Building Altogether Better Lives:
A Housing Strategy for County Durham
2010 – 2015
Issues & Options Paper:
Consultation Version
June 2010
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
How to find your way round this document
1 Introduction
3
4
Purpose
4
How you can get involved
5
2 Links with Other Key Documents
6
The County Durham Sustainable Community Strategy
6
The County Durham Regeneration Statement
6
The County Durham Health Improvement Plan
7
The Local Investment Plan
7
Review of Older Persons Accommodation and Housing Related
Support Services
8
3 A Vision For County Durham
10
A Spatial Portrait of County Durham
10
A Vision for County Durham
17
4 Housing Strategy Objectives and Outcomes
22
5 Housing Strategy Issues and Options
26
Altogether Better Housing Markets
26
Issue 1: Housing Growth - More Homes
26
Issue 2: New Affordable Housing – tackling affordability
‘hotspots’
34
Issue 3: Rural Affordable Housing
37
Issue 4: Executive Housing
39
Issue 5: Better Balanced housing markets - regeneration &
renewal
40
Altogether Better Housing Standards
44
Issue 6: Better Existing Homes
44
Issue 7: Better New Homes
51
Altogether Better at Housing People
56
Issue 8: Better Housing Management
56
Issue 9: Better at Housing Vulnerable Groups
61
Issue 10: Better access to affordable housing
70
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
6 Cross Cutting Issues
74
Issue 11: Health Impact
74
Issue 12: Equality and Diversity
75
Issue 13: Social Inclusion
76
Issue 14: Value for Money
77
1 Links between Housing Strategy objectives and other key plans
80
2 Priorities for County Durham from former District Council Housing
Strategies
85
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
How to find your way round this document
The document starts with a description of County Durham followed by a ‘spatial’
Vision of how different parts of the County might look in 2030 together with a set of
objectives for getting there.
The document picks up the threads of the County Durham Sustainable Communities
Strategy (County Durham Partnership, 2010) and Regeneration Statement (Durham
County Council, 2009) and weaves them into the framework of three Housing
Objectives around which the new Housing Strategy for County Durham will be built.
If you have any questions or comments about this Issues & Options Paper, or would
like any assistance in providing a response please contact Marie Smith, Team Leader
(Policy & Strategy) on 0191 527 4534.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Chapter 1: Introduction
Purpose
1.1 This Issues and Options Paper is the second stage of preparing a new Housing
Strategy for Durham County Council following its formation as a new Unitary Authority
in April 2009.
1.2 Previous to this Local Government Restructure, County Durham had 7 District
Councils and a County Council, in a two-tier system in which each District Council
acted as the Strategic Housing Authority for the relevant constitutional area, with
Planning, Economic Development and Transport strategy functions & responsibility
resting between the District and County Councils. Each District Council had a Local
Housing Strategy, and in August 2007 the District Councils produced County Durham’s
(1)
first Sub-regional Housing Strategy for County Durham , essentially a summary of
the previous individual District Strategy documents.
1.3 We aim to publish a final consultation draft of the new Housing Strategy for
County Durham in August 2010. The first stage of this process was the endorsement
of the headline Vision, Objectives and Outcomes for the Housing Strategy by the
Council & County Durham Housing Forum in January 2010. Since then this vision
work has been shared with Local Members and other key stakeholders and groups,
and we are due to go out to full public consultation in mid June 2010.
1.4 This Issues and Options Paper is intended to enable a debate on the key
Housing issues to consider for County Durham, in the context of the delivery of the
(2)
Vision and Outcomes of the County’s Sustainable Communities Strategy
and
(3)
Regeneration Statement .
1.5 At the end of the consultation we will combine this Issues & Options Paper
with an ‘Action and Investment Plan’ that sets out how we intend to deliver on the
preferred Options for each of the issues (subject to feedback from the consultation
on this paper) alongside an Investment Plan that sets out how we will align our
resources, and those of our partners, to deliver these Actions.
1.6 We will then produce a final draft Housing Strategy Delivery Plan which will
summarise the previous three stages and establish how the Housing Strategy will
be delivered. The Delivery Plan will be owned and managed by the County Durham
Housing Forum, ensuring that our key Partners are very much part of our Strategic
Housing Authority role.
