Agenda and minutes
Housing Committee - Tuesday 10 February 2015 10.00 am

To receive any apologies for absence and any announcements from the Chair.

1.1  Apologies for absence were received from Nicky Gavron AM and Steve O’Connell AM.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact:  David Pealing, [email protected], 020 7983 5525

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, as disclosable pecuniary interests;

(b)  Note the declaration by any Member(s) of any disclosable pecuniary interests in specific items listed on the agenda and the necessary action taken by the Member(s) regarding withdrawal following such declaration(s); and

(c)  Note the declaration by any Member(s) of any other interests deemed to be relevant (including any interests arising from gifts and hospitality received which are not at the time of the meeting reflected on the Authority’s register of gifts and hospitality, and noting also the advice from the GLA’s Monitoring Officer set out at Agenda Item 2) and to note any necessary action taken by the Member(s) following such declaration(s).

2.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

2.2  Resolved:

That the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests.

The Committee is recommended to confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 2 December 2014 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

3.1  Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2014 be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: David Pealing; [email protected]; 020 7983 5525

The Committee is recommended to note the outstanding actions arising from a previous meeting.

4.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

4.2  Resolved:

That the outstanding actions arising from a previous meeting of the Committee be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Ian O’Sullivan, [email protected]; 020 7983 6540

The Committee is recommended to note the report as background to discussing with invited guests key issues involved in increasing affordable home ownership in London, and note the subsequent discussion.

5.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat as background to putting questions on affordable home ownership in London to the following invited guests:

·  Stephen Hill, Trustee, National Community Land Trust Network;

·  Alex Hilton, Director, Generation Rent;

·  Jamie Ratcliff, Assistant Director – Programme, Policy and Services, Housing and Land, Greater London Authority; and

·  Kush Rawal, Sales and Marketing Director, Thames Valley Housing Association.

5.2  A transcript of the discussion is attached at Appendix 1.

5.3  During the course of the discussion, the Assistant Director – Programme, Policy and Services committed to provide the following additional information after the meeting:

·  Both the average, and range, of income of those buyers entering shared ownership agreements by borough; and

·  The staircasing figures available in the ‘NROSH+’ dataset used by the Homes and Communities Agency (referred to in Appendix 1).

5.4  Resolved:

That the report and discussion be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford, [email protected]; 020 7983 4394

The Committee is recommended to agree the scope for an investigation into the impact of investor buyers on the market for new build homes in London.

6.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

6.2  Andrew Boff AM sought clarification on the focus of the proposed investigation, particularly whether it would focus on both, or either, national or international investor buyers.  The Assistant Scrutiny Manager explained that both would be included in the research.

6.3  Furthermore, Andrew Boff AM asked that the investigation should include research into the types of property invested in, as well as absolute numbers of properties.  Murad Qureshi AM requested that work be undertaken to find the likely sources of the capital being invested in new build homes in London.  In response, the Assistant Scrutiny Manager confirmed that both points would be further explored in research undertaken outside of the meeting.

6.4  Resolved:

That, subject to the comments made by Assembly Members above, the scope of the investigation into the impact of investor buyers on the market for new build homes in London be agreed.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford, [email protected]; 020 7983 4394

The Committee is recommended to formally agree the wording of the letter to the Mayor on Gypsy and Traveller site provision in London.

7.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

7.2  Resolved:

  That the wording of the letter to the Mayor on Gypsy and Traveller site provision in London, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be formally agreed.

Report of the Executive Director of Secretariat

Contact: Lorraine Ford, [email protected]; 020 7983 4394

The Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Note its work programme;

(b)  Agree the topics for its two remaining meetings of the Assembly year, as detailed at paragraph 4.2 of the report; and

(c)  Note the letter received from the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property, as attached at Appendix 2 to the report.

8.1  The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat.

8.2  Resolved:

(a)  That the work programme be noted;

(b)  That the topic of the remaining two planned Committee meetings of the current Assembly year, as detailed at paragraph 4.2 of the report, be agreed; and

(c)  That the letter received from the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Land and Property, as set out at Appendix 2 to the report, be noted.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, 4 March 2015 at 2.00 pm in the Chamber, City Hall.

9.1  The date of the next meeting of the Committee was confirmed as Wednesday, 4 March 2015 at 2.00 pm in the Chamber, City Hall.

10.1  There were no items of business that the Chair considered to be urgent.

11.1  The meeting ended at 12.21 pm.