[KF] Affordable rural homes in thousands of newly designated 'protected' areas will be safeguarded for future generations of first time buyers under new provisions announced by Housing Minister Ian Austin.
" />
[KF] Affordable rural homes in thousands of newly designated 'protected' areas will be safeguarded for future generations of first time buyers under new provisions announced by Housing Minister Ian Austin.
In rural areas where replacing affordable housing is difficult, new shared ownership properties will have to remain shared ownership to ensure future buyers also have a chance to step on to the property ladder.
Generally, shared owners can staircase up to full ownership. But in some rural areas it is incredibly hard to replace homes that become fully owned and are subsequently sold on the open market.
Under new powers in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, more than 13,000 small rural settlements will now be designated 'protected' areas across England. These will be areas where land to build new affordable homes is severely limited, or where it is not possible to buy existing properties for shared ownership because of the small size of the housing market.
Shared ownership properties in these 'protected' areas will be retained by either restricting to 80% the share owners can buy, or allowing owners to acquire up to 100% but ensuring the provider, for example a housing association, buys the property back to retain it for future purchasers.
Shared ownership has already helped thousands of first time buyers onto the property ladder by allowing them to buy a share of a property from a housing association and then pay rent on the remaining share.
The provisions allow organisations and companies, other then housing associations, to provide shared ownership properties, while benefiting from the same protections as housing associations with leasehold properties that owners wish to staircase up to full ownership.
The Minister also announced proposals for boosting the Government's support for Community Land Trusts (CLTs) - to help ensure more are set up to provide much needed affordable housing.
CLTs are private bodies that own or control land and assets for the benefit of the community. This mainly involves providing shared ownership or social rented homes on land provided by the CLT. Support for these Trusts will now go even further to help enable more grass roots development.
A £500,000 grant is being made to the charity Carnegie UK to further develop the CLT sector by developing a trade body, launching a website with portal and forum to provide information on creating a Trust and providing training courses for professionals working for lenders, local authorities, etc. Carnegie UK will also look at sources of finance and set up a steering group of lenders, local authorities and housing associations to drive forward the sector.
The HCA will explore the role of local authorities in developing affordable housing through CLTs and commission a study to examine the non-cash benefits CLTs bring about.
Secure Future for Rural Housing
Under new powers in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, more than 13,000 small rural settlements across England will be designated 'protected' areas.
restricting to 80% the share owners can buy, or
allowing owners to acquire up to 100% but ensuring the provider (e.g. a housing association) buys the property back to retain it for future purchasers.
Housing Minister, John Healey and Transport Minister, Sadiq Khan announced £30 million for transport projects to support thousands of extra homes being built across the country over the coming months.
Funding from the Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) will help fund transport links to support the building of extra homes for first time buyers, families and people on waiting lists.
This supports commitments set out in the Prime Minister's Building Britain's Future plans, and the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge announced earlier this month, to build an additional 20,000 new affordable energy efficient homes over the next two years - and a further 10,000 homes for open market sale through the private sector. Building work is due to start in the coming months.
Twelve schemes across the country are being paid for by CIF, nine of which are improved public transport or walking and cycling routes, as part of the commitment to sustainable transport and reducing carbon emissions. These are in addition to the 42 existing CIF2 schemes that have been previously announced.
The problem of empty homes in Wales is highlighted in a new report produced jointly by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Shelter Cymru. The report reveals that at least 26,000 privately owned homes in Wales have been empty for six months or more and showcases some of the innovative ways that empty properties are being brought back in to use.
The report was launched by National Assembly presiding officer and local Assembly Member Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas at the National Eisteddfod in Bala.
John Pritchard, Policy and Research Manager at Shelter Cymru said:
"Shelter Cymru is pleased to have worked in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru to produce this policy briefing on empty homes in Wales.
"With the lack of affordable homes across Wales and the difficulties that many people are facing in accessing either owner-occupied or rented sectors, it is important that we make use of the existing stock to contribute to the supply of affordable homes in local communities."
As well as raising awareness of the current situation around empty homes, the report also gives advice to local authorities and housing associations on how they can work together to make use of such properties and maximise their regeneration potential.
Vikki Hiscocks, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at CIH Cymru said:
"The ability to offer a broad, flexible range of options to the owners of empty properties is a key success factor. There is some excellent work going on across Wales to try and make better use of the existing housing stock, but there is still more that could be done.
"We hope this briefing supports the housing sector in Wales to make the most of the tools that are available to it in addressing empty homes and challenges local authorities to put the appropriate resources and commitment behind this important issue."
