BLACKPOOL HOUSING
STATEMENT
2009 - 2012
BLACKPOOL HOUSING STATEMENT
Purpose of this Housing Statement
It is an essential requirement of any strong and stable community that its residents
have access to decent and secure homes. Poor housing has an adverse affect an
individual’s physical and mental health, children living on substandard housing are less
likely to perform well at school and to achieve good qualifications. Conversely, a lack
of quality housing will fail to attract higher income earning households to underpin the
local economy. A balanced supply of good quality housing is therefore a key
component of any sustainable community and is essential for economic prosperity.
This Statement seeks to articulate what must be done for Blackpool’s housing supply
to meet the town’s aspiration for a strong and prosperous future. It sits within the
context of the Fylde Coast Housing Strategy which takes a broader view of the Fylde
Coast housing market. In turn, it sets the scene for the more focused Housing
Intervention Programme which will seek to actively restructure housing supply within
Blackpool’s inner areas.
The main focus of this Housing Statement is to ensure that the Council’s policy
framework and housing services are effectively aligned to meet the borough’s most
pressing housing needs, and to secure the delivery and maximise the benefits of the
Housing Intervention Programme and Housing Growth Point proposals.
Introduction
The housing supply within Blackpool’s inner area is acutely unbalanced, characterised
by an oversupply of poor quality private rented stock that includes at least 3,500
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and a lack of decent family accommodation for
rent and sale. This contrasts significantly with a relatively prosperous wider subregional market which provides good choice for higher income households but limited
options for people on lower incomes. The poor quality accommodation offered in inner
Blackpool allows people who are economically inactive from across the country easy
access to cheap accommodation. This housing market imbalance is acting as a brake
on economic development and is failing to meet residents’ needs and aspirations.
In response to the economic and housing market challenges facing Blackpool, the
following strategic objectives have been established:
Stabilise Blackpool’s population

Redress the housing market drivers that cause transience and social deprivation.

Create quality places and housing choices in the inner areas that are appropriate
to the needs and aspirations of families and reduce opportunities for lower income
single person households to moving in.
Provide a housing supply that supports economic growth and prosperity

Establish a balanced housing market that provides a choice of quality homes
people can afford in places they want to live

Create strong, vibrant and desirable neighbourhoods that contribute positively to
the image of Blackpool
To achieve this, fundamental structural change needs to be undertaken within
Blackpool’s housing market in order to create a strong housing offer that supports the
local economy and meets the needs and aspirations of local residents. In order to
engineer this change our overarching priorities will be to:

Reduce the oversupply of poor quality rented housing stock

Redefine neighbourhoods in the inner areas in order to create places where people
aspire to live.

Support and encourage housing growth and provide a range of quality and
aspirational housing choices.

Meet the housing and support needs and promote the independence of our most
vulnerable residents.
Strategic Housing Framework
Blackpool’s housing challenges are a legacy of its resort heritage; their
resolution is also therefore an essential element of regeneration plans.
Likewise, the delivery of the ambitious strategic objectives set out above cannot
be achieved in isolation but will only be achieved by placing the housing
agenda within broader economic and regeneration strategies at work across
the town and Fylde Coast. A framework to illustrate appropriate linkages and
policy relationships is set out below.
BLACKPOOL’S STRATEGIC HOUSING FRAMEWORK
Regional Housing Strategy
Blackpool
Strategic
Fylde
Coast MAA
Regeneration
Framework
Fylde Coast Housing Strategy
Blackpool
LAA
Blackpool
Blackpool Housing Statement
Sustainable
Communities
Strategy
Private
Housing
Planning
Supporting
Sector
Intervention
Strategy
Policy
Framework
People
Housing
Policy (RRO)
Neighbourhood
Working/AAP’s
Growth
Point Bid
Commissioning
Strategy
BCH Asset
Management Strategy
Blackpool’s Housing Priorities
Reduce the oversupply of poor quality rented housing stock
Key Issues
Blackpool has a unique and extreme set of housing and economic challenges initiated
by the towns changing fortunes as the UK’s largest seaside holiday resort. The town
grew rapidly at the turn of the twentieth century to accommodate large numbers of
holiday makers and guest house accommodation has gradually been forced to seek
alternative uses as visitor numbers have declined. In order to accommodate as many
guests as possible properties were commonly built over three or more storeys, on a
narrow foot print and with large rear outriggers. This built form means that options for
redevelopment are limited and by far the most economically viable solution for failing
guest houses is change of use to poor quality houses in multiple occupation.
The limited supply of affordable housing options across the Fylde Coast and the
attractiveness of Blackpool as a destination for low income and vulnerable households
from across the country create a steady demand for even the poorest quality
accommodation. Rents are commonly funded by Housing Benefit which can create
high rates of return for property owners. This dynamic has led to an extremely
unbalanced housing supply with housing choice in large parts of the inner area of
Blackpool being limited to poor quality privately rented bedsits and flats, or acquisition
of a guesthouse or house in multiple occupation (HMO), with very few options in
between. The limited offer means that there is restricted availability of family housing
and whilst many properties could potentially provide decent family homes, the poor
quality of the neighbourhoods mean that the more economically active households
choose more attractive residential areas elsewhere in Blackpool or across the Fylde
Coast.
This dynamic has created a dysfunctional housing market that has led to a
concentration of low income, vulnerable households, and a predominance of private
rented tenures in large areas of the town. The result is high levels of transience and
problems of crime, anti social behaviour, low educational attainment, worklessness
and neglected properties. These issues place further pressure on guesthouse owners
as the amenity and character of neighbourhoods decline. They find themselves being
less able to compete in a declining market and struggle to meet rising customer
expectations; the result is that many guesthouses are unviable and no longer fit for
purpose.
The housing issues are therefore intrinsically linked to the economic future of the town.
The poor quality of the housing offer and detrimental impact it has on the inner areas
deters both tourists from visiting and economically active households from choosing
Blackpool as a place to live. The result is less spend capacity in the town’s businesses,
lower average earnings, and fewer employment opportunities for Blackpool residents.
A holistic approach is required that seeks to respond strategically to the drivers of
decline. It will be equally important to resist pressures to simply be reactive in
responding to the symptoms of the problems rather than addressing the underlying
causes. Tackling the current housing imbalances and controlling the flow of redundant
guesthouses into further HMOs must be a crucial component of the housing and
regeneration strategy if sustainable neighbourhoods are to be created.
The opportunity for change however does exist. The Government’s response to the
Blackpool Task Force Report included an initial commitment of £35 million from
English Partnerships (now the Homes and Communities Agency). Blackpool has also
been successful in its bid for Growth Point status which will bring some additional
funding and enable new housing to be developed. These initiatives will support
ambitions for economic growth and help to accelerate regeneration of inner area
neighbourhoods. On their own, however, they will not be sufficient to arrest the decline
and indeed, may have little impact if effective controls are not in place to tackle the
proliferation of the poor quality private rented sector.
Key Action:

The Housing Intervention Programme targeted to reduce the supply of poor
quality holiday accommodation and HMOs, provide a range of quality and
aspirational housing choices and to create neighbourhoods that have a sense
of place and encourage private sector investment. The initial spatial focus will
be North Beach and areas to the south of the town centre as shown in Figure 1.
Detailed proposals will be developed by summer 2009.
Figure 1

The high concentration of poor quality privately rented accommodation has a
direct impact on the sustainability of the inner areas. CLG approval will be
sought for a Selective Licensing Scheme to be rolled out across the inner
areas. The objectives of the scheme will to
o
Achieve control over guesthouses seeking a change of use to
residential
o
Improve management standards
o
reduce levels of anti social behaviour
o
reduce the impact of privately rented accommodation on the inner area
neighbourhoods
Consideration will also be given to implementing a landlord/property
accreditation scheme that will incentivise landlords to achieve and maintain
high standards of accommodation and management within the private
rented sector right across the town.

