Hannah Bowman Way, Youlgrave
Local Lettings Policy

Youlgrave Community Land Trust, Peak District Rural Housing Association and Derbyshire Dales District Council
19 March 2015

The site

Hannah Bowman Way, Youlgrave, DE45 1HL

A development consisting of eight affordable homes provided for the people of Youlgrave; four for rent and four for sale by shared ownership.

Link to Google Street Map of Hannah Bowman Way/Conksbury Lane, Youlgreave (opens in a new window).

Reason for the Local Lettings Policy and Background

This allocation policy takes into account the planning conditions imposed by the Peak District National Park (extract - Appendix 1) and the policies of Derbyshire Dales District Council. The Home-Options choice based lettings system will be used to let the homes.

In taking decisions on those to be offered homes the following criteria will be considered:

1. Housing Need

The homes are intended for households who demonstrate a need for housing and cannot access housing on the open market. This access is usually denied them because they have insufficient income but it could be that there is no market housing suitable for their particular needs. Housing need will be assessed by the District Council’s criteria.

2. Local Connection and Eligibility

The new homes have been built on an Exception Site which by definition restricts occupation to people who have a strong local connection to the parish or an adjoining parish. Such a connection would be evidenced by the production of utility bills, electoral register or similar material.

The local connection is defined by the Peak District National Park in the section 106 agreement for the scheme as:

  • A person (and his or her dependents) who has a minimum of 10 years permanent residence within the last 20 years in the Parish or Adjoining Parish
  • A person (and his or her dependents) who has an essential functional need to live close to his of her work in the Parish or Adjoining Parish
  • A person (and his or her dependents) who has an essential need to live close to another person who has a minimum of 10 years permanent residence within the last 20 years in the Parish or Adjoining Parish, the essential need arising from age or infirmity.

The following process of allocating properties will be used:

  • The properties will be advertised on the ‘Home-Options’ website. Only applicants from Youlgrave and its immediately surrounding parishes will be eligible to apply.
  • In allocating properties, first priority will be given to applicants from the parishes of Youlgrave, Middleton and Smerill and Harthill (parishes marked 1 on the Appendix Map)
  • If there are insufficient applicants from the parishes above applicants from the other adjoining parishes will be considered. These parishes are Gratton, Monyash, Over Haddon and Nether Haddon (parishes marked 2 on the Appendix Map)
  • After the first letting of the properties, the above process will be used for subsequent relets followed if appropriate by:-

- If after a further period 8 weeks of advertising on Home-options and elsewhere giving a total advertising period of three months, applicants with a minimum 5 year connection to Youlgrave or an adjoining parish will be eligible

- If after a further month the properties cannot be let to someone with a connection Youlgrave or an adjoining parish the properties will be advertised to those with a connection to the next ring of (or contiguous) Parishes. These parishes are Elton Hartington Nether, Town and Middle Quarter, Flagg, Ashford in the Water, Bakewell, Stanton and Birchover (parishes marked 3 on the Appendix Map)

- If after six months of advertising no applicant is found, applicants with a ten year connection to the Peak District National Park will be eligible.

3. Occupation Levels
Under-occupation provides for the opportunity to let a home to a person or family that would not make full use of the home, i.e. letting a three bed house to a family with one child. In normal circumstances this approach would be discouraged because the housing authority is under significant pressure to ensure the most efficient use of all available homes. Some under-occupation will be tolerated within the scheme in order that local needs can be met. This is as set out in Appendix 2. This only applies to the rented properties.

4. Shared Ownership Properties

The allocation process will also be applied to the shared ownership properties. Advertising will be carried out through-Home Options as well as within Youlgrave.

Applicants for shared ownership properties will be assessed with regard to:

  • their ability to purchase a share of the property’s value. The assessment system used by the vendor provider – East Midlands Housing – will be used in this regard
  • their need for housing 
  • the size of their household and the size of the property; under-occupation will be allowed but preference will be given to households which best fit the homes for sale.

Appendices (pdf reader required)

Appendix 1 - Peak Park Clauses

Appendix 2 - Household Eligibility

Appendix - Map

Review

The policy will be reviewed after the first year of implementation, which is estimated to be March 2016.

Contact details

Any queries about this Local Lettings Policy can be made to:

Isabel Frenzel
Rural Housing Enabler
Derbyshire Dales District Council
Town Hall, Bank Road
Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3NN

Telephone: 01629 761 100
Email: Home.Options@derbyshiredales.gov.uk