A message from Cllr Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset CouncilAcross our area we face several housing-related challenges – not least the fact that ours is one of the least affordable places to live in the UK, with house prices around 13.4 times the annual earnings. This unaffordability creates significant issues, including a high number of households on the social housing waiting list and negative pressure on economic growth.
The council is committed to addressing this, encouraging a mix of housing which diversifies the housing supply locally, including open-market, affordable and social housing right across Bath and North East Somerset. So, this week I was very pleased to join Sally Higham, chair of Aequus Group of Companies (pictured), to see construction work which is under way to provide 18 new affordable homes for social rent that will be owned directly by Bath & North East Somerset Council. The properties at the Argyle Works site on the Lower Bristol Road, Bath and Danes Lane, Keynsham, are being delivered in partnership with Aequus Construction Limited (ACL) the council’s wholly-owned development company. The Argyle Works site, formerly a Highways Maintenance Depot, is being developed to provide eight affordable, energy efficient apartments, three of which will be set aside for young people. The site in Danes Lane, that was previously used for informal parking, is being developed to provide six one-bed properties and four two-bed properties. We have also set out our plans to develop almost 100 energy-efficient homes in Bath city centre. Building these homes as the first phase of Bath Quays North would help support further investment for affordable homes in later phases. Our housing ambitions are set out in an ambitious B&NES Housing Plan which will go before cabinet when it meets on February 13. We will also be considering our 2025/26 budget proposals which I will update you on next week. However, I want to take this opportunity to highlight significant additional funding we plan to put into Adults and Children’s Services. This is to meet increasing demand for people’s care needs where we commission placements and packages of care for those who have eligible care and support needs. We are also planning to invest in our Home to School Transport as part of our continued commitment, as a council to improve people’s lives. Have a good weekend | 
