4. Strategic Context
This housing strategy is informed and influenced by a number of key local strategies.
EDDC Council Plan
The Council Plan provides the overarching corporate objectives that inform the focus of all council departments. As a consequence our Housing Strategy will strongly reflect those ambitions. This is highlighted within the Priorities section of the strategy.
A new Council Plan is currently in development, but a Statement of Intent published in late 2020 provides us with the overall vision and themes of the final Plan.
The vision is: to achieve a positive difference to residents’ lives and our environment in East Devon. The four key themes underpinning this ambition are:
- A Greener East Devon
- Better Homes and Communities for all
- A Resilient economy
- Services that matter to all of us
Housing Service Plan
Each council department produces their own Service Plan each year, setting out how their work will meet the aspirations of the broader EDDC Council Plan as well as highlighting future challenges for the services over the next 3 years.
The actions identified in the Housing Service Plan will reflect the objectives of our Housing Strategy. The service plan will also provide us with an opportunity to reaffirm our strategic approach to emerging issues on an annual basis, review our progress against our stated aims, and add further actions as we strive to achieve our longer term goals.
Links to other strategies
Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP)
This sub-regional strategic plan is currently in development, and aims to co-ordinate planning and spatial strategies across Exeter and the surrounding districts of Mid Devon, Teignbridge and East Devon.
In 2020, East Devon District Council made the decision to pull out of this strategic plan. It is anticipated however, that we will continue to work with our local authority neighbours to maintain links as part of a refreshed EDDC Local Plan.
Devon Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2020-2025
The vision of this strategy is that the Health outcomes and health equality in Devon will be amongst the best in the world and will be achieved by Devon’s communities, businesses and organisation working in partnership.
It has 4 priorities:
- Create opportunities for all (inclusive economic growth, education and social mobility)
- Healthy, Safe, strong and sustainable communities (creating conditions for good health and wellbeing where we live, work and learn)
- Focus on mental health (building good emotional health and wellbeing, happiness and resilience)
- Maintain good health for all (supporting people to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible)
EDDC Local Plan 2013 to 2031
Adopted in 2016, the local plan sets out planning policy for the whole of East Devon. It seeks to deliver a plan for the development of new jobs and homes whilst recognising and protecting our outstanding natural environment. Following the decision to step away from the GES in 2020, the document is now due to be refreshed.
Our Housing Strategy will focus on the provision of more affordable and social homes; we will therefore seek to influence planning strategy to ensure that sufficient housing of all tenures for people on lower incomes is built. We will also seek to ensure that sufficient supported housing is available.
East Devon Public Health Strategic Plan 2019 - 2023
Improving the health and wellbeing of our residents is a high priority for EDDC. The 2019-2023 plan seeks to help more people to be healthy and stay healthy, to enhance self-care and support community resilience, and to integrate and improve support for people in their homes.
Across the council we aim to achieve these aims by:
- tackling environmental and social conditions to promote good health
- encouraging healthier behaviour so fewer people become ill
- addressing loss of independence
- promote wellbeing and self- care
Our Housing strategy will support this work through improving the quality of homes across the district, including our own stock. We will also seek to expand our Home Safeguard service, providing equipment and support to vulnerable people across East Devon to enable them to live independently in their own homes for longer. Our Community Development team will continue to work with our tenants to promote good health and healthy lifestyles. They will also be working to improve and encourage community led support activities to improve community cohesion and reduce social isolation. We will seek to fulfil the actions identified within the Housing Mental Health Strategy to improve the mental wellbeing of residents (see more detail below).
EDDC Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy 2019-2023
Our refreshed Homelessness Strategy focuses on 4 main areas:
1. Maximise prevention activities and outcomes
2. Increasing accommodation options
3. Minimising rough sleeping
4. Improving health and wellbeing
An action plan, refreshed annually is in place to ensure that teams continue to work to the priorities outlined above. Resolving homelessness is a statutory requirement for EDDC. Our Homelessness Strategy effectively acts as part of our Housing Strategy, but sits as a document in its own right to reflect the importance of this work.
Other Housing policies
There is a suite of housing policies that provide greater detail on specific aspects of service delivery. These policies are regularly reviewed and can be found on our website. Hard copies are also available on request.