto full fibre.
the market is still are confused at the moment, so there's a lot of work to be done with that and the more support that that become can be provided on the ground is it's hugely important, we also have to look at there is an emerging change in terms of how we go from outside in as well as inside out within weeks.
investment, so we have to be careful that we're not duplicating one and minimise overbuild, and this is across the whole borough, it's not, you know, it's not CityFibre a question, it's a it's about a whole sector, so there is a big piece of work to do with.
with that and the one and how we get to that 100% and get everybody covered, so I think there is it, it is a challenging time at the moment and the more local authority regional authority King's can support in that will see the angle achieved.
Lisa Littlefair (Private Sector Representative) - 0:25:09
yes, thanks to them, just just an observation I suppose, and it's relates to what's already been said, is just the questions about availability of resources and capacity and about, I suppose, the industry that needs to support this and I I we are you talking with the industry as a whole to be able to answer some of those questions so exotic.
with respect, probably only stiffened round the table can answer some of those questions,
is that it is also within the company, yes, yes, we are, through a
Liz Hunter - 0:25:43
variety of means, less formally been through through committees, but yes, we've got those links into the into the networks.
Helen Lennon - 0:25:56
Helen next year, so when the answer to the question is it clear and logical, it was logical and clear even to me.
who knows very little about this
and regarding the spatial at aspect, it is what Stephen said about trying to.

8 Digital Blueprint Update

ensure that we don't have left behind places because they will tend to be if you link it, to the housing strategy, compounded with people who maybe don't have great access to public transport and are in other ways, deprived, so we don't want to we don't want this to grow inequality, we'd like to actually use this to
shorten that gap, and there was there was commenting there about yeah, what do businesses need, so I was thinking about it in terms of my own organisation and in terms of the challenges, data data, how to use and manage it because there's vast amounts of data growing amounts of data and linking that to external data within the region as well, so I think that's the collaborate bit isn't it how we can actually collaborate and use that strategically to actually make the best use of our resources and develop.
future strategies and plans smart tech in housing, which is a growing issue, it's quite expensive to roll out, but also it generates more data, so we've got more data to manage and how do we deal with that, the role of artificial intelligence and the risks involved because again that's a rapidly growing area and,
or are actually it is a bit like how we're trying to collaborate in terms of development and in terms of retrofit actually collaborating around this very complex area probably would be very beneficial to lots of businesses and help them understand it and grow it in the region, cybersecurity ever present and how do we protect ourselves against that and the digital access and skills keeping making it affordable and keeping up-to-date and rapidly changing world so they will adjust some things immediately came to me,
Liz Hunter - 0:28:09
Mr Tamsin Hart Jones (Private Sector Representative) - 0:28:12
thanks for that Helen, anyone else tells me, thank you just build on them, Helen's point there around the spatial dynamic, I think there's a real opportunity and therein, and just thinking about the strategic pace, partnership and the focus areas that we've identified and the spatial priority areas that that the the Combined Authority has identified.
it feels to me that digital infrastructure has to be seen as part of that broad infrastructure package when we.
when we think about, and particularly in the exp inclusion space.
and I, I just wondered, on the spatial side of things, will the blueprint seek to identify some of those kind of focus areas, I guess and it'd be great, wouldn't it if they also aligned with some of the already identified spatial priorities so that digital infrastructure could be part of that broader infrastructure when we speak here about regeneration?
I think he's still to be determined, I think we're still at the stage
Liz Hunter - 0:29:15
where we're scoping out to enter the question about what we think that filling case and spatially how far the blueprint needs to go, but I welcome your reflections, thank you.
Ben Aspinall (Private Sector Representative) - 0:29:22
Ben
I might comment is really about the fact that I think that the
network needs to be ubiquitous, I'm not sure how.
we should be prioritising the overuse of other areas that I think it needs to be across the piece across the whole of West Yorkshire, and not just in residential properties, as well as with business properties, and I think there is an exclusion of business properties in certain locations as well to the to to technology so,
I think I think that's why I asked quite quite key and then the second point is really about training, I think the top training and development in all levels, whether it be in schools and statements, have not been anybody behind in schools and colleges, but going right through to the more advanced uses of artificial intelligence and so on.
