Local Housing Strategy 2011-2016

The Council has completed its second stage consultation over the Local Housing Strategy 2011-2016.  We have submitted the document to the Scottish Government for review and expect to receive their feedback in February 2012.

The Local Housing Strategy sets the strategic direction for housing across all tenures and informs the future investment in housing and related services across West Dunbartonshire.

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the preparation of the strategy

Local Housing Strategy Final

Local Housing Strategy Final Executive Summary

Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, each local authority is required to prepare a Local Housing Strategy (LHS). The local housing strategy provides the strategic direction to tackle housing need and demand and to inform the future investment in housing and related services across the local authority area.

The report on the first stage of the consultation is available below:

Consultation Report

Consultation Responses Summary Report

WDC published its last full LHS in 2004 and is now starting its consultation process over the new LHS which will cover the period 2011 – 2016. Importantly, the scope of the LHS has been broadened.   Local Housing Strategies are now expected to be a key corporate planning activity for local authorities and the sole strategic document on:

• Housing

• Homelessness

• Housing support services

• Fuel poverty

The preparation of the new LHS provides the opportunity to set out a vision for the future shape of the housing system in West Dunbartonshire and how this will be achieved through clearly stated aims and objectives.   Many of the key issues identified in the previous LHS and in subsequent annual updates remain relevant and will be developed here, but others will require to be addressed in view of the expanded remit of the strategy and changing economic circumstances.

As a first stage in the consultation over the development of the strategy, a Housing Issues Paper has been drawn up covering the following five themed topics:

• Housing Need and Demand

• Promoting Good Quality Housing

• Homelessness

• Sustainable and Supportive Communities

• Addressing Particular Housing Needs.

The Housing Issues Paper can be viewed here: Documentation

We would welcome any comments on the paper.  The consultation period ends on 15^th July 2011.  You can do this by contacting the Housing Policy team at:

Email       

heed@west-dunbarton.gov.uk or

Jamie.dockery@west-dunbarton.gov.uk

In Writing:    

West  Dunbartonshire Council

Housing, Environmental and Economic Development

Policy Strategy and Continuous Improvement

Garshake Road

Dumbarton, G82 3PU

By Phone:    

Jamie Dockery - 01389 737366

We would encourage you also to complete a short questionnaire here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LMPLKDN

A series of three meetings were called to consider the issues raised by the Housing Issues Paper.  The meetings took place as follows:

Local Housing Strategy 2006-2009

The first Local Housing Strategy (LHS) for the West Dunbartonshire area was approved by Council in June 2004 and submitted to Communities Scotland for assessment in July 2004. This is a new form of strategic planning for housing and the LHS pulls together information on the need and demand for housing across all tenures, including housing for those with special needs. Although the statutory responsibility for publishing the LHS lies with West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC), the LHS is a partnership document containing information from a wide variety of partners including Communities Scotland and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) operating in the WDC area.

The housing scene is changing very rapidly at present with the introduction of new legislation affecting both social rented and privately owned and rented houses. Certain matters, such as the introduction of a new Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) for all social landlords, could not be included in our first LHS as we did not have full details at the time of publication. Therefore, we will be producing an Annual Update to the LHS in the summer of 2005 that will include how WDC and RSLs intend to bring all of their houses up to the new quality standard.

The Annual Update will also give more details of future plans for the WDC housing stock, which is the subject of an option appraisal exercise at present. A sample House Condition Survey will also be carried out in early 2005 to complement the options appraisal and this will help to identify areas for future investment in the WDC housing stock, including what has to be done to meet the SHQS requirements. RSLs are going through the same process and they will also have to produce a Standard Delivery Plan laying out how their houses will be brought up to the new standard.

Finally, WDC is preparing a Local Plan for the whole of West Dunbartonshire, this will include information on land available for housing development together with other issues relevant to the LHS. It is anticipated that the new Local Plan will be available in time to inform the first Annual Update of the LHS next summer.

For more information on any of the above, please contact Jeff Stobo, on telephone 01389 737580.

Download the full text of the West Dunbartonshire Local Housing Strategy 2004-2009 (211KB Word document)

You can also download the LHS 2007 update (879KB .pdf document)