It is recognised that the availability of Housing Benefit is a significant driver
behind the proliferation of house in multiple occupation and the influx of low
income and vulnerable households into the town. As the policies facilitating this
dynamic are outside the Council’s control the Council will lobby central
government through the Fylde Coast MAA to establish the inner areas of
Blackpool as an independent area for the assessment of Housing Benefit
payments

Resort Neighbourhoods as defined in the current Local Plan will be reviewed.
Consideration will be given to defining resort neighbourhoods as areas where a
sustainable tourism industry is concentrated into much tighter spatial areas.
Defining these areas need not mean that guesthouses can only operate either
within them or that residential uses should necessarily be restricted; the
primary relevance would be to determine where investment in supporting and
promoting the tourism industry is focused.

A review of Planning Policy to presume in favour of allowing unviable guest
houses to change to residential use whilst ensuring that there is no HMO use.
The resulting homes must contribute to improving the range and attractiveness
of the housing offer in the inner areas – i.e. family homes and not more flats.

The MIPS scheme (Monitoring and Intervention in the Private Sector) will be
strategically targeted and used to proactively implement the Council’s HMO
policies. The Risk Assessment Survey, emerging Housing Intervention
proposals, and instances where HMOs are causing significant problems, will be
used as targeting criteria. The emphasis of the MIPS approach will be to
address health and safety concerns by reducing occupancy wherever possible.
Unauthorised and substantially sub standard HMOs will be closed down
wherever legislation allows. The approach will also further develop crossservice working so that one visit enables us to deal with the property issues
and refer tenants to a range of assistance.

A Blackpool Standard will be developed that sets minimum basic standards that
all HMOs must comply with. These standards will:
o
ensure that each household has access to decent kitchen and bathroom
amenities and that sharing of these amenities is reduced as far as
possible
o
ensure adequate provision is made for the collection and storage of
refuse in line with Street Scene requirements
o
Set minimum space and room standards in order to reduce instances of
overcrowding
o
Establish acceptable management standards that consider the
maintenance of fire safety systems, the internal and external
appearance of the property and landlord responsibilities for the impact
of their tenants on the local community.
Redefine neighbourhoods in the inner areas in order to create places where people
aspire to live
Key Issues
As the demand for guesthouse accommodation continues to decline Blackpool’s
neighbourhoods must carve out a new role for themselves if they are to have a viable
future. The coastal location, strength of transport connections, and character of the
town itself provide a strong foundation for areas that were initially built to offer visitor
accommodation to become vibrant and exciting places to live. A transformation to
desirable neighbourhoods of choice is not only possible, but will be essential in order
to stabilise the town’s population and to retain and capture a greater share of
economically active households.
In order to achieve a housing market renaissance within Blackpool it will be necessary
to pursue a radical programme of physical interventions to create neighbourhoods
where people choose to live. The programme will be area based to create the critical
mass, and economies of scale necessary to bring about sustainable neighbourhood
regeneration. The traditional housing renewal - led approach of responding to property
condition will not of itself deliver this scale of change- a more comprehensive
neighbourhood renewal approach must be pursued including remodelling of existing
stock, clearance and replacement, with supportive environmental and public realm
improvements.
Physical interventions within these neighbourhoods will run alongside targeted
programmes to ensure community safety, cleanliness and that rental properties are
effective managed and offer decent accommodation.
Recognition must also be given to the acute levels of worklessness, benefit
dependency and social exclusion that currently exist in the inner areas. The
development and alignment of social welfare support programmes designed to support
people from dependency back into work must be an essential component of housing
intervention programmes.
Critically, ongoing and meaningful community engagement and involvement within
these neighbourhoods will help to shape and deliver sustainable regeneration in the
inner core. It should however be recognised that the current property use and
occupancy profile may mean that there is little ownership or common identity in the
neighbourhoods at this time. Due to the scale of change needed it is important that
community involvement is done at the right time in a way that can inform the
programme. Involvement of residents and property owners at all stages from planning
through to delivery is vital to contribute, and achieve wider buy- in, to the emerging
vision for these neighbourhoods.
Key Action
The Council has adopted a plan led approach to redefining its inner area
neighbourhoods. Action will be initially prioritised in North Beach and areas to the
south of the town centre. Local area plans are already under development and will be
subject to robust community consultation prior to formal adoption as part of the
Council’s planning policy framework.
The scale, scope and depth of intervention required to transform all of Blackpool’s
inner areas is such that it is unfeasible to tackle everywhere at the same time.
However, there is also a risk that as intervention commences problems are simply
displaced into the surrounding areas. This would be unacceptable both from the
perspective of those communities suffering the impact but it would also limit any
increased confidence that will secure the complementary private sector investment that
the interventions are seeking to initiate.
The approach to working in neighbourhoods will therefore be tiered into three levels:
1.
The core housing interventions where sites are to be assembled for
comprehensive redevelopment, either through clearance and new build, or
remodelling. These areas will be in the North and South Beach
neighbourhoods and will be defined in detail through area planning
processes and the formulation of the Housing Intervention Programme.

Acquisition teams will be established to identify and secure owners
willing to sell, and to coordinate negotiation, legal processes, and
property security and management.

Intensive integrated resettlement strategies will be established
where resettlement plans will be agreed with residents in acquired
property following comprehensive housing and support need
assessments. Alternative accommodation will be found, and
appropriate support plans provided that focus on long term training
and employment goals.

Development teams will undertake CPO programmes and secure
scheme developments through the private sector.
2.
Leading Change Pilots will be established to lead the delivery of wider area
plans and secure the additional catalytic benefits of the core housing
interventions. These pilots will undertake:

Community engagement, capacity building and local decision
making processes to enable communities to help shape and
influence the delivery of change.

Additional physical interventions and public realm improvements in
order to engender broader community and housing market
confidence and secure the catalytic benefits of the core intervention.

Embed worklessness programmes into the neighbourhoods aimed
at reconnecting vulnerable people into existing life skill training,
education and work readiness projects.

Engagement with statutory and third sector organisations to build
social cohesion and to get the basics right – addressing crime, anti
social behaviour and street cleanliness.

Robust private rented enforcement regimes will be implemented
through MIPS.

