Council Houses « Property Insurance News

Archive for the ‘Council Houses’ Category

Older Residents Set to Benefit from New Housing Development

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

One of the biggest housing associations in the United Kingdom has announced their plans to build 186 affordable homes which will be specifically designed to appeal to older residents. Within the next two weeks, Orbit Homes will submit their formal planning application to Warwick District Council to build the £26 million independent living complex in Leamington.

Both Orbit Homes and their partner in the scheme (Coventry-based Deeley Group) believe the site is perfectly located for this type of development. The project is on the site of a former factory and has been empty for over a decade. Local residents have been invited to a meeting to get a preview of the housing development aimed at the over 55s. The new complex will also include a restaurant, hairdressing salon, IT suite and café which will all be available for use by the whole community.

Lorraine Mansfield, Orbit’s business development manager, said “Our Independent Living with Care schemes are designed to help local people remain independent in their own home, providing a place where they can enjoy a real community spirit with like-minded people. We believe this will be a valuable addition to the area. Similar schemes have proved to be widely popular in other parts of the region.”

For the past year the Deeley Group and Orbit’s Heart of England division have been having “constructive” dealings with the district council and local landlords who will be buying fifty of the new homes on the understanding that they must be rented out to older tenants and be protected with landlord insurance. Any private landlords who add one of the new properties to their portfolio must sign a contract with the council that states if they do not stick to the contract, the council can buy the property back. Members of the council’s review board all appear to broadly welcome the proposals and if they give the green light for the development, work will be started by the end of the year. When the work is completed the development will employ around fifty people and everyone involved feels confident it will be a significant addition to the neighbourhood, not just for much needed jobs but also for local housing.

Tags: Affordable homes, Deeley Group, Housing Development Plan, landlords, Orbit Homes, tenants, Warwick District Council
Posted in Council Houses, landlord insurance, tenants | No Comments »

Tenants Move into New Council Eco-Friendly Bungalows

Monday, May 14th, 2012

A Staffordshire family of three are delighted with their new home which has been built by their council to help meet a chronic shortage of housing for those with special needs. Hannah and Stephen Lowe have moved into the bungalow with their 16-year-old son, Josh. Their new home is one of seventeen eco-homes built in the area as part of a £1.8 million project to meet the demand for two-bedroom bungalows.

Building work on the bungalows finished in April and all of the homes which come complete with solar panels, under-floor heating and wet room bathrooms, have been allocated to those who need them most. Sixteen year old Josh suffers from hypoplastic anaemia from inadequately functioning bone marrow and at times needs a wheelchair to get around; his parents needed a home which could be adapted to his needs. The bungalow is ideal because he no longer has to negotiate stairs and can also manoeuvre his wheelchair through the wider doorways and hallway.

Mr Lowe said: “We had lived in a town house in Burslem for 14 years and it was very difficult for Josh to use the stairs. We were also spending up to £800 a quarter on electricity, so we really appreciate having a bungalow like this. It also benefits us in terms of it being eco-friendly. Josh’s condition means he needs to be kept warm and we are able to do that now at a cheaper rate. We are glad we have somewhere to call our permanent home.”

The new homes have been purpose-built for elderly and disabled residents and are the first properties to be built by Stoke-on-Trent City Council for twenty-five years. The innovative design of the properties has not adversely affected property insurance premiums and landlord and tenant alike are delighted with the finished homes. The concept behind the building scheme was not to create a new community but to bring families into existing ones. The overall view is that the plan has been a resounding success.

Tags: bungalow scheme, Council Houses, eco-friendly, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent City Council, tenants
Posted in Council Houses, Property Insurance, tenants | No Comments »

Dudley to Get New Council Housing Thanks to HCA Money

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

More affordable houses are coming to the West Midlands town of Dudley as approval for the first new council homes in two decades was given after Dudley Council was awarded £4million from the Coalition Government’s Home and Communities Agency (HCA).