1
2
3
4
(Durham County Council, 2010)
(County Durham Partnership, 2010)
(Durham County Council, 2009)
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
How you can get involved
1.7 You can send responses in a number of ways, but we would like to encourage
you to submit your views online via our interactive website, using the Council’s
Regeneration
&
Development
Service
web
pages
at
http://durhamcc-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/.
1.8 This method of feedback should save you time and it will allow us to process
and consider your comments more quickly and accurately. We hope that you will
find the website quick and easy to use both now and to comment on documents in
the future. It’s a new way of working for us, so any additional feedback on how easy
you found the process will be warmly welcomed.
1.9 Once your comments have been submitted they will be checked and added
to the interactive website where you will also be able to see what comments have
been made by others. To protect your privacy, all other information you provide when
registering will not be open to public view.
1.10You can telephone the Housing Policy & Strategy Team on:
0191 527 4534
1.11 A response form is available for download from the website, containing all
the questions from each Chapter of the document and space for you to respond. If
you do not have access to the internet, please feel free to respond in writing and
send to:
FREEPOST HOUSING POLICY TEAM
1.12 In conjunction with Planning in relation to the County Durham Plan Issues
and Options Paper, we are also holding a series of public drop in events at various
locations across the County. For further details of these events please contact us
using the methods above.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Chapter 2: Links with Other Key Documents
The County Durham Sustainable Community Strategy
2.1 The Housing Strategy will provide the housing expression on the County’s
Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS). The County Durham Partnership published
the SCS in March 2010, introducing the Vision for an ‘Altogether Better Durham’, the
key priorities for change and how we plan to deliver them over the 20 years to 2030.
2.2
The SCS is organised into 5 key objectives:
Altogether Wealthier- focused on creating a vibrant economy and putting
regeneration and economic development at the heart of the SCS;
Altogether Better for Children and Young People - enabling children and young
people to develop and achieve their aspirations, and to maximise their potential
in line with Every Child Matters;
Altogether Healthier - improving health and wellbeing;
Altogether Greener - ensuring an attractive and ‘liveable’ local environment, and
contributing to tackling global environmental challenges;
Altogether Safer - creating a safer and more cohesive county.
2.3 The SCS also five main objectives which are mirrored in the County Durham
Regeneration Statement :
A thriving Durham City to exploit its potential as a major retail, business and
residential centre, academic and cultural hub and visitor destination;
Vibrant and successful towns to unlock the potential of our network of major
centres;
Competitive and Successful People;
Sustainable Neighbourhoods and Rural Communities where there is a choice
of quality and affordable housing and schools fit for the future; and
A Top Location for Businesses to locate and develop.
The County Durham Regeneration Statement
2.4 The County Durham Regeneration Statement provides an ‘economic narrative’
and a ‘Place based approach’ to the delivery of the SCS and is another key influence
on the Housing Strategy. The Regeneration Statement includes an overview of where
County Durham is now and what is needed to make County Durham a better place
to live, work, invest and visit and outlines the spatial, social and economic priorities
for the coming years. It sets out how the future might look in County Durham and
what the broad priorities are across the County to drive the regeneration and economic
prosperity of County Durham for its places, its people and its businesses.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
2.5 The Regeneration Statement started a dialogue about the role of some of the
major residential centres across the County, and identifies four spatial ‘zones’ (referred
to ‘areas of opportunity’) into which County Durham can be usefully divided when
considering economic and spatial policy development and investment: Durham City,
North and East Durham, South Durham and West Durham.
2.6
The new Housing Strategy will adopt the same ‘areas of opportunity’ in
describing the future roles of our City, towns and villages and the critical importance
of the provision of good quality housing and housing-related services to achieving
growth and sustainability.
The County Durham Health Improvement Plan
2.7 The County Durham Health Improvement Plan, published in March 2010, sets
a broad thematic direction of travel for the Council and its partners to improve the
health & wellbeing of the County’s residents. The plan reflects feedback from the
Local Area Agreement, the Regional Health Strategy, Better Health Fairer Health,
Local Area Agreement targets and local priorities directed by the County Durham
Partnership’s Health & Well-being Partnership and NHS County Durham’s Public
Health Delivery Plan for 2010-12 (currently in final draft format as at April 2010).