The boundaries of these areas will be defined by the Planning led
neighbourhood Area Action Plan (AAP) and Supplementary
Planning (SPD) processes.
3.
The remaining inner core areas will continue to benefit from the Council’s
existing Re Assurance Plus programmes in order to ensure that they are
defended from displacement. Private rented properties in these areas will
also be subject to robust enforcement and the MIPS regime.
The broad locality focus to these proposals is set out in Figure 2
Figure 2
Support and encourage housing growth, and provide a range of quality and
aspirational housing choices.
Key Issues
Long term demand for more housing and requirements for affordable housing are high
across the Fylde Coast housing market area, especially in Wyre and Fylde. Fylde
Coast household projections predict growth of an additional 2000 households per year;
900 of these households are accounted for by the in migration of mainly prosperous
households attracted to the coastal/rural location seeking a quality housing offer;
around 1400 new households are a result of declining average household sizes,
meaning demand from single people who are living alone for longer. The number of
households is also influenced by a net decrease of 300 households a year resulting
from natural population change – deaths exceeding births in the resident population.
Future trends in international migration could also be important, and in particular
whether the current approximate balance between migrant workers coming from
abroad and people leaving the area to emigrate alters.
New housing provision as part of the Growth Point must attract higher income
households into parts of Blackpool from the wider housing market area to support
economic growth. This will include the provision of some aspirational apartments
alongside family homes within inner areas and larger family housing with a more
suburban character in new developments on the periphery of the borough. There is
also an opportunity to attract and retain more of the older households who currently
prefer other parts of the Fylde Coast area by including accommodation and
environments that are attractive to older people.
These programmes will facilitate a rebalancing of the housing market to provide
attractive options for households currently being forced to leave the town to find better
homes, enable the town to compete for its share of the population growth being driven
by in-migration to the Fylde Coast, and take the pressure off existing neighbourhoods
in surrounding parts of Fylde and Wyre.
Blackpool must harness the demand for growth and the opportunities that new
development can bring. The Growth Point proposals and Housing Intervention
programme represent an important opportunity for Blackpool to achieve this, realise its
housing ambitions and bring added balance to its housing offer. Alignment between
these initiatives will be critical but the potential for a synergy between the two initiatives
clearly exists. The need to ‘push’ early regeneration sites within the inner areas to
meet demand pressures is strong, as failure to address imbalance is likely to
exacerbate increasing deprivation issues in Inner Blackpool
The very large private rented sector in Blackpool is dominated by poor quality
accommodation, and two thirds of private rented tenants rely on Housing Benefit
compared with less than 20% nationally. We need to change the balance and quality of
the sector as it continues to be an important part of the town’s housing offer.
Some of Blackpool’s Council-built housing estates are relatively unpopular and are the
focus of very high levels of deprivation and worklessness. We need to raise the quality
of the residential environment and change the balance of homes available to attract a
wider range of residents and establish stable and more prosperous communities.
Social housing and the neighbourhoods in which it is concentrated should improve
people’s life chances as well as meeting immediate housing needs.
Key Action

A Masterplan will be developed for the Growth Point M55 hub, which in tandem
with the Core Strategy will ensure that new housing development is high
quality, promotes economic growth, and presents a distinctive offer that does
not compete with new housing and wider regeneration activity in the Inner
Areas.

Recognising the need for more affordable housing in Blackpool, and in order to
address the housing, social and economic issues within the inner areas, the
Council will seek to utilise a significant part of affordable housing contributions
from major new residential developments to support the development of starter
homes and quality low cost home ownership housing for families within the
inner areas. This approach will meet recognised housing needs for first time
buyers and income earning families currently priced out of the local housing
market.

Develop Affordable Housing Policy (Supplementary Planning Document) to
maximise the regenerative benefits of new housing growth through s. 106
agreements, infrastructure levy, use of commuted sums to develop low cost
home ownership options within the inner core.

Develop Quality Design Standards for new build housing developments to
ensure high quality of design and sustainability. The standards will include
physical design aspects as well as energy efficiency, accessibility and Lifetime
Homes standards.

The private rented sector will continue to play an important role in meeting
affordable housing needs. The offer must however be strengthened and
diversified, both in terms of the type of accommodation and its location. The
Council will develop new ways of working with the private rented sector to
encourage investment in a wider mix of types of housing dispersed throughout
the town.

Deliver high quality affordable housing to meet the high needs for family
accommodation to rent by establishing and operating a new Fylde Coast
commissioning framework for housing association development.

The Council will continue its regeneration and decent homes programmes
across its estates. It will bring all its existing housing stock up to decent homes
standards by 2012. Sustainability assessments will be undertaken as part of
the programme planning process with the view to reducing the supply of one
bed flats and a shortage of family housing and to bring better balance to
Council Housing estates. Comprehensive plans for investment in the physical
environment, and enhanced support and opportunities for residents will be
developed and delivered for key estates.
Meet the housing and support needs and promote the independence of our most
vulnerable residents.
Key Issues
The nature of Blackpool’s housing market currently draws high numbers of
vulnerable people into the town, and intense deprivation has become an
entrenched feature of the town over the last few decades. The unbalanced
housing stock – especially the dominance of rented flats and houses in multiple
occupation in the inner town – is the key driver of continuing deprivation and
transience. It contributes to Blackpool having some of the highest levels of
deaths as a result of alcohol, drug addiction and poor mental health in the
country. Whilst restructuring the housing supply is essential to addressing these
issues, it is also critical that we provide sufficient high quality support to help
people sort out the things that hold them back from leading satisfying lives and
contributing positively to the community, providing better alternatives for people
who have nowhere else to go. We also need to assist vulnerable people from
outside the town, and public sector agencies, to find appropriate
accommodation in the areas that vulnerable people come from, rather than the
easily accessed former guest houses of Blackpool. This work requires an
approach that is joined up across the local authority, voluntary sector, health
service, and Police service. Effective social welfare programmes will therefore
play an integral part of improving the local economy and lifting the
attractiveness of the town’s residential offer.
The recent North West Supported Housing Needs Assessment indicates
particular shortages of housing-related support for people with drug and alcohol
problems, mental health problems, and for single homeless people with support
needs and young people at risk.
The high in-migration, transience, and deprivation within Blackpool’s existing
population, lead to very high demands on the housing options service for
advice and support in finding and maintaining appropriate accommodation.
Over 3,000 people approach Blackpool Council every year for help with their
housing, and receive advice and support from a menu of housing options.
Given the low levels of social housing in the town, many receive help in
accessing good quality private sector housing through initiatives such as the inhouse Rent Bond service. Where people have come from other parts of the
country, the housing options service helps them to return to suitable
accommodation elsewhere.
Paradoxically, the levels of people presenting as homeless in the Fylde Coast
are highest in those areas where cheap accommodation is most freely available
and lowest in the areas with the highest prices. This illustrates the pull of
Blackpool to people with chaotic lifestyles, and also that the crises that
precipitate homelessness presentations are largely a product of social
problems rather than directly of housing shortages. While we need more high
quality affordable housing to meet long term housing needs and a reduction in
the number of the worst quality private rented properties to reduce transience,
we also need a great deal of intensive support to address the problems of
existing residents.
The current economic downturn is likely to lead to a significant increase in
demand for assistance to help a wider group of local residents prevent
mortgage re-possessions and to re-house tenants faced with losing their
homes.
There is also a growing need for tenancy support to help keep vulnerable social
housing tenants in their homes. This support includes encouraging tenants to
take advantage of specialist training and skills services, including working with
training providers to develop facilities located on social housing estates.
Blackpool has a higher than average population of older adults, although much
less than Fylde and Wyre - 19% are over the age of 65 compared with the
North West average of 16%, and an especially high proportion of single older
adults. While the number of older people in Blackpool has reduced over recent
years, long term projections suggest that the national trend of people living
longer will lead to an increase to 23% of Blackpool’s population being over 65
by 2031. This will increase demands for support and adaptations as well as for
specialist accommodation. The average income of older adults in Blackpool is
low – nearly half of pensioner households (10,000 in total) receive benefits
because they are on a low income - meaning a high reliance on public sector
assistance.
Disrepair and lack of affordable warmth are significant problems for older
people in the private sector housing stock. 38% of private homes in Blackpool
are classed as not meeting the Decent Homes Standard and two thirds of these
fail because of a lack of adequate heating and insulation. Fuel poverty, where
poor housing conditions are allied to low incomes, contributes to cold-related
illnesses, high healthcare costs, excess winter deaths and deteriorating
housing condition. As well as improving health and well-being for vulnerable
local residents, tackling the housing causes of fuel poverty makes a significant
contribution to a reduction in domestic carbon emissions.
A significant minority of older people, and those requiring long term care,
require specialist accommodation or floating support. These needs are
changing over time because of local population dynamics, but also because of
changing preferences and the development of new models of support. We need
to plan to adapt the provision of specialist accommodation and support so that
it meets changing needs - in particular to meet a growing requirement for
specialist accommodation for very frail older people, and to respond to the
increasing preference for flexible support alongside more independent living.
There are a number of further requirements for new specialist housing, and
assistance with access to general housing for people with disabilities requiring
long term care. We need to develop a comprehensive approach that marries
housing provision to appropriate care support.
Key Action