Developers will build eighty new homes throughout the borough and the HCA are delighted to be supporting the local council with the investment to deliver new homes. The much needed homes will be of a high quality and cater for a range of different housing needs including supporting people with learning disabilities. The major projects for these new build council homes look set for completion towards the end of 2013 but some are expected to be finished in spring next year.

Dudley Councillor for housing, Adrian Turner said: “We are aiming to try and bring in as much affordable housing to the area as there has ever been for almost 100 years. We are continually developing sites, and so we will be eventually looking to replace every house. We are also looking to improve the state of homes for the elderly by installing more energy efficient systems that will help to keep temperatures warmer through winter months and keep fuel costs down. We are also working with private companies and investors to keep these improvements at a low cost, so people will not have to pay as much as they would have done, if we had gone commercially.”

Affordable housing is a problem for anyone looking to buy or rent a home, and the council hopes the scheme will dramatically reduce the housing waiting list in the Borough. The spending cuts imposed by Central Government on local authorities means that homes typically covered with landlord insurance by buy-to-let investors will have to take up some of the slack. However, the council has big plans for the regeneration of the borough. It seems Dudley’s efforts will be a welcome solution to the UK’s housing shortages, and should set the standard for other areas to follow.

Tags: Affordable homes, Dudley council, Home and Communities Agency, New homes
Posted in Council Houses, landlord insurance | No Comments »

Biggest Housing Development for Decades Planned for North Yorkshire

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

Plans have been revealed for 290 much needed new homes in Kirkbymoorside. The developer plans to build 240 houses which would include a number of affordable homes and another 50 apartments for elderly people with care needs.

The proposed scheme from Gladman Developments of Cheshire will be studied by local councillors, planners and residents who will discuss the effect it would have on the town. The developer will be posting out questionnaire leaflets throughout the town publicising the exhibition about the scheme taking place at Kirkbymoorside Primary School. The developers will also be giving a private presentation to the entire council.

A spokesman for the developers said: “The questionnaire is an opportunity for the public to tell us what is important to them and, if built, what they would want to see in the development. We want to get feedback from residents about the demand for first homes, affordable homes and community facilities. Kirkbymoorside has been assessed by Ryedale District Council as one of the towns where further residential development should be suitably accommodated. We are consulting with a number of organisations and groups including community organisations, Ryedale District Council, schools, doctors, the Highways Authority and affordable housing providers.”

The council currently has a need for 256 new affordable homes per year and Gladman confirmed the development would provide up to 80 such homes which the council could use to reduce the council house waiting list. In addition it is anticipated that private landlords will be asking for property insurance quotes on a number of the buildings which will also mean those looking for accommodation will get the chance to take up a tenancy in the private sector. The development will contain ample open space and recreational facilities and the proposed site will be easily accessible to existing amenities and the public transport network. Mayor Chris Dowey is delighted with the proposals which mean local people will be able to stay in the town rather than having to move away to find a home. Even though it is still early days, it is obvious that the scheme is going to have a huge impact on the town.

Tags: Affordable homes, landlords, North Yorkshire, Property development, social housing
Posted in Care Homes, Council Houses, Property Insurance | No Comments »

Clean Up Operation Welcomed by Tenants

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

Bromley Council along with other key members of the Safer Bromley Partnership removed eight tonnes of rubbish in one day from the Groves Estate in Penge. Fence panels, fridges, doors and rubble were just a few of the items removed during the clean-up campaign.

The council were joined by the safer neighbourhood team and housing association Affinity Sutton, who helped out by removing two and a half tons of rubbish and painting over six square metres of graffiti from the estate. The London Probation Service also got involved by running a community payback operation that saw offenders carry out work to help improve both the estate and the environment. The clean-up was just one of a series of action days that will be taking place throughout the borough in an effort to tackle low level crime such as graffiti, fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles.

Public protection and safety portfolio holder, Councillor Tim Stevens, said “Clean-ups such as these give a good kick start, making an area much more pleasant to live in while providing a firm foundation for local businesses and residents to carry on the good work to help keep the area clean in the future. Meanwhile, police have the chance to gather intelligence about those who might be held responsible for the crimes such as dumping builders’ rubble on the estate.”