2.8 The Health Improvement Plan identifies ten thematic areas for improving health
& wellbeing:
Smoking & Tobacco Control
Alcohol & Substance Misuse
Physical Activity, Food & Nutrition
Mental Health & Positive Emotional Wellbeing
Tackling Poverty, the Economy & the Wider Determinants of Health
Children & Young People
People aged 50 and over
Addressing Inequalities in our Communities
Healthy Working Lives
Becoming a Stronger Health Improvement Organisation
The Local Investment Plan
2.9 Adopted in April 2010, the Local Investment Plan (LIP) was developed with
the Government’s Homes & Communities Agency as a product of the ‘Single
Conversation’ process between the County Council, key partners and the Agency.
2.10 At the heart of the plan is a commitment to build a better Durham through
economic growth – a reiteration of the ‘Altogether Wealthier’ objective of the new
Sustainable Community Strategy – through a place based approach to delivery which
brings together not only new housing and housing renewal activity but also
infrastructure, employment, training, health and education into sustainable towns
and neighbourhoods. The aim is to move further towards a ‘whole town’ approach
which emphasises a coordinated approach to investment and local distinctiveness.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
2.11
The LIP sets out three core strategic objectives for housing and regeneration:
Future Prosperity – accelerating the delivery of housing growth around Durham
City and the South & East Durham Growth Point areas; developing mixed tenure
housing schemes; adopting sustainable development principles; and developing
the economy of Durham City in a way that will benefit the wider County
Future Places – completing the decent homes investment programme in the
social housing sector while continuing to identify investment routes to regenerate
under-performing housing markets; accelerating neighbourhood renewal in the
private sector through clearance and interventions in the private rented sector;
and securing additional rural housing through new delivery mechanisms
Future Housing Solutions – extending the provision for affordable housing for
vulnerable people; increasing the number of adapted homes, the volume of
Disabled Facilities Grant and other forms of adaptations & assistance; better
quality & more sites for Gypsy, Roma & Traveller communities; and increasing
the range and improve the quality of accommodation for those at risk of
homelessness
2.12 The LIP proposes a series of priority actions for housing and regeneration in
each of the ‘areas of opportunity’ identified in the Regeneration Statement. The LIP
is currently going through a period of consultation with key stakeholders including
ONE North East (The Regional Development Agency), Government Office North
East, the County Durham Housing Forum and County Durham Economic Partnership,
and others. This will be followed up with the development of Durham’s Local
Investment Agreement later in 2010.
Review of Older Persons Accommodation and Housing Related Support
Services
2.13
The Housing Quality Network commenced a review of older persons
accommodation and support services in County Durham in February 2010 with a
completion date for the review in June 2010.
2.14 The structure of the review has centred on the seven dimensions of wellbeing
and independence for older people. These include:
Service in relation to the current supply and range of information and advice
services.
Services that enable older people to remain at home longer for example
adaptations and assistance to repair and improve the home.
The design of new neighbourhoods that take account of peoples needs and
requirements throughout their lifetime known as lifetime neighbourhoods.
The ability of older people to get out and about particularly through the use of
public transport and the provision of easily accessible shopping facilities.
The provision of social activities and networks for older people and facilities to
enable older people to keep busy.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Services that offer guidance and expertise in managing money to allow older
people to budget and maximise income.
The provision of modern IT services to help provide healthy living and protect
older persons health and general well being for example tele care and tele health
units.
2.15
The early findings of the review has identified the following issues:
Making best use of the conventional stock by tacking poor housing conditions
and through the development of an under occupation strategy.
Making best use of the designated older persons stock as low demand properties
are likely to increase.
The potential of new supply is very limited.
Meeting the housing and support needs of the rural community is emerging as
a priority.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Chapter 3: A Vision For County Durham
A Spatial Portrait of County Durham
Map 3.1 County Durham
3.1 Durham County Council is the largest Unitary Authority in the North East Region
in terms of population, and the fourth largest in England. The Durham County Council
administrative area is home to around half a million people, a fifth of Region’s
population. The County is a significant sub-region extending over some 223,000
hectares (862 sq miles) from the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
in the west to the North Sea Heritage Coast in the East. Lying at the heart of the
North East region with conurbations to the north and south, County Durham has
overlapping labour and housing markets with these areas and parts of the County
fall within the Tyne and Wear and Tees Valley City Regions based around the two
conurbations
3.2 County Durham is classified by Government’s Department for Environment,
Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) as a ‘Rural 50 Authority’, in other words between 50%
(4)
and 80% of our population is resident in rural settlements and larger market towns .