We shall address the current under-provision of supported housing in
partnership with specialist providers and health services. We need to
determine the type of support required and the extent to which this
should be based on specialist accommodation compared with floating
support services. The North West Supported Housing Needs
Assessment will be used to refresh Blackpool’s Supporting People
Strategy and Commissioning Plan. There should be a particular
emphasis where there are gaps in services to support the high numbers
of people in the “socially excluded” groups. We shall also plan to meet
the additional needs that will be uncovered as we help re-house people
affected by housing intervention work in inner Blackpool.

The locations for all types of new specialist accommodation will reflect
where needs arise, the requirements of residents needing support, and
the character of existing neighbourhoods. We must avoid adding to the
concentrations of supported accommodation in deprived
neighbourhoods, and avoid any negative impact for all residents. We will
work to achieve co-ordination in the supported housing services
available across the Fylde Coast housing market area.

Blackpool’s Homelessness Strategy was renewed in July 2008, and the
priority is to further develop housing options work to prevent
homelessness, including providing more advice and support to young
people, further developing links to good quality accommodation in the
private rented sector through rent bond schemes, and other initiatives
that link good quality accommodation to well supported tenants. We shall
also ensure that we continue to provide access to appropriate
emergency accommodation as a safety net.

Blackpool Council has been awarded the status of national “trailblazer”
for developing enhanced housing options, which will take the Council’s
work further in linking homelessness prevention to tackling worklessness
caused by physical or mental health issues, or by lack of skills or
inclination to work. The work complements the LEGI-funded Positive
Steps, which is the primary service that provides intensive support to get
people back into work and training in Blackpool but is focussed only on
those small areas with the very highest levels of worklessness.

The Council will align its housing options and worklessness programmes
to the housing intervention programme and enabling neighbourhood
change pilots.

The housing advice role will become especially important as the
economic situation worsens and unemployment rises as expected.
Government is requiring all local authorities to help deliver assistance to
owner occupiers at risk of re-possession. Assistance will include
additional financial advice and referral to housing association partners
commissioned to buy a part share in the homes of owners who are
struggling, or provide equity loans, or buy all of the equity and rent
homes back at levels that householders can afford. Blackpool Council
will be a fore runner for the new services, piloting the national
framework, and drawing down early resources for mortgage rescue.

The development of a new Fylde Cost Choice Based Lettings system will
assist residents in accessing all social rented housing, regardless of
landlord, and will build a foundation for access to a comprehensive
range of housing options, potentially including private rented and low
cost homes for sale.

A new Fylde Coast Affordable Warmth Strategy will set out clear and
challenging targets for improvement and potential areas of joint working,
building on a number of existing initiatives underway across the Fylde
Coast. It will set out how we will identify vulnerable households,
maximise investment from national resources for installing insulation and
energy efficient heating systems, and provide advice on benefits and fuel
costs. The work on fuel poverty will link to wider work to help people
access employment opportunities and improve their incomes.

The Blackpool Care and Repair service will continue to support older
people in their own homes. All older people can benefit from advice,
including nearly 2,000 free home safety checks each year that often lead
to minor jobs in the home that are provided at no charge. Another
important service is to carry out works to enable hospital discharge,
which benefit over 2,000 people each year. The level of activity and
extensive training work with other agencies ensures a high profile and
easy access to these services. We need to review how we provide Care
and Repair services to ensure that funding is focussed on those in the
most need. The service has grown rapidly and provides a wide range of
services for a broad range of clients, and those valued services need to
be consolidated so that they are sustainable within the available funding.

The Council will seek to assist and support vulnerable households living
in the private sector to repair and improve their homes where necessary
to meet the decent homes standard.

We shall review the provision of specialist accommodation for older
adults and move from high numbers of sheltered homes that meet
relatively low level support needs towards accommodation for those that
are most frail alongside more flexible tenure-neutral support services.
This change will take place over the medium to long term as individual
opportunities arise for changes in service provision, or in fewer cases,
physical re-modelling - sheltered housing is often greatly valued by its
residents and we shall seek to avoid disturbance for vulnerable
residents.

The move towards more flexible services will include ‘floating’ warden
support and community alarms fitted in general needs housing that do
not require older people to move to particular locations to receive
services and allow them to stay living in their own homes. These are
complementary to short term interventions by the Care and Repair
services.

The growing need to meet the requirements of those older adults who
have higher support needs will be met partly by remodelling sheltered
housing to increase its capacity to accommodate the very frail. We shall
also promote the delivery of more accommodation that provides
“housing with care”. These models combine independent housing with
relatively high levels of care, and are increasingly popular - they promote
independence, reduce social isolation, provide an alternative to more
institutional models of care, and offer a home for life.

We shall take any opportunities for funding to provide more extra care
accommodation (one of the “housing with care” models), and support the
provision of more housing with care through not-for-profit and private
sector organisations. Private schemes will need to include mechanisms
for making parts of the schemes affordable to people on modest
incomes and be designed so that they can genuinely provide a home for
life and respond to individuals’ increasing health needs. Both the private
and public sector should include opportunities for older people to either
rent or buy properties within the schemes. If we can provide attractive
alternatives for older residents, it would enable us to actively promote options
to older people that would release family homes in the public and private
sectors.

We shall develop new accommodation strategies to plan the provision of
appropriate specialist accommodation to meet local needs for the long
term care of people with learning and physical disabilities, balancing the
pressures of individual cases with providing to meet long term
requirements. There is a need to re-model some provision away from
permanent on-site staff support towards models that move people
towards greater independence, with more floating support. Options for
providing new specialist accommodation include identifying particular
units within wider developments of social housing, and housing
associations leasing or buying new and existing homes.