One of the problems is that the estate is partly owned by the housing association Affinity Sutton and partly by Bromley Council who between them have thousands of properties protected with buy-to-let insurance. This means it has been very difficult to work out who is responsible for repairs and what land is owned by whom. The one thing that everyone agrees with is the smarter they make the estates look then the more residents will care about them.

Tags: Affinity Sutton, Bromley Council, Clean Up Campaign, Community, crime, Housing Association
Posted in Buy-to-Let Insurance, Council Houses, tenants | No Comments »

Social Landlord to Begin Renovation of Their Properties

Monday, March 5th, 2012

West Lancashire Council have announced that they will be providing £8m worth of investment to replace windows and improve energy efficiency measures in the Lancashire town of Skelmersdale. The much needed improvements will be part-funded by an 8% rent increase for tenants.

Half of the funds will be used to replace the remainder of the single-glazed windows in the council owned properties with double-glazing. A further £1.5m will be put towards installing central heating in the flats which use storage heaters and putting new boilers into the properties which need them. The funds will also be invested in green energy schemes with the long term aim of making the council one of the best landlords in the country. The council own thousands of properties that are protected by landlord insurance and these improvements are just the start of a much bigger upgrade programme.

Councillor Adrian Owens said: “This amounts to a new era for housing as well as being excellent news for tenants, the wider community and the local economy. The increase in rent, which is a result of a change to the way council housing is funded by central government, is just part of our bold financial approach to make sure that tenants will benefit as much as possible. Looking further ahead we have identified a need for a total of £55m in improvements during the next five years to upgrade homes to the standard that meets tenants’ aspirations.”

The council’s original plan to demolish two-hundred properties in the area has been abandoned due to it being no longer viable. Instead the council is determined to revitalise and enhance the area and they will be putting together a business plan to tackle this. They are also hopeful that any construction scheme will help to create new jobs, including a number of apprenticeships. Residents will be consulted on any new schemes which are aimed at improving houses, gardens and the local environment.

Tags: Council Properties, landlord insurance, landlords, Skelmersdale, West Lancashire Council
Posted in Council Houses, landlord insurance | No Comments »

Rent increase to pay for council plan to buy back housing

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Rugby Borough Council is very close to buying back former properties from Central Government and it could mean a weekly rent rise of 5% for tenants. It has also been revealed that the council will be taking on £75million of debt when the agreement takes place.

The council will have to make a one-off payment in order to buy them out of the national funding scheme for council housing. They, like any other council in England have no choice but to do so at a price that is determined by those in Whitehall. However, it does mean that Rugby Council will be able to invest all of the future rents to both repay the debt and improve the homes for the existing tenants. Tenants are certain to see their rent increase during each of the next five years to help pay off the debt.

Councillor Leigh Hunt said: “Whereas the council understands that a rent increase in these difficult economic times would be difficult for many people, we must set rents at a level that will reduce our debt costs, cover our UK property insurance and allow us to invest in council homes. Our rents are still significantly below market rents in the private sector, which are also rising. Government’s November estimate of the debt is higher than its last one, and although the final rents for next year will not be set until full council meets in February, when the final figure will be available, my advice to tenants is to prepare for further rent increases.”

Tenants are angry about the proposed rent increases, with most of the working tenants paying about £326 each month for their council accommodation and they are quite rightly worried about the future increases. Despite working many are struggling with increasing utility bills and also an increase in food shopping.

Tags: Council Houses, Housing, property, rent, Rugby Borough Council, tenants
Posted in Council Houses, Property Insurance | No Comments »

Residents plan to continue fight with council

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Two groups of housing campaigners have come together with the aim of getting local council bosses to change their minds over the development of thousands of new properties throughout the borough.

The (NAAG) Northern Arc Action Group and the (CVAG) Crowthorne Village Action Group have between them produced a “Residents’ Charter” in the hope of forcing Bracknell Forest Council to go back to the drawing board with their plans. However, the council have revealed that this will never happen because it would cost around £1 million to start again from scratch. The council’s executive has this week given the go-ahead for the development, meaning that residents will now only be able to object on matters of planning and not principle. The plans will see a large increase in housing around Binfield and Crowthorne, and although the groups realise that both property investors with an interest in landlord insurance and young couples looking for their first home have a case they believe the project should be more spread out.