I think you need you need that again, solid, ubiquitous skill set as well, I think.
Stephen Moore - 0:30:29
yeah of two points, I guess on the the date relevant, as you were saying, I think a little bit that makes insurance all the data that we other organisations ourselves are creating is open sourced in all of them, and in that we develop is open source, especially for even combined authorities data, so that people can actually use and
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:30:52
interact with that as we develop tools to take that forwards because you don't want to candidate develop inside that Mackinder closed off system, so I think we're making sure that where we support an organisation, you've got to be, Commissioner, not learning to be shared, and that's kind of a communication strategy as much as anything else and anyone in place. I think it's just important that making sure that universities are involved in this heavily because they're gonna be the big incubators of new technology that is coming through, and it's about how does place capture and support those as the Otello has come through. How do we support those from a place perspective to grab his businesses and spinoff
opportunities in the area as well.
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:31:31
yeah, I am, I think, on the skills thing. There's also a wider point, because this we were almost sort of the equivalent of the industrial
Stephen Moore - 0:31:45
revolution in in digital. That's the face we are and I've done a lot out and about talking to schools into pupils' colleges, universities, and I think the one thing I would say is that skills are important, but also ambition is getting getting an understanding in the schools from the early stage that that this is an opportunity for them and and the the
this will su. This can support their ambition and create roles that they haven't even seen and their teachers and parents haven't haven't seen, and I think it's that seismic shift something that would concern me via the ubiquitous infrastructure. I think, is absolutely right, you know getting it everywhere, the web is providing it getting getting it out there, but I think there's also from a city region perspective because others are pushing in this as well. You know, this is a national programme but is but he's saying, Look, let's let's get on the front foot and embed the ambition
to understand why those people say that this is going to change, because I think that's that isn't out there. I think there are skills, programmes and other things to to to to train and educate, but the impression I get from the schools is even in curriculum. You know things there is, it's it's creeping in, it's not you know it sort of piece of infrastructure now is doing this, but actually the pace of ambition and the pace of understanding is a heck of a lot slower, so even though the skills which will be behind actually
the ambition and understanding that the that life is gonna change for the better it is actually needs a lot of work as well.
Cllr Michael Graham (Wakefield Council) - 0:33:21
Helen just to build on that because yeah, obviously, and very rightly concentrate on schools, and that's where, but I think there's.
in this strategy there needs to be a kind of understanding of how this needs to be communicated but to the entire population, and I'm talking about people who may be a bit wary and frightened of this, the word ubiquitous was mentioned, that's not going to be a good thing off or are a positive element for a lot of people living in West Yorkshire and across West Yorkshire and in terms I you know A&E and things like that communicating.
the benefits of this and and you know in terms of
potential harms, I think is it's going to be really difficult thing to do, and it is for all of us, all of us who are not in the industry, from lay person's point of view, so kind of getting that communication and really listening to people and their fears and and as well as our ambitions around this.
okay, anyone else.
Liz Hunter - 0:34:36
but I think, Alison you've had a good few comments back to take on board at the recommendation as set out at 10.00.1 that we provide feedback and endorse the direction of the digital blueprint ahead of the full drafting, and we all agree with that.
thanks very much.

9 Housing Strategy

item item 9 is the housing strategy Rebecca you gonna take us through this, yes, thank you Chair.