There is a particular need to ensure that people with learning disabilities
can access appropriate rented housing when emergencies arise, by
making effective links between carers and housing officers. We shall
explore working more closely with private landlords who provide good
quality accommodation and can benefit by letting their properties to wellsupported tenants with learning disabilities. We shall also work to identify
individuals who may wish to pursue the opportunity of buying their own
home on shared ownership basis through the HCA’s dedicated Home
Ownership for Long-term Disabilities (HOLD) initiative.
Delivery Framework
Responsibility for the delivery of the Councils housing agenda rests with the
Corporate Housing Group through a series focused working groups to
effectively join up working arrangements across the Councils Directorates.
These arrangements are set out in Figure 3.
Figure 3
CORPORATE HOUSING GROUP
Figure 3 - HOUSING
Membership – Exec Directors
DELIVERY
Supported by - AD Built Environment, Head of Strategic Housing and
FRAMEWORK
other officers as required
Responsiblities
-
Delivery and coordination of LA Housing functions
-
Allocation of capital, revenue and staffing resources
-
Delivery of Housing Statement and housing strategy
framework
-
HCA Single Conversation
COUNCIL HOUSING ASSET
PLANNING/HOUSING LIAISON
HOUSING INTERVENTION
SOCIAL CARE AND HOUSING
PRIVATE HOUSING AND
MANAGEMENT GROUP
GROUP
PROGRAMME
GROUP
NEIGHBOURHOODS
Membership – Exec Dir Social
Membership – Chief Planning
Membership – Exec Dir T & R,
Membership – Exec Dir Social
Membership – Exec Dir Culture
Care and Housing, [Social Care
Oficer, Dev Control, Forward
Strategic Housing, URC,
Care and Housing, [Social Care
and Communities, [Culture and
and Housing Officers] Client
Planning, Strategic Housing,
Neighbourhoods, Planning
and Housing Officers] Strategic
Community Officers] Strategic
Manager, BCH, Strategic
Head of Neighbourhood
Responsibilities
Housing
Housing
Housing, others as required
Improvement
URC/Council housing relationship
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Programme Development
Supported housing developments
HMOs
Monitoring of BCH
Housing and Guesthouse
HCA bid submission
Social care and housing
Selective Licensing
Neighbourhood Renewal
related Planning policy
Oversee Programme Delivery
Worklessness
Neighbourhood Management
Development Plans
Affordable Housing Delivery
Preparation of Development Brief
Homelessness
Private Sector Renewal
Strategic overseeing of
Growth Point
Developer Procurement
Resettlement (HIP)
Affordable Warmth
Council’s housing asset
Neighbourhood Planning
Neighbourhood Change
Supporting People
Energy Efficiency
Balancing of Council’s housing
Process
Neighbourhood Plan Delivery
Promoting independence
stock profile
MIPS
Landlord / Property Accreditation
Landlord and Tenant Liaison
Care and Repair
Action Plan
The Fylde Coast Housing Strategy establishes strategic priorities for the Fylde Coast housing market area and the Blackpool Housing Statement sets
out more detail on the priorities for Blackpool. This Action Plan sets out the actions that will be taken to deliver the priorities of both documents.
Alongside the Action Plans for Fylde, Wyre, and the Fylde Coast as a whole, it translates housing priorities into key actions for the next three years
(2009-12), taking into account the resources that are likely to be available. This Action Plan is designed to ensure that the local authority and its
partners are focussing on priorities, and working efficiently to deliver together the best possible outcomes for local residents.
Where we can be more effective by working together with other Fylde Coast partners, we have included actions in the Fylde Coast-wide Action Plan.
Fit between Fylde Coast Housing Strategy / Blackpool Housing Statement other objectives in Blackpool
Blackpool Housing
Statement
Fylde Coast Housing
Strategy
Sustainable Community Strategy
Corporate Plan
Support and encourage
housing growth and provide a
range of quality and
aspirational housing choices
1. Quantity - Providing
appropriate numbers of the right
kinds of high quality new homes
Create a balanced housing market
Reduce the oversupply of poor
quality rented housing stock
2. Quality - Raising the quality of
the overall housing offer to
support growth in the Fylde
Coast economy
Goal 1: Improve Blackpool’s economic prosperity
Goal 2: Develop a safe, clean and pleasant place to
live, work and visit
- Provide quality housing in sustainable, mixed
communities
Goal 1: Improve Blackpool’s economic prosperity
Goal 2: Develop a safe, clean and pleasant place to
live, work and visit
- Provide quality housing in sustainable, mixed
communities
- Create a safer Blackpool
Goal 1: Improve Blackpool’s economic prosperity
- Promote enterprise
Goal 2: Develop a safe, clean and pleasant place to
live, work and visit
- Create a safer Blackpool
Goal 4:Improve the health and well-being of the
population
- Reduce the difference in health outcomes
between Blackpool’s communities and others in the
Create appropriate pathways to
work for people who are
unemployed
Develop a coordinated community
response to domestic abuse
Address alcohol and drug abuse
problems and secure long term
solutions
Improve the physical and mental
Redefine neighbourhoods in
the inner areas in order to
create places where people
aspire to live
Meet the housing and support
needs and promote the
independence of our most
vulnerable residents
3. People - Helping people to
access the accommodation and
support that they need to lead
stable and prosperous lives
Create a balanced housing market
Take a relentless approach to
tackling anti-social behaviour and
embed the Respect Area Action
Plan
North West and UK
- Encourage healthy lifestyles and emotional
wellbeing for the whole population
- Provide quality adult social care services to
enable vulnerable adults and older people to live
independently
health of Blackpool’s population
Ensure vulnerable people are safe,
dealt with in a dignified manner and
supported to live independently with
maximum opportunity to participate
Note that a Regeneration Framework and revised Re Blackpool Master plan are currently under development and will also be aligned.
Performance Management
This Action Plan has been prepared by members of the Corporate Housing Group in Blackpool BC with input from the LSP Housing Sub-Group.
Where actions are to be delivered by officers of Blackpool BC, they will be reflected in future iterations of the Council’s Corporate Performance Plan.
Performance by the Council will be monitored by the Corporate Housing Group and will be delivered through five groups that have been established
to co-ordinate different areas of activity:
- Council Housing Asset Management Group
- Planning / Housing Liaison Group
- Housing Intervention Programme Group
- Social Care and Housing Group
- Private Housing and Neighbourhoods Group
The actions and officer responsibilities agreed by the five groups will be reflected in the Service Plans of the different service areas responsible for
the Council’s housing work.
The LSP Housing Sub-Group will also monitor progress by all partners in delivering the agreed actions and outcomes. It is critical for us to deliver the
actions in accordance with the plan below if we are to achieve the level of services and positive change in the local housing market that is set out in
the Fylde Coast Housing Strategy and Blackpool Housing Statement and in the output and outcome targets set out at the end of this Plan.
Sustainable
PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK
Community
Strategy
Economic
Regenerati
Housing Strategy Framework:
Local
URC
