The proposal, which will be discussed by the Overview and Scrutiny committee next week, aims to provide much-needed social housing for local people on the housing waiting list. These homes could include accessible and adaptable housing, care-leaver accommodation, specialist adult social care housing, and general needs homes.
The council purchased Mulberry Business Park in 2018 as an investment. However, due to a decline in demand for office space post-pandemic, the site is now costing the council over £800,000 annually. For the past three years, part of the building has been used rent-free by The Cowshed charity.
Cllr Stephen Conway, Leader of the council and executive member for housing, stated, “We have a duty to find the best use for our buildings and one of the borough’s greatest needs is for social housing – good quality, genuinely affordable homes for people who need them.” He added, “If we could provide more than 100 fully affordable homes in this location, it will help us to meet genuine need and reduce reliance on costly out‑of‑borough placements.”
The recommendation is to transform the business park, which currently has one commercial tenant and one voluntary sector tenant, into social housing. The proposal will be discussed by the Corporate and Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 4 November, with a final decision to be made by the council’s Executive on 26 November.
