A new three-year strategy – which outlines how Chesterfield Borough Council will ensure all local residents have access to a quality home that meets their needs – has been approved.
The strategy sets out the council’s housing ambitions from 2024 to 2027 for housing of all tenures across the borough - with the aim of ensuring that everyone in the community can access good quality, affordable and well managed homes.
The new strategy has been developed in line with consultation feedback received from tenants, residents and elected members.
It sets out the programme of activities and initiatives that the council will deliver over the next three years and identifies seven key priorities for the housing service to focus on:
· Continuing to deliver more homes by building more properties
· Providing homes that are affordable
· Investing in and improving the quality of existing homes
· Climate change and decarbonisation
· Following legislation set out in the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023
· The provision of specialist and supported accommodation
· Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping
Councillor Jean Innes, cabinet member for housing, said: “We understand that a home is much more than just bricks and mortar and our new housing strategy highlights how we can improve the range of homes available across the borough and help to improve the lives of local people.
“The strategy does not just focus on council properties. It also highlights how we are going to work with all of our residents to ensure they can access quality accommodation that meets their needs.
“The strategy has been developed at what continues to be a challenging time for local government, as well as for our communities - as we all face the impact of rising inflation, the increased cost of living, the legacy of the pandemic, and greater demand for housing services both locally and nationally.
“But despite this challenging context we remain determined in our commitment to ensure everyone in our borough can access an affordable and quality home and our newly adopted strategy sets out how we will achieve this.
“We really value the thoughts of our local residents and partners and are always looking for ways that they can have their say and help to shape our services. That is why we wanted to consult with them on the new strategy and have taken their feedback on board to make sure that it focuses on the most relevant issues which will allow us to make the greatest impact over the next three years.”
The strategy has a strong role to play in helping the council reach its target of becoming a carbon neutral borough by 2050, by establishing plans to decarbonise its own housing stock and support the decarbonisation of the borough’s private sector housing stock.
As well as ensuring its own stock meets the government’s Decent Homes Standard, the council will also enforce conditions in the private rented sector to ensure that private landlords supply good quality, healthy and safe private rented properties.
View the full housing strategy.
