Greenaway Avenue, Peasehill Road, Ripley
Local Lettings Policy

Platform Housing Group and Amber Valley Borough Council
september 2015

The site

Greenaway Avenue, Peasehill Road, Ripley

This is a new build development on Peasehill Road, Ripley, the site of a former concrete works. The property addresses range from 1 to 67 Greenaway Avenue. The properties are all owned and managed by Platform Housing Group.

There are 60 units in total; 48 for affordable rent and 12 for shared ownership purchase. The 48 properties available for rent are 8 one bedroomed units, 33 two bedroomed houses and 7 3 bedroomed houses. The shared ownership properties consist of 10 two bedroomed houses and 2 three bedroomed houses.

Link to Google Street Map of Peasehill Road, Ripley (please note that the development is located behind Peasehill Road so the map is indicative only (opens in a new window).

Reason for the Local Lettings Policy and Background

Platform Housing Group is a social housing provider and takes an inclusive approach to letting properties, in line with the Derbysjhire Home-Options Allocations Policy. There are, however, occasions when we need to use local lettings policies to widen housing choice for local people and to create sustainable communities. On a new development, with many properties being let at the same time it is important to actively manage the letting process to achieve a sustainable neighbourhood.

One focus of a local lettings policy is to reduce or manage the child density within a particular estate. By lowering the occupancy criteria of certain properties, this encourages a balanced community with a range of households with varying needs.

Another element of the policy is to reduce the number of lettings to applicants who might have a history of anti-social behaviour or vulnerability; as such behaviour may have an adverse impact on neighbouring residents and the wider community. The Peasehill development has 8 one bedroomed flats, which mainly attract single applicants with vulnerabilities. Such applicants often have the highest priority for rehousing so the allocation process needs management to ensure that all of the new tenancies are not allocated to applicants with these additional support needs.

It is important that vulnerable applicants are allocated properties that are suitable, where they will have the maximum chance of sustaining a tenancy and will not be exposed to additional risks of adopting a previous lifestyle or behaviours. It is also important that other residents are able to enjoy their new home, without being subject to nuisance, annoyance or disturbance from other members of the community.

The purpose of introducing this local lettings policy is to create more mixed communities and address the long term sustainability of neighbourhoods. It ensures the development caters for a variety of residents as opposed to concentrations of households with particular support needs.

All new tenants who don’t already hold a secure or assured tenancy will be asked to sign a Starter Tenancy agreement which involves the provision of additional support and management visits to ensure tenants settle well and are able to successfully manage their tenancies.

A Neighbourhood Charter is also in place for the development. This Charter will be signed by all new residents and supports the Tenancy Agreement. The Charter will emphasise a shared code of conduct and set out the behaviours that are expected of residents living within this neighbourhood.

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

Allocations will be carried out in line with the current Home-Options Allocation Policy. Under this local lettings policy, a flexible approach will be taken to ensure that a mixed community is created. Some properties will be made available to occupants who are potentially under-occupying. Also, applicants with particular vulnerabilities may be bypassed when shortlisting for a property.

First Letting Criteria

Two bedroomed houses – 33 properties

  • 16 Properties - eligible households are Couples/those with adult children
  • 9 Properties - eligible households are Single applicant/couple with one child
  • 8 Properties - eligible households are Single/couple with two children who should share

Three bedroomed houses - 7 properties

  • 1 Property - eligible households are Single applicant/couple with one child
  • 2 Properties - eligible households are Single applicant/couple with two children
  • 4 Properties - eligible households are Single applicant/couple with three children

If there are a limited number of bids, the occupancy criteria can be widened.

Flats

Of the 8 one bedroomed properties, 4 will be offered to single applicants and 4 to couples.

Subsequent lettings if within two years

To mirror as closely as possible the original lettings.

Third and subsequent lettings (or second if after two years)

As per the Home-Options Allocations Policy.

Vulnerable tenants

The following applicants will be considered to be vulnerable and may be bypassed when shortlisting for a property:

  • Applicants who have a history of crime or who are known perpetrators of anti-social behaviour
  • Perpetrators of domestic abuse
  • Applicants who are identified as needing or requiring support or individual support plans for drug or alcohol addiction/dependency
  • Applicants with an identified but un-met tenancy support need


Mitigating factors that must be taken into account when deciding to bypass an applicant include:

  • Appropriate tenancy support
  • Evidence that the applicant’s behaviour has changed and that they no longer pose a risk
  • Supporting evidence from relevant support providers
  • Supporting evidence regarding risk from the Police or Multi-Agency Public Protection Panel.

Shortlisting of applicants will be carried out in the usual way but additional checks on applicants may be made to determine their suitability for a tenancy. This could include an up-to-date assessment of the risk posed by or to the applicant in relation to crime or anti-social behaviour.

Transferring tenants

A maximum of 20% of all lettings will be to current social housing (transfer) tenants with a specified housing need. ‘Like to like’ moves (where tenants have a desire but not a need to move) may be restricted or refused.

Outcome

The outcome of this policy will be to:

  • Reduce anti-social behaviour within a defined locality
  • Reduce child density within a defined locality
  • Ensure new tenants are supported sustain their tenancies
  • Reduce property turnover
  • Improve customer satisfaction.

Links to Corporate Objectives

The proposed local lettings plan links to the corporate objectives of both Platform Housing Group and Amber Valley Borough Council by aiming to:

  • Reduce tenancy turnover in line with the objective “Practice business excellence, securing and delivering value for money”
  • Ensure the development is a balanced and sustainable neighbourhood in line with the objective “Continually improve our homes and services, meeting the needs and expectations of our customers”
  • “Help achieve a good quality local environment” which includes that “the supply of affordable housing meets local needs”.

Financial Implications

There is a potential financial implication by allowing single persons and couples of working age to under occupy two bedroom properties. Any under-occupying households of working age and in receipt of housing benefit would be subject to the under occupancy-subsidy and liable for a 14% deduction in housing benefit. Pre-tenancy checks are carried out prior to an offer of tenancy being made in order to minimise the risks associated with affordability.

There is also a potential financial implication in that letting properties in this way may increase the void time whilst suitable applicants are found. However, this should be offset by more sustained tenancies and reduced turnover times.

Customer and Stakeholder Involvement

This Local Lettings policy was devised in partnership with Amber Valley Borough Council. Futures Housing Group, a Home Options partner and the largest registered provider in the Ripley area, was also consulted.

Contact details

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

Home-Options Team

Platform Housing Group

1700 Solihull Parkway

Birmingham Business Park

Birmingham B37 7YD

Tel: 0333 200 7304

Email: epeast@platformhg.com (Please state in your email that it is for the attention of the Home-Options team)