The County is somewhat different from the usual pattern for Rural Authorities of a
single large town surrounded by a network of agricultural villages. Instead it varies
in character from remote and sparsely populated rural areas in the Pennine Dales
to the west, to the larger villages located within the former coalfield communities in
4
10
See Defra Classification of Local Authorities Technical Guide April 2009
at http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/rural/documents/rural-defn/laclassifications-techguide0409.pdf
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
the centre and east. Ninety percent of the population lives east of the A68 road in
forty per centof the County area. The key spatial legacy of the rise and fall of the
mining, steel and other heavy industries is the dispersed or multi-centred settlement
pattern of small urban areas separated from one another by tracts of open countryside.
A distinct local culture and sense of community is retained, particularly in the smaller
places.
3.3 The County also has an important agricultural sector that plays a small but
significant part in the local economy and everyday life especially in the west of the
County.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
IMPACT OF THE RECESSION
What started as a crisis in the financial sector has fundamentally affected the
wider economy and the impact on the local economy has not been without
consequence. In County Durham as at April 2010, 13, 566 people (4.3% of the
working age population), were claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), an annual
decrease of 10.8% and a decrease of 4.5% (632 persons) on the previous months
figure; this decline results from a combination of a falling trend and the continued
annual reduction in seasonal unemployment which normally occurs at this time
of year.
The impact of the recession on County Durham’s economy can be
summarised as:
Lower skilled occupations continue to make up the majority of the
unemployed JSA claimants, with almost half (47%) of these coming from
either elementary occupations or process, plant and machine operatives.
Engineering and component manufacture has seen by far the highest number
of redundancies.
The major geographical impact of redundancies to date has been
experienced in the Sedgefield and Easington localities.
Generally, the local economy is becoming more heavily skewed towards
lower value added services.
There has been little change in the main challenges for businesses – lending
is much more restricted and, coupled with uncertainty over the economic
outlook, that’s hampering investment. Recruitment is expected to recover
more slowly than output.
The impact on housing has been dramatic.
The number of house completions has reduced to about 60% of the 2007
pre-recession peak.
Transactions have collapsed further to about 30% of their 2007 peak.
The numbers of households with mortgages who are now in negative equity
is around 10% - one of the highest rates in the country.
Although house prices dropped by around15-20% in late 2008/early 2009
they are now starting to increase again – regaining at least half of the losses.
Access to mortgage finance is a significant problem with lower loan to value
ratios, high arrangement fees and other restrictions.
Low land values are inhibiting development and acting as a deterrent to
higher quality schemes.
Construction apprentices are being laid off before completing their courses.
Key Characteristics of Areas in County Durham
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
3.4 The LDF Core Strategy has been informed by an analysis of the characteristics
of the County Durham area and its constituent parts and the key issues and challenges
facing them. County Durham is a large and diverse county and different parts of the
area have distinct characteristics, functions and needs.
3.5 In order to enable us to discuss Housing issues spatially the Regeneration
Statement, Core Strategy and Local Investment Plan have therefore identified four
‘areas of opportunity’: Central Durham; North and East Durham; South Durham; and
West Durham.
Map 3.2 Delivery Areas
Central Durham
3.6 The ‘opportunity area’ of Central Durham is defined as Durham City and the
adjacent settlements with strong links to the City. The City’s retail catchment area
(i.e. the area from which a high percentage of people travel to shop in the City)
provides a good indicator of the locality. Research (Donaldsons, 1997 & GVA Grimley,
2009) has shown this area covers some 30 settlements from Lanchester in the west
to Ludworth in the east to Sacriston in the north and to Coxhoe in the south (with a
population of about 100,000 - 20% of the County figure).
3.7 The Central Durham Delivery Area includes Durham City, the county town
and its largest settlement, with a population of 42,000, 8.5% of the County’s resident
population. However, the City’s unique character and setting, supporting the
internationally renowned Cathedral and Castle World Heritage Site, combined with
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Durham City’s importance as an administrative, educational, employment, service
and tourist centre, belies its relatively small size. Its importance to the region is
(5)
recognised in the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), where it is defined as the Main
Settlement outside the conurbation in the Tyne and Wear City-Region, and its links
to the Tees Valley City-Region are also noted. The RSS also identifies the City as
one of five Strategic Public Transport Hubs in the north-east.
3.8 Housing sites near the centre are high value and properties within a mile of
the city centre command some of the highest prices in the County.