Nigel Rennie, chairman of NAAG, said “Residents are outraged at the prospect of losing Blue Mountain because it’s also a popular community exercise area, and a natural green gap with lovely views between the rural village and the town of Bracknell. Gridlocking traffic, felling 20,000 trees and destroying an excellent golf course and conference centre won’t help attract employers to Bracknell. It won’t fill the empty office blocks and so won’t help the long overdue town centre regeneration.”

Despite the lack of support from the council the protesters intend to carry on with their objections insisting they just want to see a sound development plan which is more acceptable to the majority of people who live in the villages on the cusp of the development sites.

Tags: landlord insurance, Property Market, Residents
Posted in Advice, Council Houses, Property Market, landlord insurance, tenants | No Comments »

Council plan to increase and keep their housing stock

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

Fears that Northumberland County Council will sell off social housing from HfN (Homes for Northumberland) if it took over its management, have been eased. If anything the council look set to be getting a bigger landlord insurance bill as they add more houses to those that they already own.

An in-principle deal will see the council take on both the management and maintenance of the social housing provider. At a recent residents meeting dozens of worried tenants articulated their fears to council leaders. Among the concerns raised by the tenants was the fear that the council will decide to sell the housing stock privately in the coming years. Residents also pointed out that when they switched to HfN, the council advised everyone that this was the best option. Now two years later, the county council is saying it will be better run if they ran it in-house, and everyone is worried that this too could change. The tenants requested a guarantee that the council will not take the properties back and then decide sell them on to another firm when they realise they can not cope with the extra 8,500 houses.

Councillor Gordon Castle said: “Selling off the housing stock is not on anyone’s agenda. Most of the people who work in the organisation would still be working in the organisation. For the most part, we would be retaining the vast majority of people that tenants are used to dealing with. It would still be called Homes for Northumberland and tenants would still contact the same telephone number and the same people.”

From 2012 each local authority will have to take on their own share of the national housing debt, which for Northumberland totals £94 million. Any company taking on the properties will need to take on the debt, which is much more than the value of the houses (currently estimated at £70million). The council have also assured all tenants that they will be at the heart of deciding what the rent money is spent on.

Tags: Council Houses, landlord insurance, property insurance
Posted in Advice, Council Houses, landlord insurance | No Comments »

Tenant told to find new home for her pets

Monday, August 1st, 2011

A council tenant in Leeds, who has devoted most of her life to caring for abandoned and feral cats, has been told by her landlord to get rid of them or she will be facing legal action.

Jackie Silcox currently looks after twenty-one cats in her one bedroom, ground floor flat in Ebor Gardens and uses a wheelchair whenever she is outside her home because of leg and back problems. Two years ago she contacted the local council to ensure there were no issues with her keeping so many pets; she was even visited by a housing official who assured her that there was no problem. In fact she claims the council were more concerned that she got planning permission for a large fence she wanted in her garden.

Ms Silcox said: “I don’t know how it started to be honest but I’ve been taking in cats for over 20 years. I had my own cats and people started bringing them because they knew I was a cat lover and wouldn’t turn any cat away. I have no problem coping with them. Once they are all fed and given a bit of love they all settle down.”

Despite saying there was no problem; East North East Homes who have thousands of properties which are all covered by cheap landlord insurance have given her a deadline of August 10th to get rid of all but two of the cats. The council say that Ms Silcox’s tenancy agreement clearly states that she is allowed to keep up to two cats in her home. They have given a previous warning and have now offering her a reasonable amount of time for her to find new homes for the other 19 cats. The landlords are also worried about the health hazards which could affect the welfare of other residents within the flats.

Tags: cats, cheap landlord insurance, East North East Homes, Leeds, Legal action, pets, tenants
Posted in Council Houses, landlord insurance, tenants | No Comments »