Local Lettings Plan Pines Court, Bakers Corner and East Street Flats North Dorset District Council and Spectrum Housing Group Date: 4 th January 2016 V 1 Local Letting Plan Pines Court, East Street Flats & Bakers Corner Page 1
1.0 Introduction Pines Court, East Street Flats and Bakers Corner are three schemes in the town centre of Blandford Forum. The schemes are known for having a bad reputation through ASB and crime; the police are regularly called to the schemes. As a consequence Spectrum Housing have difficulty at times in letting the properties when they become available. Scheme Pines Court East Street Flats The Bakery Bakers Corner Property Type 1 5 x two bedroom houses 1 x two bedroom flats 1 x one bedroom house 1 x two bedroom house 6 x one bedroom flats With 28 of the properties being one bedroom flats they are under single occupation and are usually let to young adults in need of their first property. The properties are often let to residents who have come out of shared supported accommodation who are starting up their first home on their own. There have been previous issues with anti social behaviour concerning music being played loudly, drug usage and residents causing a disturbance to other residents. The Dorset Allocation Policy enables Local Letting Plans to be agreed for the allocation of properties in particular circumstances. North Dorset District Council (NDDC) and Spectrum Housing Group (Spectrum) have agreed to a Local Lettings Plan (the Plan) for Pines Court, Bakers Corner and East Street Flats. This Local Lettings Plan (LLP or the Plan) may be revised at any time with the agreement of NDDC and Spectrum Housing. The Plan will be published on Home Choice (http://homechoice.dorsetforyou.com/dorsethomechoice). Due to the high density of properties on the estate, it has been identified by North Dorset District Council and Spectrum Housing as an estate that requires a local lettings plan to ensure that housing management issues do not become prevalent such as: Anti Social Behaviour Breaches of tenancy Nuisance High level of Police attendance Difficult to let properties Areas of high deprivation. V 1 Local Letting Plan Pines Court, East Street Flats & Bakers Corner Page 2
Spectrum - offer an Assured Shorthold Starter tenancy for the first year of tenancy and this is converted to an Assured tenancy after a year providing there are no breaches in tenancy. 2.0 Aim of the Local Lettings Plan The aim of the Local Lettings Plan is to achieve and maintain a balanced and sustainable community, in order to: Allocate properties to those in housing need Create a local thriving and sustainable community Protect the public and residents from nuisance/anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the area Reduce potential breaches of tenancy Reduce turnover and potential refusals of properties Promote a sense of pride and sense of community. The Plan aims to support the Council s allocations policy and ensure best use is made of the social housing stock in the area while developing a sustainable community. Allocation of the properties will continue to be made via Dorset Homechoice and adverts of properties will reference the LLP. The existence of the Plan may mean that vacancies will not always be allocated to the applicant who can demonstrate the greatest housing need. Applicants with lower priority may be considered for an allocation if they fulfil the criteria set out in this LLP and may help maintain a stable community. This Plan will be for all initial lettings and re-lets at Pines Court, East Street Flats, The Bakery and Bakers Corner. At any time the Plan may be terminated and the Dorset Allocation Policy will apply. 3.0 Consultation In developing this Local Lettings Plan consultation has been undertaken with: North Dorset District Council Spectrum Residents South Wessex Community Forum Blandford Forum Safer Neighbourhoods Team Dorset Police 4.0 Lettings Priorities V 1 Local Letting Plan Pines Court, East Street Flats & Bakers Corner Page 3
Spectrum Housing and North Dorset District Council (NDDC) are committed to the principle that allocations will be made to those in greatest need, while giving due consideration to maintaining the balance of the community. All allocations will be made in accordance with the generality of the Dorset Allocation Policy as amended from time to time and agreed by local Housing Councils with Registered Providers. If a vacancy cannot be filled through this LLP then the property can be let in any way deemed appropriate by the housing provider in agreement with local authority. This may include re-advertising the property and removing any restrictions or preferences previously attached or making a direct offer. For all transferring social housing tenants their existing properties must be in a good decorative order, with a full assessment being undertaken by Spectrum Housing Group in accordance with its policies and procedures. Size of the property for the household will be; Applications will be assessed to determine the size of property that their household requires and this assessment will be different depending on the housing authority that you apply to. A household is defined as any other person who normally resides with the applicants as a member of his/her family or any other person who might reasonably be expected to reside with the applicant (Housing Act 1996) Household members living together as a couple will be assessed as requiring 1 bedroom, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Couples will be given priority to flats at both Bakers and Pines. Additional