Ms. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:35:04
so some members of the Committee will have seen this before and commented on it at various occasions, but I'm just mindful that others are perhaps new to the committee, so I'll I haven't been here on the all our private discussion last time, so if I want you to give a bit of background as to where we are with this and why we're why we're coming forward with a draft housing strategy today at our last housing vision document in West Yorkshire as the Leeds City region Housing vision in 2019
which prioritised the development of well connected neighbourhoods, creating good places to live. And whilst that ambition largely still sounds, there's been some significant changes since then, not least, the devolution deal the election of the Mayor, changing our droplet for homes, England working much more closely with us in the launch of a strategic place partnership and then, more broadly, the cost of living crisis in flesh and another economic challenges. So timing for this strategy feels right now to be doing something different and to be bringing all those different factors at play into one space to say what our what our ambition is for housing in West Yorkshire
so what we've done with the strategies. It's got three particular pillars that have informed it, the first one being that it's evidence led, so we started this by commissioning some specific evidence-based work also work with Patrick's team on things that we monitor and understand about our housing market and housing delivery in West Yorkshire. Second is our own partnership, so we've got some really well established partnerships in West Yorkshire, I've mentioned one with homes, England, we've got West Yorkshire Housing Partnership, we've got good relationships with historic England, with our private sector and others, so we've done a huge amount of stakeholder engagement up to this point on what the objectives are and then, thirdly, where we wanted to hopefully move to offer today to make sure that the challenges and the outcomes that were proposed in, I think that people in West Yorkshire recognised, so we're hoping to go out to public consultation following Committee and following taken on board Committee's comments on where we are today, as to what people think about the challenges we have identified and the outcomes we want to achieve so really from today what we're looking for is to seek any comments from committee members bolster your agreement to go out to do that consultation in the run-up to Christmas, I'm not gonna go through this quite a lot of detail in the slides, but I was just going to touch on each of the objectives and for Members just some of the background and some of the outcomes that we want to achieve so that the ambition of the strategy is to create safe and inclusive places to live that meet the needs of our residents by working together to deliver sustainable and affordable homes and well connected neighbourhoods where people choose to live and ensuring that West Yorkshire is a place that we're proud to call home and I think we felt that word proud was quite important to make sure that people have pride in place so the West Yorkshire Plan says that West Yorkshire is a place where people can make a home for the housing strategy. That's got to be somewhere where people actually are proud to say that home, so under that we've identified fire objective areas that are guided by two principles which equally aligned to the West, Yorkshire Plan 1 is sustainability which have cost includes our net-zero ambitions but also more broadly sustainability of place linking into our ambitions around our transport network have to travel etc and the quality and public realm that surrounds our places and makes people want to live in those neighbourhoods. The second is around equality, diversity and inclusion again that underpins our West Yorkshire Plan and feeds through into our housing strategy
and we have a real theme, hopefully that you'll notice if you've read the slides throughout the objectives around ensuring we're supporting some of those left behind communities, as you are mentioning on other items Helen and HR that where we are invested in needs not just those places that continue to grow but we can make that equitable across across West Yorkshire so those two things underpin each of our each our objectives. The first objective about is boosting the supply of the right homes in the right places. Some people might find that a bit of a cliche statement if you work in the housing world.
however, we feel that through the strategy we were starting to identify what that actually means, so we know, collectively across West Yorkshire, by aggregating up requirements in local plans, there is a need for 9,000 new homes per year, we also know that's really challenging and in particular in certain parts of our market well on values alone and there's really challenging Monday shoes.
so through our strategic place, partnership working with our local authorities on their local plans, working on schemes like the housing accelerated funds that was recently approved and brownfield housing fund
wet were obviously seeking to support that and support development in places where the market is unable to deliver for various reasons, and that is a key ambition for us. The Strategic Place Partnership identifies 16 focus area projects which underpin a lot of that work and a lot of the work we're doing with Thompson's team at homes, England these are large strategic allocations but also all the cash as well as huge infrastructure requirements and the need for joined-up working between public and private sector to realise their delivery. So we're on that journey on some of those projects far more advanced than others, but I think this this strategy helps to underpin West mobile folks. He's gonna be across West Yorkshire,
it's the second objective is to improve the quality of our homes and neighbourhoods, as I said, this encompasses investment in the quality of existing homes, but at places as well, so we know we've got a need to retrofit 680,000 homes to support Alexandra Housing ambitions.