Development
on
Framework
- Fylde Coast Housing Strategy / Blackpool
Development
Framework
Master
Plan
and
Housing Statement
Transport
- Housing Strategy Framework / Blackpool
Plans
Action Plan
LSP
Housing
Sub-Group
Corporate
Performance
- Housing Intervention
Programme
Plan
Tourism and
Regeneration
Adult Social
Care and
Housing
Culture and
Communities
Re Blackpool
URC
Corporate Housing Group
Council Housing
Planning /
Housing
Social Care
Private Housing and
Asset Management
Group
Housing
Liaison Group
Intervention
Programme Group
and Housing
Group
Neighbourhoods
Group
Service Business Plans
Assessment of Current Performance
There is a strong understanding of the dynamics within the local housing market, although we need to ensure that this is regularly updated and linked
to wider work on economic development and public service provision. We need to ensure that what we know about the local housing market is used
in allocating resources and shaping service priorities. There is a need to continue to refine and develop policies in some areas – continue to develop
proposals for housing intervention, and be clear about how we address private sector housing issues in areas surrounding direct intervention.
There has been a relative lack of new housing provision by developers over the last few years because of lack of available land and the low values
achievable in much of the borough. This is being addressed through the Core Strategy, Growth Point work, and inner area regeneration, but further
development is required in setting up financial mechanisms, and defining and embedding higher design quality. The Council needs to strengthen how
it commissions new affordable housing and assists delivery by housing association partners, with a clear set of priorities across general and
supported housing provision and partner selection linked to associations’ performance in development and management.
Management of the private rented sector, including the large HMO stock, has focussed on improving property conditions through grants, area based
programmes, and dealing with problem properties, but a more comprehensive and strategic approach is required that helps to deliver long term
objectives of a different mix of homes in the town’s inner area through a combination of enforcement / licensing, incentives, planning policies, and
direct intervention. The MIPS programme has started well in identifying issues across inner Blackpool, establishing a baseline of uses and conditions,
and informing where we need to direct further intervention.
Blackpool Coastal Housing has been successful in demonstrating effective management, and has pulled in significant resources to improve the social
rented stock that it manages. This work to improve individual properties should be complemented with neighbourhood-level plans to create better and
more attractive living environments, and help to get residents into work.
The Council is a national leader in the development of services to prevent homelessness, and in linking housing options to tackling worklessness,
and will continue to develop this work in the context of high local needs.
A number of organisations provide specialist housing-related support to the large number of people in Blackpool with substance misuse issues,
mental health problems, and other problems that make it difficult for them to sustain stable lives. We need to ensure co-ordination and continue to
develop further support where it is required.
We need to review priorities for the use of Supporting People funding, and where accommodation may need to be re-modelled, to reflect current gaps
and ensure that we both meet needs and contribute to wider community objectives.
The Council has been successful in drawing in significant additional funding, but we need to be sure that this is always in support of strategic
priorities and that we have the right capacity and structures to deliver.
Key Actions
Support and encourage housing growth and provide a range of quality and aspirational housing choices
Fylde Coast Housing
Strategy Objective
Support the local
economy and meet long
term demand for
housing as household
numbers rise by
increasing rates of new
building
Key Actions
Milestones / Target
Dates
Hub master plan –
June 09
Co-ordination with
BSF programme and
health services
HCA bid submission
July 09
Resources
1.1
M55 Hub master planning
1.2
New development in Inner
Area
1.3
Growth Point initiative
Deliver first phase
infrastructure by
March 2010
CLG, HCA
1.4
Core Strategy
Draft Plan – October
2009 (subject to Fylde
BC Issues and
Options being
produced by then)
Timing of submission
subject to Fylde BC
reaching preferred
option stage
Blackpool Council
CLG Capacity
Building Grant
1.5
Design guide and
stakeholder training
Scope out programme
and critical dates
Blackpool Council
CLG Capacity
Building Grant
Produce a Design
Guide for new build
residential devlt
Outputs
Partners
Blackpool BC Group
Developers, CLG,
HCA
Effective delivery of
quality new homes /
neighbourhoods
Fylde BC, HCA,
developers
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Developers, CLG,
HCA
Accelerated delivery of
quality new homes in
inner area
Extra resources and front
funding to help deliver
more high quality new
homes
Strong strategic planning
framework that will
encourage and facilitate
housing objectives and
provided ability to resist
applications that conflict
with those goals
CLG, HCA,
developers
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Other Fylde Coast
authorities, CLG,
HCA, developers
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Clear understanding by
developers and public of
what “high quality” means
for homes in Blackpool,
and mechanisms in place
to deliver them.
Re Blackpool
Other Fylde Coast
local authorities
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Central Lancs LAs,
CLG, HCA
Provide more of the
affordable homes that
are in the highest
demand
1.6
New Affordable Housing
Policy
1.7
Use of viability assessments
1.8
Implement Fylde Coast RSL
commissioning framework
1.9
Investigation of potential for
the Council to build new
affordable homes on
Council-owned land
Draft policy out for
consultation - August
09
Publication as interim
policy – October 09
(subject to Core
Strategy draft plan)
Appoint consultants to
review viability of
major applications
Develop a general
guide for DC officers –
September 09
Framework in place –
September 09
Get agreement across
the organisation to
use of framework
Establish overall
affordable housing
priorities – Oct 2009
Regular liaison with
lead RSL partners
Completion of initial
site appraisals,
feasibility studies and
delivery plan – August
09
HCA
Maximise delivery of
appropriate affordable
housing in each area,
and assist inner area
regeneration
HCA, RSLs,
developers
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Blackpool Council
CLG Capacity
Building Grant
Ensure that new
developments make the
maximum possible
contribution to affordable
housing provision
Strategic Housing
Deliver more high quality
new affordable homes,
ensure good
management by partner
RSLs, and encourage
participation by RSLs in
regeneration
Other Fylde Coast
LAs, RSL partners,
HCA
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Council Housing
Asset Management
Group
Social Care and
Housing Group
Adult social care
and housing
Tourism and
Regen
More new affordable
homes than can be
delivered through HCA
funding alone
Blackpool Coastal
Housing
CHG – Council
Housing Asset
Management Group
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Reduce the oversupply of poor quality rented housing stock
Redefine neighbourhoods in the inner areas in order to create places where people aspire to live
