Home Group Local Letting Policies

Local Letting Policy 1

PROPERTIES COVERED BY POLICY

  •  The Haven, Langley Park

CRITERIA

  1. Applicants with a local connection (as below) to Esh and Witton Gilbert Electoral Division (which Langley Park lies within) will first be prioritised above those without, regardless of banding priority (advertising will continue for 4 weeks for local connection applicants)
  2. After these applicants are prioritised, applicants with a connection to County Durham will be considered

The following criteria is in place- in line with the section 106 agreement: -

When an applicant or member of the applicant’s household (who is to be rehoused with the applicant) is:

  • Currently resident in the area for a minimum of 3 years

And/ or

  • Has had a period of 3 years permanent residence within the last 5 years

And/or

  • Has an essential need to live close to another person who has permanent residence in the area. This essential need applies to applicants who currently reside outside of the area who support or require support from someone who has been resident in the area for at least 3 years

And/or

  • Currently employed within the area. This is defined in line with DKO policy as in continuous full or part time work in the area for at least 12 months prior to the date of application. Part time work means a minimum of 2 full days per week.

Durham County Council has 100% nomination rights of the development. Therefore, all properties will be allocated through Durham Key Options.

EFFECTIVE DATE

  • November 2013

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Local Letting Policy 2

PROPERTIES COVERED BY POLICY

  •  Old Station Close, Fencehouses (11 x 2 bed houses, 7 x 3 beds)

CRITERIA

  1. Applicants with a local connection (as below) to Lumley Electoral Division (which Fencehouses lies in) will first be prioritised above those without, regardless of banding priority (advertising will continue for 4 weeks for local connection applicants)
  2. After these applicants are prioritised, applicants with a connection to County Durham will be considered

The following criteria is in place- in line with the section 106 agreement: -

When an applicant or member of the applicant’s household (who is to be rehoused with the applicant) is:

  • Currently resident in the area for a minimum of 3 years

And/ or

  • Has had a period of 3 years permanent residence within the last 5 years

And/or

  • Has an essential need to live close to another person who has permanent residence in the area. This essential need applies to applicants who currently reside outside of the area who support or require support from someone who has been resident in the area for at least 3 years

And/or

  • Currently employed within the area. This is defined in line with DKO policy as in continuous full or part time work in the area for at least 12 months prior to the date of application. Part time work means a minimum of 2 full days per week.

Durham County Council has 100% nomination rights on the first allocation of the development. All 18 properties will be allocated through Durham Key Options.

EFFECTIVE DATE

  • October 2014

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Local Letting Policy 3

PROPERTIES COVERED BY POLICY

  •  Youll Close, Thornley (6 x 2 bed bungalows, 11 x 2 bed houses, 6 x 3 bed houses)

CRITERIA

  1. Applicants with a local connection (as below) to Thornley Parish will first be prioritised (for two weeks advertising) above those without, regardless of banding priority
  2. After these applicants are prioritised, applicants with a connection to the adjoining parishes will be considered (up to a further two weeks advertising)
  3. After these applicants are prioritised, applicants with a local connection to the former district of Easington will then be prioritised above those with no such connection (for a further period of 6 weeks)
  4. All other applicants will then be considered from County Durham (after 10 weeks advertising in total)

The following criteria is in place- in line with the section 106 agreement: -

When an applicant or member of the applicant’s household (who is to be rehoused with the applicant) is:

  • Currently resident in the area for a minimum of 3 years

And/ or

  • Has had a period of 3 years permanent residence within the last 5 years

And/or

  • Has an essential need to live close to another person who has permanent residence in the area. This essential need applies to applicants who currently reside outside of the area who support or require support from someone who is resident in that area

And/or

  • Currently employed within the area. This is defined in line with DKO policy as in continuous full or part time work in the area for at least 12 months prior to the date of application. Part time work means a minimum of 2 full days per week.

Durham County Council has 100% nomination rights on the first allocation of the development. All 23 properties will be allocated through Durham Key Options. For subsequent lets, 60% must be allocated through Durham Key Options.

All applicants wishing to be shortlisted for the bungalows must need this property type. This aspect is not covered by the s106, so will be in line with DKO Policy ie only applicants 60+ years old or with a medical need requiring a bungalow, will be shortlisted for bungalows. The criteria above i) to iv) will then still apply.

EFFECTIVE DATE

  • February 2015

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Local Letting Policy 4

PROPERTIES COVERED BY POLICY

  •  Holby Garth, Browney Lane (7 x 2 bed houses, 4 x 3 bed houses) and Longhill Court (6 x 2 bed houses, 2 x 3 bed houses)

CRITERIA

  1. Applicants with a local connection (as per below) to Brandon and Byshottles Parish or its adjoining parishes, will first be prioritised above those without, regardless of banding priority
  2. After these applicants are prioritised, applicants with a local connection to the former district of Durham City will then be prioritised above those with no such connection (these applicants will only be considered after 4 weeks of advertising)
  3. All other applicants will then be considered from County Durham
  4. If no applicants are found with a connection to County Durham, applications will be considered from those outside of County Durham

The following criteria is in place- in line with the section 106 agreement: -

When an applicant or member of the applicant’s household (who is to be rehoused with the applicant) is:

  • Currently resident in the area for a minimum of 3 years

And/ or

  • Has had a period of 3 years permanent residence within the last 5 years

And/or

  • Has an essential need to live close to another person who has permanent residence in the area. This essential need applies to applicants who currently reside outside of the area who support or require support from someone who is resident in that area

And/or

  • Currently employed within the area. This is defined in line with DKO policy as in continuous full or part time work* in the area for at least 12 months prior to the date of application. Part time work means a minimum of 2 full days per week.

