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Strategic Housing and Regeneration Programme (SHARP) Update Report

Published: 10/02/2021

Flintshire’s Cabinet Members will be asked to note progress with SHARP as well as supporting new delivery routes for new social and affordable rent when they meet on Tuesday 16 February.

Members will also consider the changes in housing need, and the rationale for reviewing and revising the tenure types for future property development. 

Flintshire was one of the first local authorities in Wales to re-commence building social and affordable housing through SHARP, working with its appointed contractor, Wates Construction, in April 2016.  To date, the SHARP has delivered a total of 447 social, affordable, low-cost home-ownership and private properties.

In addition to the SHARP, the Council and North East Wales Homes (“NEW Homes”) have worked in partnership with a number of North Wales based developers to deliver a further 148 social and affordable rented homes.

Combined an overall total of 595 new properties has been delivered.

The Council and NEW Homes are now actively developing and using alternative delivery arrangements to realise the Welsh Government’s ambitions for housing providers to build at “pace and scale” to meet increasing demand for affordable housing in Flintshire.

In addition, the Housing Construction North and Mid-Wales Framework Agreement has been established by the Welsh Procurement Alliance (WPA) to make the procurement of new-build housing developments more efficient and in compliance with public sector procurement rules.

The framework will be used for the building of all types of housing, including bungalows, flats and apartments, care homes and sheltered and shared accommodation, covering all forms of tenure.

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Dave Hughes, said:

“SHARP has been very successful and we must not lose momentum as it comes to an end.  We also need to be flexible and adapt to the local demands for housing.  That’s why we’re working together to improve housing opportunities for people with specific needs, for example, care leavers, people with learning difficulties or people requiring adaptations.”