Fylde Coast Housing
Strategy Objective
Key Actions
Milestones / Target
Dates
Resources
Outputs
Partners
Lead Person /
Organisation
Reduce in-migration of
people with chaotic life
styles by reducing the
numbers of poor quality
private rented homes in
inner Blackpool
Enhance the residential
offer in inner Blackpool
and Fleetwood, with a
wider range of house
types and increased
owner occupation
Raise the quality of the
private rented sector
2.1
North Beach Housing
Intervention
2.2
2.3
2.4
North Beach
Neighbourhood Plan
(AAP/IPG)
2.5
South Beach Housing
Intervention
2.6
South Beach
Neighbourhood Plan
(AAP/IPG)
Start on site from Sept
09
Completions from
March 2010
Funding submission
to HCA for land
assembly and
redevelopment July
09
Funding submission
to HCA for public
realm improvements
July 09
Issues and Options
consultation – Autumn
2009
Draft plan – Spring
2010
Submission – Autumn
2010
Early HMO
remodelling to
commence April 09
Start on site from
December 09
Completions from
March 2010
Funding submission
to HCA for land
assembly and
redevelopment July
09
Issues and Options
consultation Summer 2009
Draft plan – By end
2009
Submission –
Summer 2010
Blackpool
Council Housing
Capital
HCA-NAHP
RSL Capital
HCA, Private
Developers
10 dwelling units per
annum 2009 to 2011
HCA, RSL,
ReBlackpool
Private Landlords
CHG – Housing
Intervention
Programme Steering
Group
Up to 440 new dwelling
units by 2016
HCA, ReBlackpool,
Private Developers
CHG – Housing
Intervention
Programme Steering
Group
HCA
Street scene and public
realm improvement
programme 2009 to 2014
HCA, ReBlackpool
Blackpool
Council
CLG Capacity
Building Grant
Early adoption of Interim
Planning Guidance to
underpin and guide
development of Housing
Intervention Proposals
followed by formal Area
Action Plan.
10 dwelling units per
annum 2009 to 2014
HCA, ReBlackpool,
Community and
stakeholder groups,
RSLs
CHG – Housing
Intervention
Programme Steering
Group
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
HCA, RSL,
ReBlackpool
Private Landlords
CHG – Housing
Intervention
Programme Steering
Group
HCA, Private
Developers
Up to 100 new dwelling
units and new quality
seafront hotel
developments by 2016
HCA, ReBlackpool,
Private Developers
CHG – Housing
Intervention
Programme Steering
Group
Blackpool
Council
CLG Capacity
Building Grant
Early adoption of Interim
Planning Guidance to
underpin and guide
development of Housing
Intervention Proposals
followed by formal Area
Action Plan.
HCA, ReBlackpool,
Community and
stakeholder groups,
RSLs
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Blackpool
Council Housing
Capital
HCA
RSL Capital
2.7
HMO pathfinder project
2.8
2.9
Selective Licensing Scheme
2.10
2.11
2.12
Planning Policy Review
Early HMO
remodelling to
commence April 09
Start on site from Nov
09
Completions from
March 2010
Blackpool
Council Housing
Capital
HCA- NAHP
RSL Capital
40 dwelling units per
annum 2009 to 2011
HCA, RSL,
ReBlackpool
Private Landlords
CHG – Housing
Intervention
Programme Steering
Group
Funding submission
to HCA for land
assembly and
redevelopment July
09
Establish evidence
base and scheme
design – Nov 09,
Consultation – Jan to
March 10
Submit for CLG
approval – May 10
Commence rollout
programme in initial
area – Sept 2010
HCA, Private
Developers,
RSL’s
Up to 25 new dwelling
units per annum 2009 to
2014
HCA, ReBlackpool,
Private Developers
CHG – Housing
Intervention
Programme Steering
Group
Blackpool
Council -Strategic
Housing
Submission made to
CLG and approval
secured
Private Landlords,
Tenants
Blackpool Strategic
Partnership Housing
Sub-Group
CHG – Private Housing
and Neighbourhoods
Blackpool
Council - Culture
and Communities
Tbc – 500 properties
licensed per annum
Reduction in supply of
HMOs
Private Landlords
CHG – Private Housing
and Neighbourhoods
Interim Planning
Guidance for Design
standards for
guesthouses and
HMOs converting to
Residential Use –
Summer 09
Review of Resort
Neighbourhoods and
development of
subsequent Interim
Planning Guidance –
Summer 09
Blackpool
Council Planning
Creation of new quality
dwellings
Facilitate reduction in of
guesthouses supply
Reduction in supply of
HMOs
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
Blackpool
Council Planning
Consolidation and quality
uplift of guesthouse
supply
CHGPlanning/Housing
Liaison Group
2.13
2.14
2.15
Reduce concentrations
of deprivation on large
social housing estates
by improving the
neighbourhood
environments, redeveloping unpopular
housing stock, and
diversifying tenures
Private Rented Sector
Enforcement
Delivering Neighbourhood
Change – Neighbourhood
Plan Delivery
Deliver Decent Homes
Programme
2.16
Sustainability assessment of
BBC housing stock
2.17
Area regeneration plans
- Grange Park
HMO/Guesthouse
Risk Assessment
survey completion –
September 09
Remainder of defined
inner area
HMO/rented
accommodation risk
assessment survey
completion – January
2010
Initiate community
engagement
processes to support
planning consultations
and programme
delivery for North and
South Beach/Foxhall
areas – June 09
Blackpool
Council
All Council stock to be
made decent by 2012
and continuing
improvements made
to private stock
CLG
Agree scope /
methodology – April
09
Undertake
sustainability
assessment – May 09
Further develop /
accelerate work of
“Final Frontier” group
CLG Capacity
Building Grant
Licensing Fee
Income
Blackpool
Council
CLG Capacity
Building Grant
HCA
Blackpool
Council
PCT
Adult Social Care
and Housing
Strategic Housing
Blackpool
Coastal Housing
Blackpool
Council –
Reassurance
Plus
Reduction in supply of
HMOs
Improved management
standards of private
rented sector
Prevent future HMO
supply forming
Private Landlords,
Tenants
CHG – Private Housing
and Neighbourhoods
Secure community
involvement through
planning and
implementation stages.
Strengthen community
capacity and local
identity
HCA, RSLs,
ReBlackpool
Private landlords and
tenants
CHG – Housing
Intervention
Programme Steering
Group
Provide accommodation
for vulnerable people that
promotes safety and
health, and stimulate
investment in the local
housing market
Provide a comprehensive
view of where measures
are required to provide a
decent housing offer on
all Council-built estates
Blackpool Coastal
Housing
Home owners, private
landlords
Energy suppliers
CHG – Council
Housing Asset
Management Group
Private Housing and
Neighbourhoods
Blackpool Coastal
Housing
CHG – Council
Housing Asset
Management Group
Agree with local
residents and other
partners what actions are
required to improve the
attractiveness of the
estate and opportunities
for residents, and ensure
effective delivery
BCH, residents,
Education, PCT,
Police, training
agencies, local
employers, RSL
partners
CHG – Council
Housing Asset
Management Group
Planning/Housing
Liaison Group
Improve housing
conditions for people
who are vulnerable
because they are older
or on low incomes,
tackle fuel poverty and
reduce domestic
carbon emissions
2.18
Area regeneration plans
- Mereside
- Queens Park
Draft neighbourhood
level plans for
improvement – Dec
09
Public consultation
and refinement
Blackpool
Coastal Housing
Blackpool
Council –
Reassurance
Plus
2.19
Implement Fylde Coast
Affordable Warmth Strategy
in Blackpool and establish a
coherent approach to
improving energy efficiency
and help with repairs for
vulnerable people
Complete Blackpool
action plan in
response to Strategy
by September 09
Blackpool
Council - Private
Sector Housing /
Care and Repair
Agree with local
residents and other
partners what actions are
required to improve the
attractiveness of the
estates and opportunities
for residents, and ensure
effective delivery
Improved services for
vulnerable people, and
improved energy
efficiency – achieving as