we also now got the stats from earlier Richard, it's 23% of our stock,
are pre 1919 but still higher than the England average, and we actually know that we have a lower than average number of properties that are an APC of a C or above across West Yorkshire, so we've got some real challenges in our region, a lot of the work that we're doing through a better homes hub and a commissioning now is starting to unpick some of that and and develop that working with partners again.
to do so.
but also the quality of places important to one of the things we have strategy that we're talking about is how we can work across our local authorities to look at what good quality design means for us in West Yorkshire and how far can we actually make that simpler for our private sector community that we can talk with one voice across West Yorkshire about what that really means? Third objective to increase the increases a pile of truly affordable homes, and I believe one of the world's biggest challenges for us in West Yorkshire is due to the low value of our areas but are often characterised as an affordable, affordable region to live, however, that completely misses cost of living factors, the cost of transport, the custody, our inefficient homes and the the communities that are actually on lower incomes, which will have a higher proportion of in our region.
so research that we commissioned ourselves in 2020 21 found that 28% of private sector residents in West Yorkshire couldn't afford 500 pounds per calendar month of rent and couldn't afford to buy a property of 100,000 pounds that was before cost of living crisis, so those statistics, if we were to redo that stood in my my thought would be they'll have increased and got more difficult for people. Our focus has been driven by by the Mayor has been around increasing the supply of affordable homes to tackle that. Given some of the regulatory requirements around private rented sector are driven nationally
we seek to influence that, but what we really want to see is the boosting of affordable housing delivery, however, through our strategy we also need to recognise that the private rented sector is growing and that is in line with national trends, so there is more work that we can do collectively in West Yorkshire and Woking or a partner combined authorities to work with the private rented sector and the private market to make jobs that we have improving the quality.
and affordability of private set private sector properties.
finally, at the last objective, but not least is career in homes that meet the needs of communities, so this the subject to particularly draws on the relationship between housing and health, recognising that we've got an ageing population despite having a young population base in West Yorkshire that is that is urgent. This has been driven by some of the mayor's work on the dementia by the Housing Task Force but also by the Housing and Health Network in West Yorkshire and there's a real correlation in national statistics between the quality of housing and people's health and life expectancy outcomes.
it also recognises the challenges that we've got in homelessness and the further work we can do across West Yorkshire and across all partners and local authorities to support building on things that are happening in other parts of other parts of the country, not the devolved areas toolkit best practice and how we can apply some of that to West Yorkshire particularly keen to say on that point that is into part of one of our local authorities enabling a lot of the good work that's already happening World Club, which is where we could add value to that and where we can where we can share what's happening.
between partners and learn from each other.
spent there the far key objectives, as I say, what what I'm particularly seeking today, this isn't a final strategy document. I'm always of the belief that you should take something out to consultation with the spouse still to influence and share, but this is about setting out the context of what our role is for people, where we see the challenges and where we think we can improve outcomes via the strategy and some of the delivery that will come from it. So particularly interested in comments on on what you've got you've read from committee members and then looking for hopefully, agreements about public consultation ahead of Christmas. Thank you. Chair thanks
Liz Hunter - 0:44:18
very much for that.
prior comment.
Ben Aspinall (Private Sector Representative) - 0:44:27
thank you, yeah, I particularly liked the slide to die in the strategy, it's on page 55 of the plan, part of the report pack, page 57 of the pdf with this other role of the Combined Authority.
I have I thought that was really helpful to understand how the strategy kind of fits in.
we obviously want local plans and with local authority partners, and I think.
I think maybe more could be made of that a little bit more, because I think that the the soft, yet the bullet points that there'd been put there about the things that you could do, leaving more funding, I think, getting more there'd be devolution of power for local authority funding so that the Combined Authority, sorry, will only
enable delivery, in particular the strategic priority areas, and so on and so forth, where this fund fundings aid and all these things we need for infrastructure, I think the more.
the Strategic and a the credibility of the Combined Authority.
then you can have your facilitated compensation offers to government, I think the answer is yes.
the role, perhaps even more so than in London, of booking downwards to delivery, like looking outwards to the powers and the funding, so if we can emphasise that I'll be really in.
in favour of that, and then perhaps then when you're looking at the objectives and the measuring performance.