adults (defined as being 18 years old or over) living permanently in a household will require an extra bedroom. Please note that an additional bedroom would be allowed for household members in full time education where they are away from the home for term periods but have a need to return during holidays this allocation would be subject to the overall financial assessment process The following assessments about the ages and sex of children (who are under 18) who can share a bedroom, or who need separate bedrooms (except in exceptional circumstances): Children that are of different sexes and are more than 7 years apart separate room Children of different sexes where one or more is over 7 years separate room Two Children of the same sex under 18 years share 1 bedroom. V 1 Local Letting Plan Pines Court, East Street Flats & Bakers Corner Page 4
NDDC may nominate including an under occupancy, for example if a Local Connection (as defined in this Plan) is satisfied, which will then also be subject to affordability assessment and/or money/tenancy management. The nominee will have to abide by Spectrum Housing Groups own Allocation Policy in addition to this LLP. Spectrum will only offer a property if the applicant(s) attends the Money and Tenancy Management course, currently being offered as part of the North Dorset Universal Credit Pilot which may be adopted by the other Landlords. 5.0 Anti-social behaviour Applicants or member of their household with known anti-social behaviour that has occurred during the last five years will not be offered a property including: Where there is a potential risk to the household, neighbours, staff, or the wider community Where a current Notice of Intent to Seek Possession on the grounds of anti-social behaviour is in place Where any current action is being taken in respect of anti-social behaviour, for example an Anti Social Behaviour Contract Where there has been an eviction for anti-social behaviour Where a previous Anti-Social Behaviour Order or injunction has been obtained against the applicant or a member of their household Where a demotion of tenancy has been obtained Where there has been a conviction for actions that have directly caused issues of anti-social behaviour Where an applicant, or member of the household has a current conviction or caution related to anti-social behaviour or where there is a potential risk to the household, neighbours, or the wider community Where any applicant or member of the household is known to have current or previous convictions which may have a direct impact on the local community, offers of accommodation will be subject to a risk assessment prior to any decision being made Persons with a criminal record showing offences within the past 5 years (If these offences are of a minor nature, these can be disregarded, however, any offences related to violent crime, drug use or dealing, or the misuse of alcohol would exclude the applicant) Landlord references will be obtained prior to an offer being made Registered Providers reserve the right to refuse a nomination if it can be established that a serious breach of tenancy has occurred. V 1 Local Letting Plan Pines Court, East Street Flats & Bakers Corner Page 5
No applicant will be excluded from an offer of accommodation if the above occurred more than 5 years prior to the date of nomination, unless there is evidence of further incidents of anti-social behaviour. 6.0 Drug and Alcohol In addition to the issue regarding ASB, substance misuse has been a cause for concern for both Spectrum Housing Group and the Police and is recognised as a major contributing factor in ASB. Therefore accommodation will not be offered to any applicants who have a history of substance misuse within the last 2 years. However, if an applicant is regularly engaging with Support Services for at least 12 months and can prove that they have changed their behaviour the Registered Providers will consider those applicants. 7.0 Equality and Diversity In operating this Local Lettings Plan NDDC and Spectrum Housing Group will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, age or disability. 8.0 Criteria Summary Scheme Pines Court East Street Flats The Bakery Bakers Corner Property Type 1 5 x two bedroom houses 1 x two bedroom flats 1 x one bedroom house 1 x two bedroom house 6 x one bedroom flats Pines court 1, 5 x two bedroom houses, East Street 4 x one bedroom flats, 1 x two bedroom flat, The Bakery 1 x one bedroom house, 1 x two bedroom house and Bakers Corner 6 x one bedroom flats; 25% Reasonable preference (Emergency, Gold or Silver) 25% Actively working 16+ hours a week 25% Couples 25% Bronze The Bakery ; 25% Reasonable preference (Emergency, Gold or Silver) 50% Actively working 16+ hours a week 25% Bronze 9.0 Monitoring and Review V 1 Local Letting Plan Pines Court, East Street Flats & Bakers Corner Page 6
Nominations made under this Local Lettings Plan may necessitate consultation with various agencies (for example, Police, Locality CCG and DCC). Likewise, implications arising from the application of this Plan may necessitate multi-agency co-ordination; any of the signatories to the Plan may request such co-ordination. The plan will be reviewed annually but if partners agree that plan is required beyond 3 years this plan will need to be formally agreed again. The Local Lettings Plan may be revised at any time with the agreement of NDDC and Spectrum Housing Group. The Plan will be published on Home Choice (http://homechoice.dorsetforyou.com/dorsethomechoice). V 1 Local Letting Plan Pines Court, East Street Flats & Bakers Corner Page 7