Meetings

NDM6322 - Welsh Conservatives debate

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Meeting: 07/06/2017 - Plenary - Fifth Senedd (Item 5)

Welsh Conservatives debate

NDM6322 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the acute shortage of homes available to younger people and families to purchase or rent at prices near the historical trend.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to base its calculation of housing need on the alternative projection contained in the Future Need and Demand for Housing in Wales.

3. Further calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) publish a strategy to secure more land, including brownfield sites, to be made available for home building;

b) deliver greater investment in vocational skills for the construction sector and in the development of modern apprenticeships; and

c) examine options for family living in higher density urban settings, following best practice in many European cities.

'Future Need and Demand for Housing in Wales'

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1. Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises that the Welsh Government is committed to meeting the varied housing needs of the people of Wales, working in partnership with private builders, the private rented sector, councils and housing associations.

2. Welcomes the Welsh Government's commitments to:

a) build a further 20,000 affordable homes by 2021, including 6,000 through Help to Buy – Wales and 1,000 through its new Rent to Own scheme;

b) work with developers to encourage and facilitate their wider work to build market homes and unlock the potential of SMEs to build homes and deliver skilled jobs throughout Wales;

c) protect the existing social housing stock and encourage investment by housing associations and councils in the provision of new homes by abolishing the Right to Buy;

d) invest in the development of innovative approaches to housing construction to meet challenges including changing demographic patterns and the need for energy efficient homes;

e) continue to bring empty homes back into use and include the provision of housing in its regeneration schemes;

f) make more land, including publicly owned land, available for housing developments;

g) continue raising standards in the private rented sector and act on letting agents' fees to tenants; and

h) build on the success of its early intervention approach to homelessness by working with partners to tackle the problems of rough sleepers.

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2 and 3 will be de-selected]

Amendment 2. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new points after point 1 and renumber accordingly:

Notes that letting fees act as a barrier for low income households to move homes within the private rented sector, and that this can drive the quality of homes down as it removes the ability of households to leave unsuitable accommodation.

Calls on the Welsh Government to ban letting agent fees.

Amendment 3. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Insert as new sub-point at end of point 3:

"examine ways in which the planning system can be further used to prioritise building homes for first time buyers and families, and avoid new developments becoming disproportionately dominated by buy to let ownership and second home ownership."

Amendment 4. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Notes that new housing developments, to be sustainable, requires investment in transport infrastructure (including investment in public transport and active travel), and investment in public services and community facilities to serve the additional population.

Regrets that austerity has meant that investments in public services and community facilities are not possible, and believes that some proposals for housing development may be unsustainable as a result.

Minutes:

The item started at 14.37

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until voting time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM6322 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the acute shortage of homes available to younger people and families to purchase or rent at prices near the historical trend.

2. Calls on the Welsh Government to base its calculation of housing need on the alternative projection contained in the Future Need and Demand for Housing in Wales.

3. Further calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) publish a strategy to secure more land, including brownfield sites, to be made available for home building;

b) deliver greater investment in vocational skills for the construction sector and in the development of modern apprenticeships; and

c) examine options for family living in higher density urban settings, following best practice in many European cities.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

15

0

31

46

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1. Jane Hutt (Vale of Glamorgan)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises that the Welsh Government is committed to meeting the varied housing needs of the people of Wales, working in partnership with private builders, the private rented sector, councils and housing associations.

2. Welcomes the Welsh Government's commitments to:

a) build a further 20,000 affordable homes by 2021, including 6,000 through Help to Buy – Wales and 1,000 through its new Rent to Own scheme;

b) work with developers to encourage and facilitate their wider work to build market homes and unlock the potential of SMEs to build homes and deliver skilled jobs throughout Wales;

c) protect the existing social housing stock and encourage investment by housing associations and councils in the provision of new homes by abolishing the Right to Buy;

d) invest in the development of innovative approaches to housing construction to meet challenges including changing demographic patterns and the need for energy efficient homes;

e) continue to bring empty homes back into use and include the provision of housing in its regeneration schemes;

f) make more land, including publicly owned land, available for housing developments;

g) continue raising standards in the private rented sector and act on letting agents' fees to tenants; and

h) build on the success of its early intervention approach to homelessness by working with partners to tackle the problems of rough sleepers.

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

26

0

21

47

Amendment 1 was agreed.

As Amendment 1 was agreed Amendment 2 was de-selected.

As Amendment 1 was agreed Amendment 3 was de-selected.

Amendment 4. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Ynys Môn)

Add as new points at end of motion:

Notes that new housing developments, to be sustainable, requires investment in transport infrastructure (including investment in public transport and active travel), and investment in public services and community facilities to serve the additional population.

Regrets that austerity has meant that investments in public services and community facilities are not possible, and believes that some proposals for housing development may be unsustainable as a result.

A vote was taken on amendment 4:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

11

0

36

47

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

NDM6322 Paul Davies (Preseli Pembrokeshire)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises that the Welsh Government is committed to meeting the varied housing needs of the people of Wales, working in partnership with private builders, the private rented sector, councils and housing associations.

2. Welcomes the Welsh Government's commitments to:

a) build a further 20,000 affordable homes by 2021, including 6,000 through Help to Buy – Wales and 1,000 through its new Rent to Own scheme;

b) work with developers to encourage and facilitate their wider work to build market homes and unlock the potential of SMEs to build homes and deliver skilled jobs throughout Wales;

c) protect the existing social housing stock and encourage investment by housing associations and councils in the provision of new homes by abolishing the Right to Buy;

d) invest in the development of innovative approaches to housing construction to meet challenges including changing demographic patterns and the need for energy efficient homes;

e) continue to bring empty homes back into use and include the provision of housing in its regeneration schemes;

f) make more land, including publicly owned land, available for housing developments;

g) continue raising standards in the private rented sector and act on letting agents' fees to tenants; and

h) build on the success of its early intervention approach to homelessness by working with partners to tackle the problems of rough sleepers.

For

Abstain

Against

Total

26

0

21

47

The motion as amended was agreed.