I think it's quite a lot of lot of.
top measuring points and may be taken if they are going to be perfect, Slimming goes down so that you can tell it be very clear about what we have delivered on the Maze targeted x number of houses so many affordable houses so many Nazi-era houses are building the future home standard compliant houses and so on, so a proper veto fitted ceremony house so,
or Y you've just got that you only need two or three headlights so yeah, we were delivering, give us more money for pop out, her Catholic finger is my take on it.
but otherwise, yeah good.
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:46:45
thank you.
Stephen Moore - 0:46:51
just a couple of of observations for me, it was interesting when we
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:46:56
talked about the statistics because something that you didn't pick out when I read it but was a reframed it from the statistics at the front, so if we look at rental I mean you said is increasing so the volume of rental is increasing that cost of living crisis.
cost of living is increasing, I'm also aware that.
and the rules change in terms of LPCs for rental properties in for 2025 and 2028, I think there's a thing that says you've now got to B C or above.
for rental, so I'm just wondering how that scopes into it and and whether or not we know that that.
they feel like landlords are gonna be prepared to continue in the sort of them, the model of you know, one or two rentals, smaller rental businesses, not you know, not larger ones, but I think that's that's something that would need to be.
in-scope bit, because I think that could have a big impact certainly on both as reaching those targets, but also if people are no longer renting and then those properties are sold there and are sold and not available to return, or people who buy them will have a higher cost of living if they're able to afford it and then the other point was,
with all the figures in there which always sound excellent him, I am always mindful of see ITV's challenge in relation to the volume of skills building what we need to to actually roll out, because that has a I've seen that just almost exponentially increased that the shortage of of construction skills over the last kind of decade it's been yeah I think it was 100,000 or something it's now 202 ha 300,000 I think in the region,
so I think there's a point in there to go, Yes, we've got these ambitions, but actually to get there do we have the right skills in the right areas to get us where we need to go?
Ms. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:48:51
year.
I'd just come back, I understood that was point to That's OK, it's I think, on the Mr Sonik scrapped that and it's in his carbon speech the minimum legendary efficiency standards. However, our better homes have still returns that ambition, so I think it's still a irrelevant point to what we're talking about in our strategy, so we do need to strengthen that, and I think through the better homes, hope that some of the work that we're doing to to strengthen our approach to that and skills Liz and I had a conversation just last week to say that is one element that we need to pick up on work that needs to be reflected more, so it's on the, I think for this, but if our committee papers came out it wasn't in Nevada, it is something that's kind of unlocked, but we need to pick that up, particularly, I think, around green skills and how am I might come in on this West Yorkshire Housing Partnership of specifically talked about that through their climate work stream and the Commission that we've got with energy savings. Trust also includes for better homes. It also includes some research in terms of the skills for green skills, but more broadly skills in construction and other industries. We do recognise that there is, or there is a growing skills gaps'. I completely agree. It's it's not reflected in with this separate but offer that gives you comfort, that is something that we're picking up in terms of developing the strategy.
Liz Hunter - 0:50:16
Lisa Littlefair (Private Sector Representative) - 0:50:19
thank you Chair, I was ready to echo what Ben said around, so how this is measured and there's some really really great ambition and then great ideas and things that want to be done.
I think it would be important to focus and and if you can put some numbers against it, actually this is what this is what we're gonna do, but I appreciate you still in a stage like that, but and also I was considering some of these things are quite intangible when you look at it you go OK, working with partners to support residents to feel safer in their communities.
I would or wouldn't agree with that, but what does that look like, what does what does good look like, can we get some examples in our doubt now I understanding that this is a strategic document and it is purposes to be quite high level but it would be nice to get something you can really be taken into.