Durham County Council has 100% nomination rights on this development. All 19 properties will be allocated through Durham Key Options initially and then re-lets thereafter.

EFFECTIVE DATE

  • December 2015 (Holby Garth) and September 2017 (Longhill Court)

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Local Letting Policy 5

PROPERTIES COVERED BY POLICY

  •  Barley Gate, Vigo Lane, Birtley 

CRITERIA

  1. Applicants with a local connection (as per below) to North Lodge Parish or its adjoining parishes, will first be prioritised above those without, regardless of banding priority
  2. After these applicants are prioritised, applicants with a local connection to the former district of Chester-le-Street will then be prioritised above those with no such connection (these applicants will only be considered after 4 weeks of advertising to applicants who may have a connection to the areas listed above in point 1.)
  3. All other applicants will then be considered from County Durham but only if the properties have been advertised for 6 weeks and are not allocated to applicants meeting the connection in points 1 or 2 above.

The following criteria is in place- in line with the section 106 agreement: -

When an applicant or member of the applicant’s household (who is to be rehoused with the applicant) is:

  • Currently resident in the area for a minimum of 3 years

And/or (as agreed between Home and Durham County Council in addition to the section 106 agreement)

  • Has an essential need to live close to another person who has permanent residence (min 3 years) in the area. This essential need applies to applicants who currently reside outside of the area who support or require support from someone who is resident in that area

And/or (as agreed between Home and Durham County Council in addition to the section 106 agreement)

  • Currently employed within the area. This is defined in line with DKO policy as in continuous full or part time work* in the area for at least 12 months prior to the date of application. Part time work means a minimum of 2 full days per week.

Durham County Council has 100% nomination rights on initial and subsequent allocations of the development. Therefore, all properties will be allocated through Durham Key Options.

EFFECTIVE DATE

  • October 2018

Local Letting Policy 6

PROPERTIES COVERED BY THE POLICY

  • Windlestone Point, Chilton

CRITERIA

The new family homes are to be let to an eligible person through the Durham Key Options Letting Policy.

An eligible person being defined as:

  1. Someone who does not have a financial interest in any other property, is not able to resolve their housing need on the open market and needs affordable housing.
  2. No applicants who are homeowners who are not moving due to financial hardship, structural safety, medical reasons or threat of abuse.  No applicants who are landlords or private properties.

In addition to the criteria of being an eligible person, the 8 new properties will only be let through the DKO Letting Policy to an eligible person with a local connection.

  1. Applicants with a local connection (as per below) to the Chilton, Windlestone, Spennymoor, Ferryhill or Bradbry and the Isle wards, will first be prioritised above those from the wider County Durham area.

Local connection is defined as any of the following:

  1. A period of 3 years permanent residence within the last 5 years in the wards of Chilton, Windlestone, Spennymoor, Ferryhill, Bradbury and the Isle, or County Durham; or
  2. An essential need to live close to another person who has permanent residence of more than 12 months in the wards of Chilton, Windlestone, Spennymoor, Ferryhill, Bradbury and the Isle or County Durham, the essential need arising from age or caring responsibility; or 
  3. A person who is employed (for at least 12 months before the date of application) in in the wards of Chilton, Windlestone, Spennymoor, Ferryhill, Bradbury and the Isle or County Durham.

For the 8, three and four bedroom houses a proportionate quota system across bands will be used to ensure fair and equitable allocations for applicants whilst also offering choice to those who want to move. This quota is detailed below:

  1. Band 1: 3 homes – 1 x 3-bedroom and 2 x 4-bedroom (urgent housing need – homeless applicants etc.)
  2. Band 2: 2 homes – 2 x 4-bedroom (highest number of applicants)
  3. Band 3: 2 homes – 2 x 4-bedroom
  4. Band 4: 1 home – 1 x 4-bedroom

If no applicable bids are received that meet the quota system for the houses, which is unlikely, then the allocation will be made to the next applicable bid in the closest higher band e.g. where there is no eligible Band 3 bid, the property will be allocated to the next appropriate bid in Band 2.

Occupation Rules

  1. The preference on first advert will be given to applicants with need of all bedrooms to make best use of this stock to meet local housing need. Under-occupation by a maximum of 1 bedroom will be allowed if no applicable bids are received.
  2. Homes will be let not exceeding the maximum occupancy levels stipulated on the property adverts.

Exclusions

  1. All applicants will be subject to tenant referencing and will include relevant background checks prior to any offer being made in accordance with the Durham Key Options Policy.
  2. Applicants and occupants will not be considered if there are any records of anti-social behaviour within the last five years, or if the applicants and occupants hold any relevant unspent convictions as set out in the Durham Key Options Letting Policy
  3. In addition, Home Group have included within the LLP the exclusions from within their own allocations policy which sets out specific convictions and behaviours including previous property abandonment. For transparency purposes a link to the Home Group Allocations Policy is included within the LLP for applicants to access and read.
  4. Applicants will have an affordability assessment and home visit completed when completing these checks for verification and to assess property condition. Any properties deemed poor standard due to tenant responsibility will deem the applicant ineligible.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

  • July 2026 for first lets only.

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