Scarborough Council’s Better Homes venture ‘on track’ to counter the borough’s ‘affordable homes crisis’

Members of Scarborough Council’s Lives and Homes Overview and Scrutiny Committee have been told that plans to provide around 40 additional affordable homes in the borough over the next three years are “on track”.

No homes have been built yet as part of the scheme, as the bidding process is still ongoing, but final tender submissions were due by Friday August 19, after which final evaluation and moderation will take place.

However, almost 200 new affordable homes were built in the borough of Scarborough in 2021-2022, according to the council.

Speaking at the meeting on Wednesday July 20, Richard Bradley, the Better Homes project director said: “All three bidders have remained in the process which is really positive and good news for the council, and there remains robust, competitive tension between each of the bidders.”

Mr Bradley said that once a bidder was chosen “a report will go to cabinet to enter into the contract and the land disposals” with the council already having “ringfenced the disposal of eight land assets for the purpose of the joint venture.”

He added: “Certain decisions will need approval from North Yorkshire County Council but until we have received final bids, a clear understanding of these decisions can not yet be crystallised.”

In 2021, Scarborough Council invited potential development partners to work with the authority as part of a 50/50 joint venture arrangement to provide “more affordable, sustainable and higher quality homes in the borough”.

The joint venture arrangement will exist over a 30-year period, with the council saying it had identified eight parcels of land in Filey, Whitby and Scarborough “which have the potential for development”.

In November 2021, Scarborough Council said the borough was “facing an affordable homes crisis and double the number [of homes] currently being built need to be constructed between now and 2038 if demand is to be met. This means around 3,000 are needed in a 16-year period.”

Finally, the project director, Mr Bradley, suggested to the committee that a pre-decision scrutiny meeting be held by the committee before the report goes back to cabinet “as had been undertaken previously”.