Cllr Scott Patient - 0:51:10
yes, thank you.
or I'd really endorse that and kind of build on it, and thank you and something for come in to see us Calderdale and I know that officers working with the strategic place officers group was sort of played into that. I think I think how you sell it and what the what it looks like it's gonna be a key part of that, so I mean really pleased. Obviously I I would pay for seeing the support for active travel developments and that idea about place. I think we're all trying to do active travel in our own places, but it feels a little bit piecemeal like what does it look like, how do they join up with each other? You know Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, what are the corridors looked like, and how does that feel so that, and some of the bits that have just been alluded to now about improved neighbourhood safety and some of those other elements, how that reads through looks like when you try to sell it to people, it's gonna be absolutely key. I'd just be keen to hear about what you think that might look like, so I appreciate there's a million different ways of doing engagement and consultation. So if you manage to thread that needle and do it perfectly, that's
Ms. Rebecca Greenwood, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:52:13
gonna be massive
Nelson challenge Councillor Harrison, thank you, and I think the point where we are and have I recognise her, I think the point where we always been looking for endorsement of have we got the right challenges and are we even in the right direction with outcomes which I think you rightly point out who is gonna say it now to some of that?
sir, looking for things that we may have missed, I think following this comes the implementation plan, so what we've not helped previously as a direction of travel to the things that we're doing and the things that we're prioritising in a West Yorkshire level and as a collective of five local authorities within that so it's seeking to to build on what's already in local housing strategies to an extent but also to define as Ewan Ben Bob pointing out what our role is in that spirit, as an enabler as a strategic influencing partner and as a partner as well for some vulnerable but that seeks to influence the wider economy as well. So that's why the mayoral box kind of spreads across those things and recognising what all that does is enables actual delivery of some of these things, which generally is led by local authorities. Private third sector
so I think we can build on that and build on that narrative,
and then a face-off Kane, I think, rolling on from this that this committee helps us develop similar implementation upon and thinking about how LA supports the activities that's happening, but what more we can do to to learn from each other on others as well, which I think we already do a lot a lot of which we try to bring out and can bring out bring out more and we did to solve that already have a bit of a conversation about.
I'm not a massive fan of Kiss to this, but kind of those in a box sort of things that are happening around things like community led housing or are in different sectors where we know that there's really good practice and how can we help them actually alleviate some of those barriers and spot,
Richard Butterfield, Advisory Representative (Historic England) - 0:54:00
should yeah, just a really nice piece of work with a piece of work, Rebecca and I think that the bridges it is brilliant, really I'm just picking up on Ben's point. I think those connections with other strategies and other aspects of making a really great place on the place-making agenda. I think it's something that needs to be mindful of without diluting the housing focus. It's all those connections that really make a these kind of initiatives successful. I think we've got quite a few we put in generic challenges and ambitions in there, and I think it's coming on from Lee Lisa's point, having some more of that sort of local distinctiveness and those particular kind of character issues and challenges, and it would be great to see that coming through
more strongly in in the peace and, just specifically on a couple of those you mention in your opportunities, part about the industrial towns and and so on, they also create some challenges as well, because we've got all of that vacant property on upper floors that feels like you know a challenge where we've got no development funding gap, particularly with the current relatively low yeah.
returns on investment for for investing in places like that, and really, how do we resolve that and one generic issue that we're interested in, of course, you know is the kind of mills mill sites, no larger vacant properties, which it would be brilliant to bring more of those back into?
use for residential or other purposes, but there are particular challenges and issues associated with them, and I think all of the authorities in in West Yorkshire have the clusters of of Mills of lying dormant or underused at the moment should be really great to see some of some of that supposed to be coming through in the in the ambitions which are really sort of characterful and distinctive for our local area as well.
Helen Lennon - 0:56:00
next year.
