Completions 2008-2011 (National Affordable Housing Programme)
The affordable housing completions for this three year period total 1270 new build homes with 70% rented and 30% shared ownership. The proportions were 52% flats/apartments and 48% houses over this period. This shows a marked improvement in the balance between the provision of affordable houses and flats.
The scale of inward invest in terms of grant funding for this provision was in excess of £55m with an additional £4.3m/154 homes for first time buyers in support of the general housing market.
The housing strategy 2008-2011 set a new build target of 300 affordable homes per annum but has achieved an average over this period of 423 affordable homes per annum (+41%). This is the result of a number of factors starting with the availability of sufficient housing sites, higher levels of grant funding and the downturn in the housing market that brought in extra affordable housing on offer from developers. The bulk of this provision has been achieved from the following sites: Skyline Plaza / Old Kempshott Lane / Marnel Park / John Hunt of Everest - Phase 1 / Bramley Green / Churchill Way West / Sherfield Park and the regeneration schemes of Longfellow Parade and Bishops Green. Part of the funding allocation has carried over into the Affordable Homes Programme 2011-2015.
| Sites |
Number of affordable homes |
| John Hunt of Everest - Phases 2 and 3 |
26 |
| Churchill Way West |
6 |
| Faroe / Maldives (Regeneration Scheme) |
173 |
| Bishops Green - Phase 3 |
29 |
| Brighton Hill (Newman Court) - Extra Care provision |
64 |
| Harts Lane Burghclere |
5 |
| Norris Land - Sherfield Park |
6 |
| Total |
309 |
2011-2012 Completions
The affordable completions for 2012-13 are confirmed at 22 units by registered providers and 1 x scheme of five units on similar terms to a rural exceptions provision ie to provide accommodation for retired estate workers and those with a local connection to the parish of Stratfield Saye at rents not exceeding social rent levels.
There is no single reason why affordable completions in the borough are at such a low level. This is due to a combination of factors including: the poor state of the housing market, the diminishing carryover of grant funding from the NAHP, the overall reduction in public subsidy and the changeover from a grant subsidy to investment based funding for registered providers and finally the need for strategic site allocations in terms of the new local plan.
| Sites |
Number of affordable homes |
| Park Prewett - Southern Area |
10 |
| Faroe / Maldives (regeneration scheme) |
10 |
| Broad view, Cliddesden (rural) |
2 |
| Stratfield Saye (rural exception equivalent by a private provider) |
5 |
| Total |
27 |
NB: The Stratfield Saye completions are not treated as part of the AHP Programme delivery
Affordable Homes Programme 2011-2015
The Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) is based on individual delivery contracts between the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the registered providers based on their operational areas. The total number of investment grant funded homes for the North Hants Local Investment Plan (LIP) area that includes Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, currently stands at 1187 homes of which 330 are still part of the indicative supply ie they remain to be confirmed and allocated funding.
The basis tenure split is 76% affordable rented (rents at up to 80% of local market rents including service charges) and 24% affordable home ownership. The delivery is based a blended mix of investment funded and nil grant (section 106) sites plus a set conversion sum of social rent re-lets to the new affordable rents. From February 2012 to March 2013 there have been 592 re-lets with 138 (23%) converted to the new affordable rent.
| Year |
Total Affordable Housing (gross) completions |
Rented |
Shared Ownership |
Flats / Apartments |
Houses / Bungalows |
| 2011-2012 |
309 |
191 |
118 |
201 |
108 |
| 2012-2013 |
22 |
18 |
4 |
13 |
9 |
| 2013-2014 |
99 |
|
|
|
|
| 2014-2015 |
194 |
|
|
|
|
| Totals (gross) completions |
624 / 156 per annum average |
|
|
|
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The estimates for 2013/14 to 2014/15 are based on current planning permissions and will change over the programme period.
Regeneration
Sentinel Housing Association in partnership with the council and the Homes and Communities Agency has a successful programme of regeneration projects with three completed schemes in Basingstoke and one rural based scheme at Bishops Green. These schemes together have delivered nearly 800 new build homes. Set out below is a summary table of these schemes with further information available on the Sentinel website.
| Scheme |
Demolition Numbers |
Scheme Numbers |
Scheme Cost |
Status |
| Oakridge - Norden |
144 flats |
299 mixed units including community halls / 5 shops / 1 public house |
£45m |
Completed 2006 |
| Longfellow Parade - Popley |
50 flats above shops |
99 mixed homes and 3 shops |
£15m |
Completed 2010 |
| Bishops Green (rural) |
95 mainly terraced housing |
148 mixed units / community hall and shop / open space and youth programme |
£20m |
Due to complete 2012 |
| Faroe / Maldives - Popley |
120 maisonettes |
240 mixed units with retail unit(s) |
£30m |
Due to complete 2013 - Balance of 30 units (Phase 4 to complete in 2013/14) |
| Freemantle / Taverner / Westray |
90 flats and maisonettes (69 in social rented tenure) |
190 mixed homes with 72 flats and 118 houses (2 to 4 beds) |
£25m |
DC Committee resolution to approve 10 April 2013. Due to complete 2016 |
The latest regeneration scheme at Freemantle / Taverner has an agreed tenure mix of 69 x social rented / 53 x affordable rent / 62 x shared ownership and 6 x equity swop.
Preferred Housing Association Partners
The borough council has selected a number of preferred partner housing associations to deliver its affordable housing programme. The preferred partners are listed in alphabetical order below:
Other registered providers with housing stock in the borough include: Aster / Guiness Trust / Home Group / Housing Solutions / Jephson / London & Quadrant / Raglan / Sanctuary
Radian is also the appointed Homebuy Agency for Hampshire until 13 March 2013. The web address is www.homesinhants.co.uk telephone number 023 8062 8004.
HomesinHants sets out different schemes for low cost home ownership. They are designed to help people in different situations find lasting and affordable ways of entering the property market in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. More details and a buyer's guide can be found on the HomesinHants website.
The new government initiative HELP TO BUY replaced FIRSTBUY from 1 April 2013.
Rural Exceptions Development
The Hampshire Alliance for Rural Affordable Housing (HARAH) was set up in 2005 to address the need for more affordable homes in the rural villages of Hampshire. Basingstoke and Deane is a founding member along with the five local authorities in central and north Hampshire. Hampshire County Council and the Housing Corporation (now Homes and Communities Agency) joined HARAH in 2007 and the New Forest National Park in 2009.
The rural housing enablers are based at Community Action Hampshire - www.actionhants.org.uk
For more details please visit the HARAH website - www.harah.org.uk
Hyde Housing association was selected in 2011 as HARAH's registered provider www.hydehousing.co.uk covering the period to March 2016 for the provision of rural affordable exception schemes in settlements of 3000 or less population. A number of rural exceptions schemes have been completed in Basingstoke and Deane, the last three being at Preston Candover, Charter Alley and Upton Grey.
Hyde has secure funding from the HCA to build 93 new homes in the HARAH area for the period 2011 to 2015. The rented homes will be at the new 'affordable rent' which can be up to 80% of the market rents. HARAH is committed to maintaining the affordability of social housing in Hampshire villages.
Further information
For more information on affordable housing schemes and delivery in general please email housing@basingstoke.gov.uk or telephone 01256 844844.