3.9 The demand for high value, well designed larger houses has been proven
through developments such as Sheraton Park, Nevilles Park and the redevelopment
of the old Dryburn hospital site.
3.10 Housing growth, however, is restricted by a limited supply of sites; which is
further curtailed by the Green Belt (first established in 1999).
North and East Durham
3.11 Parts of North and East Durham still bear the scars of the rise and fall of the
mining, steel and other industries, and this change process has presented significant
opportunities for regeneration and reprovision of employment and economic activity
offers as well as new house building. The area is characterised by a dispersed
settlement pattern of small urban areas separated from one another by tracts of open
countryside. A distinct local culture and sense of community has been retained in
these settlements, and the area has a population of approximately 220,000 - almost
half of the County’s total.
3.12 The economic structure of this area of the County remains particularly weak
with low levels of employment in growth sectors. Although levels of deprivation have
improved in some areas, levels of joblessness, poor health, poverty and dependency
are high. Car ownership in this area of the County is low in comparison with regional
and national averages, particularly in East Durham, which reflects the extent of social
deprivation.
3.13 The housing stock in many areas in North and East Durham is dominated by
terraced housing and relatively small social housing estates. Despite having a range
of listed buildings and conservation areas, the quality of the urban environment is
poor. There is an abundant supply of previously developed land and buildings.
3.14 Consett was formerly reliant on steel, coal and other heavy industry. The
economy has undergone radical restructuring under ongoing Local Authority/Regional
Development Agency regeneration initiatives and there has also been a significant
amount of new house building, with the market providing relatively affordable private
homes in an attractive rural setting, many of which have been bought by people who
commute in to the Tyne & Wear City Regions.
5
14
See http//wwwcommunitiesgovuk/planningandbuilding/planning/regionallocal/regionalspatialstrategies/
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
3.15 Chester-le-Street is located adjacent to the A1(M) and is on the east coast
main line railway, within close proximity to the major Tyne and Wear conurbations.
The recently established green belt and issues of flood risk constrain the Town’s
expansion to the south and east. The Town is also the location for Durham’s
International Cricket ground at the Riverside where a new hotel and conferencing
are planned.
3.16 Peterlee was founded in the late 1940s as a new town. It is a significant
employment base within the County and accommodates considerable manufacturing
employment on its large industrial estates. The Town Centre lacks cultural and
entertainment facilities and the evening economy is weak.
3.17 Seaham is situated on the north east Durham coast. The Town Centre was
initially developed around the port in the early 1800s but has subsequently continued
to expand following the establishment of collieries (now closed) and recent housing
developments. Most recently the Town Centre has benefited from the relocation of
the Port of Seaham which has enabled the development of a new Town Centre at
Byron Place.
3.18 Stanley is one of the principal centres for employment, retailing and other
services in the north of the County. Although formerly reliant on coal mining, the
economy and the town have undergone radical restructuring although deprivation
and the quality of the town centre are still significant issues for the town.
South Durham
3.19
The towns and villages of South Durham form part of the Tees Valley
City-Region as defined by the Regional Spatial Strategy. The area has a population
of approximately 130,000 and has a dispersed settlement pattern. Similarly to North
and East Durham the economic structure of the area is particularly weak with low
levels of employment in growth sectors. Much of South Durham is also a priority area
for housing market renewal given the dominance of poor standard, particularly terraced
housing.
3.20 Bishop Auckland is a historic settlement with Roman and Medieval origins
and an attractive town centre and market place as well as important historical buildings
such as the Bishop’s Palace. It is the major service centre and transport hub for
South Durham. The town’s historic origins and the relatively vibrant town centre has
reinforced its role as the major residential, commercial and employment centre for
this part of Durham following significant developments in recent years.
3.21 Newton Aycliffe was one of the original new towns first developed in the
1950s. Its town centre is a reflection of the architectural style of that time and is in
need of major redevelopment. It has become a major housing and employment centre
in the south west of the County within close proximity of the A1(M). Newton Aycliffe
boasts the regionally significant Aycliffe Business Park that is home to 250 companies
employing 8,000 people in mainly manufacturing employment.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
3.22 Shildon is a small town with a population of around 10,000. It has good public
transport and is steeped in history, due to its past as a historic rail centre and the
role it played in the birth of the railways. The town centre serves its local community
by offering a range of convenience and comparison shopping complementary to the
more extensive offer in nearby Bishop Auckland. A regionally significant tourism
attraction at ‘Locomotion’ (part of the National Railway Museum) is also located within
the Town.