I think the strategy which you know, obviously especially Yorkshire, has purchased. We were part of the consultation process. We very much endorse it and I think it helps turn something that Stephen said about digital is very complex into something that's quite well much easier to understand, and I think the conversation which so far around the table has indicated the complexities of actually trying to create a regional housing strategy and, as I have said before at this committee, in almost 40 years of working in social housing, this is the most challenging time we've ever had, so the more that we can have a strategy where it sets out some some goals that we can all collaborate round work towards and achieve what hopefully achieve the better, particularly to also influence government and their agenda. So picking up on the skills point yeah, that was, that was an area that also identified when I read the whole thing again, that probably we could make more role because there is a skill shortage in development in retrofitting maintenance in planning
which we've talked about several times at this committee, and if we can actually build something more clearly into the strategy, that'd be really helpful, what we're doing as a partnership as an example is we're trying to act, we've we've worked on the development pipeline, we're also now trying to start work on a retrofit pipeline so that we can,
show the market, there's a lot of investment potential out there, we can work with colleges to actually set the courses up to actually develop market development supply chain, and I think that probably can come out a bit more as well in terms of that, but yes, I think it's a really good piece of work.
Mr Tamsin Hart Jones (Private Sector Representative) - 0:57:47
thank you similar to Helen we've had a real opportunity to help to shape the document, and testament to Rebecca in and her team for all the hard work here. I think it is a a really good document. I think the thing from the outset for me had been making sure that it demonstrating the merely club, and you saw that the power of the Combined Authority and that that it wasn't just a collection of individual strategies. It's what's the added value of the combined authority level, and I think for me that enabling roles, incredibly important, and we talked about skills, and I think also really that the key to it will be thinking about
can the next steps that implementation plan and the join up across the Combined Authority and all the different roles that you have, and I'm particularly thinking, the relationship of this strategy to other strategies, particularly in the transport space, the opportunities around mass transit, how do those strategies all join up into one to create the successful quality places, so I just think it's a it's a huge opportunity and great that it's it's laid out in terms of what does the housing element of that mean.
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 0:59:00
anyone else.
Stephen Moore - 0:59:06
yeah, just I think I just follow up on that because I think there is a need, just struck me, I, I think, one of the challenges that we have, as well as if we can have an ambition, which I think this is great.
but then, if you're at the developer, the first thing you meet is gonna be planning and bureaucracy, and all of those elements that you meet as a developer that ye be faced with those advanced payment Code notices, section 38 1 0 6, et cetera, so,
it's also big PCT with that economic development role that the we have so strong here to to sort of, say, it comes back to the early point, I think digital, but it's about how how are you gonna support the developers, why how are we doing better than you know, Sheffield Manchester, wherever why is it easier to invest in West Yorkshire and build your homes in an here than it is to build somewhere else something yeah? I don't underestimate that that piece, because from an inward investment point of view, the minimum, the more barriers you can knock out, the better, more likely yeah, the quicker they can get built, the more hand-hold and support it, and I can't underestimate.
sorry and Dragon emphasised the the importance of having that relationship with those senior with the local authority, the port and the Combined Authority.
yeah, we, it's gonna be raw, gonna be Hodson below, but we support you
Cllr Ben Burton (York Council) - 1:00:38
to invest in in this region, I think, is really important.
anyone else, I think that's been a really very good, a really good
Liz Hunter - 1:00:47
debate, and some good issues have come forward and, and I do thank you for the work that you've done on this, it's a great piece of work for you and your colleagues and I think the support that we've got from all the paper on the room is brilliant, so thanks very much for that, so can we agree the recommendations on 10.1 10.2
OK.

10 Date of the Next Meeting

and then the Date of Next Meeting seems a long way off at 20 at the February, but sure it'll come round very quickly.
but thanks everybody for your attendance today have we were concerned, Liz and I about a lack of attendance from local authorities, so it's good to see that you've alternative today the private sector do support this committee a lot and it's up to us as elected members to
Webcast Finished - 1:01:43
support it also, so it's good to see everybody, we'll just have a five minute break and then we'll go into the
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Liz Hunter
Director, Policing, Environment & Place
West Yorkshire Combined Authority
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