much as we can with the
resources available
BCH, residents,
Education, PCT,
Police, training
agencies, local
employers, RSL
partners
CHG – Council
Housing Asset
Management Group
PCT, other Fylde
Coast local authorities
CHG – Private Housing
and Neighbourhoods
Social Care and
Housing Group
Meet the housing and support needs and promote the independence of our most vulnerable residents
Fylde Coast Housing
Strategy Objective
Provide new
opportunities for people
at risk of homelessness,
and those without work,
to make a positive
contribution to the local
community
Key Actions
3.1
3.2
Person centred integrated
support programme to
facilitate resettlement of
residents in acquired
property
Delivery of Blackpool’s
Homelessness Strategy
Milestones / Target
Dates
Establish resettlement
protocols between
acquisitions, housing
advice teams and
support programmesJuly 09
See Homelessness
Strategy 2008-10
Resources
Blackpool Council
HCA
Blackpool Council
CLG
Supporting
People / ABG
Outputs
Vulnerable and hard to
reach individuals
resettled and supported
back to work
Prevent homelessness
and address housing
need through a wide
range of individually
tailored housing options
Partners
PCT, social support
and care providers,
voluntary sector,
welfare to work
programme providers,
RSLs, BCH, private
landlords
RSLs, BCH, private
landlords, other Fylde
Coast local
authorities, voluntary
sector support and
advice agencies, Job
Centre Plus, PCT
Lead Person /
Organisation
CHG – Adult Social
Care and Housing
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
3.3
3.4
3.5
Carry out localised review of
areas of suggested underprovision of supported
housing for socially
excluded groups based on
North West Needs Analysis
findings
Review current temporary
accommodation provision
for homeless people
Deliver the Blackpool
Domestic Abuse Strategy
2009 – 2014
Identify
commissioning
priorities for provision
of accomm and
support for socially
excluded groups
Blackpool Council
Develop options
appraisal toolkit and
establish steering
group - June 09.
Blackpool Council
Supporting
People / ABG
HCA
Review completed by
December 09
Support systems to be
put in place for
domestic abuse
survivors to remain in
their own home
Ensure that all provision
is high quality and is the
most effective way of
helping the people
housed there to get their
lives back on track
Blackpool Council
Supporting
People / ABG
Blackpool Council
PCT
HCA
Improved range of
specialist
accommodation and
floating support options in
place
PCT, social support
and care providers,
voluntary sector,
welfare to work
programme providers,
RSLs, BCH, private
landlords
BCH, Homelessness
Partnership, hostel
residents, RSL
partners
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
Ensure that sufficient,
appropriate, and
sustained support is in
place.
FCWA
RSLs
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
Commissioning intentions
for housing-related
support identified and
agreed within agreed
budget
PCT, housing related
support providers,
RSLs, BCH, social
care providers
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
Operational system for all
social housing across
Fylde Coast
Start of a comprehensive
access point for housing
options in all tenures
Other Fylde Coast
local authorities, BCH,
RSL partners
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
Evaluate the
Sanctuary Service
3.6
3.7
Review the commissioning
strategy for supported
housing
Lead development of Fylde
Coast Choice Based
Lettings system
Collate statistics of
homelessness
presentations resulting
from domestic abuse
Establish priorities for
Supporting People /
ABG based on JSNA
and North West
Supported Housing
Needs Assessment
analysis – June 2010
Agreement of
structure of the new
arrangements – Sept
09
Launch of new system
– June 2010
PCT
CLG, Fylde Coast
local authorities,
BCH, RSL
partners
Meet the changing
requirements of older
people and those
requiring long term care
through the provision of
the right mix of
specialist
accommodation,
adaptations, and
support
3.8
Review supported housing
requirements for older adults
3.9
Develop a plan for delivering
the accomm requirements of
the new Older Adults Mental
Health Commissioning
Strategy
3.10
Planning policy framework
to support delivery of
appropriate new housing
with support
3.11
Develop an accommodation
strategy for people with
Learning Disabilities
Identify strategic
needs – Oct 2009
Develop plan for repurposing, where
required – March 2010
Introduce further
flexible support
services
Deliver more extra
care housing to meet
a range of needs
including scoping
intermediate care
options
Define requirements
and criteria for
housing with support
schemes, following on
from commissioning
strategy
Define the range of
housing options
required – March 2010
Establish delivery
mechanisms – June
2010
Blackpool Council
PCT
More specialist housing
that can meet the needs
and preferences of older
adults at various stages
of the care pathway
Developers, RSL
partners, BCH
Social care providers
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
Blackpool Council
PCT
More specialist housing
that can meet the needs
and preferences of
people with dementia at
various stages of the
care pathway
More and higher quality
schemes provided by
private sector
Developers, RSL
partners, BCH
Social care providers
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
Developers, RSL
partners, BCH
CHG Planning/Housing
Liaison Group
Social Care and
Housing Group
Better accommodation
solutions for people with
learning disabilities, fitting
in with individual
preferences and care
needs
RSL partners, BCH,
private landlords
CHG - Social Care and
Housing Group
Blackpool Council
– Strategic
Housing
- Adult Soc Care
- Planning
Strategic Housing
and Adult Soc
Care
Outcome and Output Targets for Blackpool
Theme
Indicator
Baseline
3 Year Target
10 Year Target
(March 2012)
(March 2019)
Borough-wide: 444
(RSS allocation – further
20% uplift subject to Growth
Point)
Borough-wide: 100
Quantity
NI 154: Net additional homes
provided per annum
Borough-wide: 290
(2007/8)
Borough-wide: 365
(proposed LAA target
for 2011)
Quantity
NI 155: Number of affordable
homes delivered (gross) per
Borough-wide: 80
(Average of 5 years
Borough-wide: 100
Quality
Quality
Quality
Quality
Quality
People
People
People
People
People
annum
to March 2008)
The proportion of private rented
sector properties in inner Blackpool
that are funded from Housing
Benefit
No. of residential buildings in inner
wards that are occupied by single
households
NI158: % Council homes that are
non-Decent
Borough-wide: 63%
Inner wards: 72%
(5,400 claimants in
FY1 / 7,500 PRS)
Tbc
(MIPS survey /
Council Tax data)
7.2%
(31/3/09)
NI 187: Tackling fuel poverty –
people receiving income based
benefits living in homes with a low
energy efficiency rating
Number of guesthouse bedrooms
in the borough
8.5% of vulnerable
people in homes with
SAP rating of < 35
(LAA baseline)
25,000
(2009)
Tbc
NI 153: Working age people
claiming out of work benefits in the
worst performing neighbourhoods
Number of households where (a)
homelessness prevented and
remain in own home / (b)
homelessness prevented or
relieved through alternative
accommodation, per annum
NI156: Number of households
living in temporary accommodation
% social rented tenants of working
age in work, education, or training
36.1%
(May 2007)
32.6%
(Proposed LAA target
for 2011)
NI 141: Percentage of vulnerable
50.7%
Inner wards: 70%
Inner wards: 60%
0%
0%
Regeneration
Framework to set
target
(a) 405
(b) 321
(Total for year to
31/3/09)
28
(as at 31/3/09)
26.8%
(STATUS, May 2009)
57%
Regeneration Framework to
set target
people achieving independent
living
(2007 average)
(LAA target for 2011)