Briars Chase, Heanor Road, Ilkeston
Local Lettings Policy
Futures Housing Group and Erewash Borough Council
16 July 2014
The site
Briars Chase, Heanor Road, Ilkeston
The Briars Chase housing development was off Heanor Road in Ilkeston. The development consisted of properties for market sale, plus 47 affordable homes for rent or low-cost sale. They were completed between 2011 and 2015.
Link to Google Street Map of Briars Chase, Ilkeston (opens in a new window).
Reason for the Local Lettings Policy and Background
Erewash Borough Council, through its Housing Strategy has a responsibility to help Erewash residents have good quality homes and housing services which meet their needs, and help create sustainable, mixed and balanced communities. At the same time, we need to ensure that those in urgent housing need are housed as soon as possible.
The Home-Options Policy (which is agreed by the Home-Options partners, including Futures Housing Group and Erewash Borough Council) highlights that local lettings policies have an important role in widening housing choices for local people and helping to provide sustainable communities. The national and regional housing agendas encourage mixed tenures that cater for a range of households with varying needs and aspirations
We want to ensure that this development caters for a variety of residents as opposed to concentrations of households with particular support needs.
In addition, there are a number of properties designed to easily meet the needs of disabled people which we want to let appropriately.
Legal Framework
This approach complies with the government’s guidance issued through the Allocation of accommodation: guidance for local housing authorities in England (DCLG, June 2012). This guidance allows councils and housing providers to use local lettings policies to achieve a wide range of policy objectives
The Local Lettings Policy Criteria
The following criteria applies for the initial and subsequent lettings on Social Rent houses built to Lifetime Homes standard.
1 x 2 bedroomed house built to the Lifetime Homes standard with Car Port
3 x 2 bedroomed 4 person houses built to the Lifetime Homes Standard
Lifetime Homes means that they are suitable, or easily adaptable to meet the needs of disabled people.
Under this Policy the following groups of applicants will be given additional preference through the Home-Options bidding process:-
a) People with physical disabilities
The following groups of applicants will be given additional preference:
i) Applicants awarded Band A – urgent medical priority will be considered for these properties as per the current Home-Options Policy. If the properties cannot be let under this criteria, the properties will be let to households on other bands with physical disabilities who are in need of this type of property (People with physical disabilities can include people with degenerative conditions which are likely to result in physical disabilities within the next 2 to 3 years).
ii) Additional preference will be given to those households who can benefit substantially from the facilities which are available or can be easily provided in these properties. This includes those whose current properties would require substantial funding to adapt to meet their needs
iii) If we are unable to fully achieve lettings under the above criteria, based on the bids received, then lettings will be made under the normal allocations procedures under the Home-Options Policy but with preference being given to people with mobility problems or other people who are likely to benefit from the facilities which are available or can be easily provided in these properties.
These Lifetime Homes properties may be let to single people or childless couples if it is confirmed that full housing benefit can be paid, or there is other regular income to pay the full rent ( some single people or childless couples under retirement age may have housing benefit reductions under the social housing size criteria regulations (the “bedroom tax”)).
Note: In certain circumstances, “Direct Lets” outside of the normal Home-Options allocations process may be considered for these Lifetime Homes properties, which take into account households with the above needs.
b) Other properties
For the:
- 1 x 4 bedroomed 6 person house,
- 1 x 2 bedroomed 3 person ground floor maisonette with garden, and
- 1 x 2 bedroomed 3 person upper floor apartment
lets will be awarded in accordance with the normal lettings procedures under the Home-Options Policy
Fair access to housing
We wish to ensure the number of lettings to households from Black and Minority Ethnic Community on this development reflects the composition of the Ilkeston community (as indicated in census or other indicator of housing needs). If this is not reflected during the allocation process, then the housing association will work with the Council to determine reasons why and to consider slight changes in the marketing and lettings criteria to ensure this is reflected where possible in future.
Mutual Exchanges
Mutual exchanges will be allowed into and out of the development in accordance with Futures Housing Group and other landlords’ normal processes.
Lettings through mutual exchanges may therefore be outside of this local lettings policy. For more details see the mutual exchange page on the Home-Options website.
Reason for the Local Lettings Policy
There are a number of properties designed to easily meet the needs of disabled people which we want to let appropriately.
Contact details
Any queries about this Local Lettings Policy can be made to Futures Housing Group. For up to date contact details, please see www.futureshg.co.uk.
The Original Local Lettings Policy
A Local Letting Policy was adopted for the Briars Chase, Ilkeston site in July 2014, following a public consultation via the Home Options website.
The policy also applied criteria to initial lettings only for houses and some flats on this development. These were first let in 2014, since when normal allocations procedures under the Home-Options Policy applies to these properties.
The original policy, which includes the reason for the local lettings policy, background and legal framework can be obtained from Futures Housing as above.