Critchley Street, Wood Street and Florence Court 

Local Lettings Policy  

emh homes

September 2021

1. Properties covered by the Local Lettings Policy

1.1 The schemes consists of:

• Critchley Street - 106 purpose built general needs flats including 3 leasehold properties. 

• Wood Street - 18 purpose built general needs flats including 2 leasehold properties. 

• Florence Court – 9 purpose built, decommissioned sheltered flats, which are now designated general needs flats. 

1.2 Type of property for Social Rent

• Critchley Street - 54 x 1 bed and 52 x 2 bed flats.

• Wood Street - 7 x 1 and 11 x 2 bed flats.

• Florence Court - 7 x 1 and 2 x 2 bed flats.

2. Authority

2.1 Section 166A(6)(b) of the Housing Act 1996 enables housing authorities to allocate particular accommodation to people of a particular description, whether or not they fall within the reasonable preference categories, provided that overall the authority is able to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of S.166A(3) ‘to give overall priority for an allocation to people in the reasonable preference categories’. 

2.2 This is the statutory basis for ‘local lettings policies’, which may be used to achieve a wide variety of housing management and policy objectives.

3. Purpose for the Local Lettings Policy and Background

3.1 The policy aims to create and sustain tenancies within an area in the town centre of Ilkeston which has had a number of high profile Anti-Social Behaviour cases which have been subject to legal action. Additionally, the area of Critchley Street/Wood Street/Florence Court has begun to be viewed as an ASB hotspot with local partner agencies and is attracting criminal activity within the wider locality of Ilkeston with various visitors to properties/tenants being linked to criminal behaviour.

3.2 emh homes have progressed a number of tenancy enforcement cases within the scheme. Additionally, emh homes wants to alleviate and avoid future serious ASB issues within this locality by utilising greater scrutiny of future housing register applicants for properties within the Critchley Street/Wood Street/Florence Court schemes.  We hope to achieve these aims with a combined management of ASB, development of greater resident/organisation interaction and an enhanced level of vetting/scrutiny of housing register applicants in this geographical location.

3.3 We want to ensure that this development caters for a variety of residents as opposed to concentrations of households with particular support needs.

3.4 Erewash Borough Council, through its Housing Strategy, and emh homes have a responsibility to help Erewash residents to access 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.

3.5 The Home Options Policy (which is agreed by the Home Options partners, including emh homes 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.

4. Risks

4.1 Sites where the primary tenant group are young single people many of whom have added vulnerabilities due to having experienced homelessness are particularly prone to having issues relating to social cohesion and a sense of community involvement. Schemes where a large number of residents have similar vulnerability issues can engender an innate acceptance of Anti-Social Behaviour, tolerance of drugs use and culture and subsequent involvement in criminal activity.

4.2 To ensure the long-term viability of the scheme it is necessary to create a community that is balanced in terms of risk by evaluating potential households within the following application matrix:

• Vulnerability and ability to access support. 

• Affordability.

• Evidence of being able to act in a ‘tenant like manner’ with regards to the upkeep of the property.

• Evidence to support good conduct of the tenancy. 

• Best use of housing stock. 

• Links to the local area that offer a support network to encourage lower turnover on the scheme.

5. Legal Framework

5.1 This approach complies with the government’s guidance issues through the Fair and Flexible statutory guidance on social housing allocations for local authorities in England (2009).  This guidance allows Councils and housing providers to use Local Lettings Policies to achieve a wide range of policy objectives.                                                                

6. The Local Lettings Policy Criteria

6.1 This applies to all rented properties on this development for re-letting.

6.2 emh homes are proposing a local lettings policy which reflects key features in order to ensure a sustainable, mixed and balanced community on this development.

6.3 The following enhanced vetting process will be used, through checks with previous landlords, police and other partner agencies (where appropriate). This is to encourage a balanced community at the scheme and work towards reducing recent issues relating to Anti-Social Behaviour and associated criminal activity. Properties may be refused: 

• to households with a history of anti-social behaviour or poor conduct of a previous tenancy. 

• to applicants, including household members, who have unspent convictions relating to crimes against persons or property, or a history of serious anti-social behaviour will not be accepted e.g. a history of violence and / or illegal drug use and / or alcohol abuse (who are not actively engaging with a support agency and/or making progress to address their substance misuse).  Initial suitability checks may be undertaken with police and other partner agencies (where appropriate)

• to households with a history of rent arrears. 

• to households that are unable to demonstrate affordability in respect of the rent, other charges and welfare reform implications. 

• to households that do not agree to an appropriate support plan where appropriate. 

• to households that cannot maintain their property condition as per the requirement of the tenancy agreement.

6.4 In order to develop a sustainable mix of occupants

• 50% of all lets will be offered to applicants with a Banding of C or D on the Home-Options choice based lettings system

• 50% of lets will be made in line with the allocations policy.

7. Refusal and appeal

7.1 The checks will be used to evaluate the sustainability of potential tenancies and of contribution to the overall mix of the scheme. The selection framework and checks employed may not be an automatic barrier to access. Where appropriate they will inform discussions with candidates in terms of their needs and vulnerability in order to explore suitable support plans. 

7.2 Applicants who are refused accommodation through the Local Lettings Policy will be advised of the reason in writing. If an applicant is not satisfied that the Local Lettings Policy has been administered correctly they can request a review of the decision by contacting emh homes. 

7.3 The review will be handled in accordance with the Complaints Policy. 

8. Review date

This Local Lettings Policy will be reviewed initially in 12 months and annually thereafter. 

9. Consultation

The policy was made available for consultation in August 2021 via this website. There were no responses so the draft policy was adopted.

10. Contact details

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

Victoria Roberts

Allocations Manager

Jubilee House

Whitwick Business Park

Stenson Road

Coalville

Leics

LE67 4NA

Telephone:  0300 123 6000

E mail: allocations@emhhomes.org.uk