Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

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5.28 Partnering: the principle of partnering is to increase cooperation between those organisations
involved in producing the various elements of the process that results in housing products. This
approach has been promoted for many years in the construction industry as a means of reducing
costs through greater efficiency in operations, less waste, and reduced frictional costs at the points
in the process where organisations interact. It should also enhance the quality of products and
facilitate their harmonisation with needs and demands. These principles are set out in the ‘Egan
Report.’
5.29 Partnering between builders and developers has been increasing in recent years, and the RHS
proposes that the use of partnering should be extended throughout the development
process wherever appropriate. In particular, greater partnership is urged between landowners,
developers, local authorities and housing providers, to maximise the quality and cost-efficiency of
new housing schemes, particularly the larger ones expected in the Region over the coming years.
Local communities should be involved as far as appropriate.
5.30 The partnering approach is particularly helpful when developing s106 Agreements where
discussions involving all parties at an early stage will establish a shared understanding of what is
to be delivered and how it will be funded.
5.31 Partnering provides a framework for the kind of supply-chain management which has been
common in manufacturing and retail industries for many years.
5.32 Supply-Chain Management: during the last year the Housing Corporation has developed a
‘supply chain management’ process aimed at identifying affordable housing schemes which could
be delivered in the Region with or without grant resources. This has been an important
information gathering tool and is showing that the majority of new schemes are opportunity led
rather than reflecting a strategic process of geographical targeting. It is accepted that in the shortterm
the Region will deliver what is currently in this supply chain of schemes but over time the
RHS wishes to direct resources to promote development in the growth areas reflecting the East of
England Plan and the Government’s Sustainable Communities agenda.
5.33 There is always a strong likelihood of new sites for residential development to be generated by
unforeseen circumstances, which means that they enter the supply-chain of potential sites at short
notice, effectively in an unplanned, unmanaged process. The most common occurrence is for
brownfield sites to become available when industrial or other existing uses cease. Usually referred
to as ‘windfall sites‘, these can offer considerable potential for the creation of additional affordable
housing, and they must be assessed for public investment within the normal framework applying
to the rest of the supply chain. Although this might imply considerable time pressure, all the
strategic policies recommended here for the use of s106 negotiations and other interventions in
the development process should apply equally to windfall sites as to others in the supply chain.
5.34 The Pipeline Project: the Pipeline Project was commissioned by the Regional Housing Board to
report on what is required in the East of England to overcome barriers to the development of
sufficient affordable housing. The RHS has adopted the report’s recommendations that
improvements ought to come from:
• a properly co-ordinated local approach – possibly at sub-regional level – that includes a clear
vision of what is required, robust assessment of needs, an estimate of the funding likely to
be available from all sources and a realistic approach to bridging the gap between what is
required and what can be provided. Priority setting is vital.