Flow of new affordable homes is set to increase
SITE VIABILITY has raised some challenges but new homes have started being delivered in Calderdale by a partnership between the council and a social housing provider.
In 2018 Calderdale Council entered into a partnership with Together Housing to deliver a range of good quality homes to meet needs in the borough with a key objective to drive forward a major council regeneration scheme at Beech Hill, Halifax.
It works by the council identifying land in its ownership and transferring it to Together at less than market value, taking a wider view that new affordable homes are desirable and each generates a New Homes Bonus from the Government for the council. The council is guaranteed £5,000 for each new home built, bringing in £1.6 million for the authority over the lifetime of the five year partnership which began in 2018.
Calderdale has identified a list of priority sites which are either “brownfield” or have been identified as potential sites in the draft Local Plan, which is in the process of being examined.
Beech Hill, which involved the demolition of some former blocks of flats, proved technically complex and challenging but following £22 million development costs to date, 105 new energy-efficient affordable homes for rent will result, also bringing forward “viable options” for existing homes on the estate, the council’s CFAM Asset Management Board heard.
In all 65 homes have been delivered at six sites across Calderdale, with another 188 either on site or due to start imminently.
On projects completed or “on site” 88 per cent of all homes are for affordable rent and 12 per cent for shared ownership.
Six sites are at appraisal stage, and will house around 185 new homes, while a start on site is imminent at Beech Hill, the board heard.
Coun Bryan Smith (Lab, Ovenden) queried whether the £5,000 the council received for each home, accepting some sites were more difficult to develop than others, was now enough.
The council was rated sixth out of 20 overall when all the key performance indicators are taken into account.
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