Harrogate Borough Council

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This new Body a partnership of Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby District Councils, North Yorkshire County Council, City of York Council and the National Park authorities is in a prime position to deliver better housing outcomes for the county's residents.

 

With differing housing needs from the urban high cost areas in the Golden Triangle, to the lack of sustainability in the rural areas, each authority faces the ever-growing problem of creating affordable housing.  Each will bring different expertise to the Board and by working together effort will be focused on making strategic decisions on a county-wide basis and not as individual councils. 

 

Chair of the Board, Councillor Jean Butterfield, Cabinet Member for Housing at Harrogate Borough Council (which the Housing Corporation has just recognised as being 'streets ahead of the competition in the provision of qualifying sites for affordable homes'), says North Yorkshire is being increasingly asked to make strategic housing decisions collectively and not as individual councils.  "We need to respond positively to this agenda and the challenges it brings otherwise we run the risk of losing out on valuable housing investment and other opportunities which will be of real benefit to all our residents in the county. 

 

"The new Board will mean that these big housing decisions will have a proper political mandate which has been missing in the past."

 

The Board has already approved a housing investment plan for the whole of North Yorkshire that could bring up to £63 million of additional housing investment between 2008 and 2011. 

 

"The Board is looking forward to tackling other key strategic housing challenges as well", said Councillor Butterfield.  "Such as empty homes, better joint working between councils, delivering affordable housing for our residents and making better use of our private sector housing stock to meet housing need."

 

The Board will meet regularly with support from senior housing officers from each authority.  ENDS

 

FURTHER INFORMATION:  Councillor Jean Butterfield is available for comment on 01423 770381.  Further technical information is available from Colin Dales, Assistant Director Community at Richmondshire District Council and Chair of the North Yorkshire Chief Housing Officer Group on 01748 829100.