For a copy of the publication - Empty Properties: Making the Most of the Existing Stock - contact Victoria Hiscocks, Policy and Public Affairs Officer on 029 20711132.
Mercian Housing Association
A housing scheme of mainly two bedroom homes is to open in Coventry. Originally built for private sale by Cassidy Developments, the scheme has been bought by Mercian Housing Association using money from a Government initiative to bring into use property that was built for sale, but because of the economic downturn, cannot be sold.
In an initiative developed by Coventry Council, the scheme is being used to entice people over 55 to consider down-sizing from their three or four bedroom housing association homes, especially if sons or daughters have now moved on.
Williamson Court in Earlsdon has been funded with the aid of a grant of £4.175 million from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The scheme involves Mercian Housing Association and is being co-ordinated by Coventry City Council.
The scheme consists of 46 units of 40 x two bed units and 6 x one bed units for people over 55. There is also a separate block of 6 units (all two bedrooms) that is for the use of residents with learning difficulties.
__________
Selwood Housing
Seven families are expecting lower energy bills this coming winter thanks to a new development of energy efficient affordable homes from Selwood Housing.
The Housing Association has developed three two-bedroom houses and four three-bedroom houses at Lambrok Road in Trowbridge, all with energy efficient measures, including solar panels, water butts, composters, high levels of insulation and segregated recycling bins.
The development cost in the region of £900,000 and was jointly funded by Selwood Housing and the Homes & Communities Agency.
The new homes have been let through Wiltshire Council's Homes4Wiltshire scheme.
HCA - Leigh
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has given the green light for the multi-million pound transformation of a former colliery site to start this Autumn.
Funding will now be released from a £19.14 million pot to enable major regeneration work to commence at the Bickershaw Colliery site near Leigh, which closed in 1992 and is now part of the HCAs National Coalfields Programme - a major regeneration programme designed to breathe new life into derelict coalfield communities across England.
Derelict land will be used to create 650 homes, a 40 berth canal boat marina and 2,750 sq m of employment space, which will include high quality food and drink venues.
Bickershaw South was announced as a Carbon Challenge site in November 2007 - a government initiative aimed at accelerating the building industry's response to the 2016 target for all new housing to be zero carbon. To help achieve this, a 2MW wind turbine is proposed to provide energy for the development.
The North West Development Agency will invest the funding on behalf of the HCA. Later phases of the site re-development will include the creation of a country park, 18-hole golf course, driving range and an outdoor activity centre at Bickershaw North, known as The Rushes. It is hoped funding will be secured when the economic climate improves.
__________
Shropshire Housing Group
A Shropshire social landlord has welcomed news that a crucial development is now clear to go ahead, after a dispute over the land that has cost the organisation in excess of £30,000.
Plans for 76 new homes, including sheltered housing, on a site known as Ashbrook Farm, at Church Stretton, have been on hold because of objections from a small group of town residents. A 'Village Green' application from those residents, aimed at keeping the area as communal ground, was due to be heard by an independent barrister in September, but it has now been withdrawn.
The news that the development is free to go ahead has been welcomed both by Shropshire Housing Group and those who will benefit from the new homes because their current accommodation does not meet their needs for the future.
But Shropshire Housing Group chief executive, Martin Holland, said the delays had been unnecessarily costly and had caused distress to residents waiting for high quality new housing. He added:
"Interest charges, legal expenses and the inevitable increase in development costs have all contributed to the extra cost, yet the amount of grant received from central government is fixed.
"Whilst this is a major disappointment, even more worrying is the additional distress and confusion for the elderly residents of Windsor Place who will be moving to the new development.
"Fortunately we are now clear to move forward and the important thing is to pull out all the stops with the building work to provide these new, high quality homes that will be an asset to the community."
The new properties will be built by South Shropshire Housing Association, part of the Shropshire Housing Group, who have main offices in Wem and Craven Arms.
The Group focuses on providing well-built and sustainable homes, many of which are targeted at allowing older people and new families to stay in the communities they are part of, rather than being priced out of the area by the housing market.
__________
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Plans have been unveiled to build 22 homes to kick start Staffordshire Moorlands District Council's long-awaited affordable housing programme. It has pledged to build 600 affordable houses over the next five years.
The Council has agreed an alliance with the Harvest Housing Group, owner of Moorlands Housing, to provide high-quality accommodation to buy or rent at affordable prices. Extra-care housing for the elderly is also planned.
The first site chosen to start the building project is the former council depot in Allen Street, Cheadle. Plans are also expected for Moorlands Housing's former garage site in Thorncliffe View, Leek, and for an older people's village on the former British Trimmings site in Vicarage Road, Leek.