3.23 Spennymoor is defined as a Regeneration and Growth Point town and is
proposed as the focus for housing growth in South Durham. The centre has benefited
greatly from a number of initiatives aimed at developing and improving the town
centre in recent years. Despite the rundown nature of the town centre it does play
an important role in providing a wide range of everyday goods and services.A number
of development sites are identified within the town centre at Festival Walk and
Cheapside, the development of which will further improve the town.
3.24 Crook has close links to Willington and the surrounding villages. Although
not located on the River Wear, the town has close transport links to the Weardale.
Given the relatively limited range of services and facilities in the Town its population
have a strong reliance on the nearby towns of Durham and particularly Bishop
Auckland.
West Durham
3.25 West Durham comprises, in simplistic terms, the area to the west of the A68.
The area is characterised by attractive countryside and is sparsely populated. It
includes the attractive market towns of Barnard Castle (serving much of lower
Teesdale), Middleton-in-Teesdale (serving upper Teesdale) and Stanhope (serving
upper Weardale). Around these are numerous small settlements, mostly relating to
an agricultural heritage but also to industrial roots.
3.26
A traditional agricultural economy is found in the area although rural
diversification has been necessary to bolster farming activities in some instances.
Employment opportunities outside traditional rural activities are mostly within the
main centres, notably Barnard Castle, but longer distance commuting (e.g. to
Darlington and Bishop Auckland) is common given the limited local employment
base.
3.27 Housing development levels have been traditionally low, with the majority
concentrated in the main centres (notably Barnard Castle) and there is a scarcity of
affordable housing, compounded by the attractiveness of the area to commuting
incomers and second home owners. Reliance on the private car is high given the
difficulty of serving dispersed and remote communities by public transport.
3.28 In regional terms Barnard Castle is defined as a Rural Service Centre and
is a significant heritage/tourism destination. It is a historic market town situated within
the heart of Teesdale and is considered to be one of the top fifty most historically
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
(6)
and architecturally important towns in Britain. The Barnard Castle Vision seeks to
support the enhancement of the town through series of projects intended to increase
its attractiveness to visitors, strengthen its role as a distinctive retail centre and
increase new types of employment opportunities.
A Vision for County Durham
3.29 The Sustainable Community Strategy sets out our ambition to create an
'Altogether Better Durham'. This reflects our optimism that we can shape a better
County taking advantage of the opportunities we now have.
3.30
This ambition requires a vision and commitment to the fundamental
transformation of County Durham, shared across the public and private sector and
supported by residents. The SCS is clear that improving the economy is the top
priority if this ambition is to be achieved.
3.31
At its simplest it is about two aims:
An Altogether Better Place
Altogether Better for People
3.32 'An altogether better place is one where people of all ages and circumstances
can meet their needs, whether material, social or spiritual. As a result it will be a
place where people choose to live, work and relax. But it will also be a place where
social, economic and environmental resources are managed in ways that do not
compromise the quality of life for future generations or people in the wider world.
3.33 An altogether better place is concerned with the physical structure of our
towns and villages, the location of housing, jobs, shopping and leisure facilities, the
design of buildings, neighbourhoods and centres, and accessibility within and between
places.
3.34 Our ambition is to create sustainable places where people want to live, work,
visit and invest.
3.35 Altogether better for people carries forward the vision as it relates to people
and therefore has many strands, including tackling deprivation wherever it exists,
narrowing the gap in life chances across the county and reducing inequalities for the
most vulnerable and disadvantaged.
3.36 This priority is about making sure individual and community well-being results
from the programmes and actions we develop.
6
See http://www.barnardcastlevision.co.uk/
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
3.37 We want to reduce inequalities between different sections of the community
as well as between County Durham and the rest of the region and the country. We
will promote and strive for ‘equality of opportunity’ for all, ensuring that our residents
and communities have the skills and support they need to achieve their goals and
improve their life chances.
3.38 We will work to ensure that all individuals and communities are equally valued,
feel included and are treated fairly with services that are accessible and relevant to
their needs.
3.39 In achieving our vision, we aim to raise aspirations and excel in certain fields,
setting challenging but realistic goals, so that County Durham is known for its
outstanding successes.
