Local Lettings Policy - Gardner Mews, Cotmanhay Road, Ilkeston

Erewash Borough Council and emh homes

From the Local Lettings Policy adopted October 2018

The Site

Gardner Mews, Cotmanhay Road, Ilkeston

The development consists of 85 properties, five of twhich are built to Wheelchair standard or achieve Lifetime Homes standards, which should be suitable for some disabled people or people with some mobility problems.

Link to the site on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/GFHeKjLQpex

The Local Lettings Policy Criteria

The following criteria applies for the initial and subsequent lettings of bungalows and ground floor flats to wheelchair or Enhanced Lifetime Homes standard.

For the 1 x 2 bedroomed, 3 person bungalow to wheelchair standard for Affordable Rent

The criteria will be followed for initial lets and subsequent lets.

These properties include:   
•    Walk-in shower
•    Hoist route from bedroom to  shower room
•    Adjoining Car port of disabled width
•    Level access into property and garden.
•    Small garden area

These properties will be allocated to those who have the most need for these properties and will benefit substantially from these units.  Direct lets may be considered for these properties. Priority will be given to a household who meets the above criteria and also have a need for 2 bedrooms (for example 2 to 3 household members or a single person with a carer).  

However, if there are no such households needing the 2 bedroomed bungalow, this may be let to single people or childless couples who are in need of these facilities, 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”).

For the 2 x 2 bedroomed 3 person bungalows to Enhanced Lifetime Homes standard and 2 x 1 bedroomed 2 person ground floor flats to Enhanced Lifetime Homes standard

The criteria will be followed for initial lets and subsequent lets.

This property is suitable, or can be easily further adapted to meet the needs of people with some *physical disabilities.

This property includes:  
•    Walk-in shower or wet room
•    Hoist route from bedroom to shower room
•    Level access into property and garden.
•    Garden
•    Ground floor wc with provision for a future shower to be installed

This properties will be allocated to those who have the most need for these facilities and will benefit substantially from these units.  A Direct let may be considered for this property.
 
*People with physical disabilities can include people with degenerative conditions which are likely to result in the development or deterioration of physical disabilities within the next 2 to 3 years.

For the 2 x 2 bedroomed 3person bungalows to Enhanced Lifetime Homes standard

Priority will be given to a household who meets the above criteria and also have a need for 2 bedrooms (for example 2 to 3 household members or a single person with a carer).  

However, if there are no such households needing this 2 bedroomed house to Enhanced Lifetime Homes standard, this may be let to single people or childless couples who are in need of these facilities, 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”)).

Shared Ownership Properties and Rent to Buy Properties

30 of the properties will be for Shared Ownership or Rent to Buy.

Shared Ownership Properties: These will be sold to people unable to afford to buy a suitable property in the area. They are sold on a part-rent/part-buy basis. For more details see http://www.helptobuy.gov.uk/shared-ownership/.

Preference for purchasing these properties will be given people with a Local Connection to Erewash. The criteria for local connection, such as how long someone has lived or worked in the borough, or the need to support a family member, is outlined in the Derbyshire Home-Options Allocations Policy, which can be found on the Home-Options Allocation Policies.

Review date

This Local Lettings Policy will be reviewed yearly. 

Any queries about this Local Lettings Policy can be made to emh homes. For up to date contact details, please see www.emhhomes.org.uk.

The Original Local Lettings Policy

A Local Letting Policy was adopted for the Gardner Mews, Cotmanhay Road site in October 2018, 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 2018/19, 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 emh as above.