3.40 The economy is the County's top priority and is therefore at the heart of the
SCS and this Housing Strategy. This is in recognition of the size of the gap between
County Durham and the regional and national averages in terms of Gross Value
Added (GVA) and its influence on every other aspect of life from educational
attainment to health.
3.41
Achieving this ambition requires a commitment to the fundamental
transformation of place, shared across public and private stakeholders and supported
by residents. Successful place shaping will capitalise on untapped potential and
regenerate our areas of need, these processes are intrinsically connected and will
result in narrowing the productivity gap between the County, the region and the UK.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
The Core Strategy Spatial Interpretation of the SCS Vision
By 2030, County Durham will have a thriving economy and will be bridging the
gap in its economic performance with other parts of the north-east and elsewhere.
Past successes and strengths will have provided the platform to create a County
where People have the chance to achieve their potential and make a positive
contribution.
County Durham will have become a County of sustainable communities. The
County’s distinctive multi-centered settlement pattern will have formed the
backbone for new development, with the internationally recognised Durham
City as the hub of its sub-region, leading to a County of competitive Places. The
County’s towns and villages will have grown and regenerated and will be thriving
and attractive places to live and visit.
County Durham will have housing appropriate to the needs and aspirations of
local people, complementing the area’s thriving economy and supporting its
services and facilities.
County Durham will be playing its part in addressing the issue of Climate Change
by using its natural resources more sustainably, improved energy efficiency and
increased renewable energy production. All new development will have achieved
the highest feasible standards of sustainability and the use of previously
developed land will have been maximised. Through long term planning any
negative impacts of Climate Change will have been mitigated and adaptive
measures implemented.
County Durham’s natural and built environment will have been further protected
and improved. New development will have recognised local distinctiveness and
delivered wider benefits to County Durham’s environmental quality and the quality
of life of the County’s residents
In Central Durham, Durham City will be the driving force of economic growth
in County Durham, providing the employment, housing and retail facilities to
meet the needs of local people and to attract and retain high achieving
entrepreneurs. Durham University will be a flourishing centre of learning and
research and development. Further commercial and employment schemes will
have enhanced the City’s role as a major employment area and a location of
choice for the economy’s growth sectors. Durham City’s role as a long stay tourist
destination will have been achieved via further quality accommodation and by
maximising existing attractions and developing new ones. Development in the
remainder of Central Durham will have continued to meet local needs and also
supported the growth of Durham City in its role as the key driver of County
Durham’s economy.
19
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
North and East Durham will have sought to build its employment and commercial
capacity in order to meet local employment needs particularly recognising the
role of Peterlee. The area’s town centres will be the focus for local and
surrounding communities, with Stanley and Peterlee in particular, having
developed their retail and leisure offer and improved the quality of their
environment, re-establishing themselves as the place to visit for local people.
Seaham will have built its reputation as a seaside destination and exploited its
position as the only port and marina in the County. Consett will have consolidated
its role as an important location for employment, housing and retail including the
completion of a successful mix of uses on the Genesis Project. Chester-le-Street
will be a thriving market town exploiting is location close to major transport routes.
South Durham will be reinvigorated by an improved local employment base
including the successful flag ship projects of NET Park at Sedgefield, Durham
Gate at Spennymoor and the continuing strong performance of Aycliffe Business
Park. The existing attractions, such as Locomotion at Shildon and Sedgefield
Racecourse will remain major attractions, boosting the local economy. The major
retail centre of Bishop Auckland will have consolidated its role but will have also
developed a reputation as a visitor destination, including the provision of suitable
accommodation. The town centres of Spennymoor and Newton Aycliffe will have
benefited from a refurbished public realm and improved retail and community
facilities. The unique character of Crook will have been maintained and enhanced
with the town taking advantage of its strategic location between Bishop Auckland,
Durham City and Weardale.
West Durham will have improved its retail, leisure and employment opportunities
so that local people no longer have to travel as far to reach services. Projects
such as the Eastgate Development and the Barnard Castle Vision will have
delivered imaginative new developments to enhance facilities for people and to
attract higher levels of tourism with employment benefits for the local community.
Locations such as Stanhope, Middleton in Teesdale and Wolsingham are known
for their high quality of life and are realising their tourism potential. Existing assets
such as the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) will
have been respected and will continue to contribute to the local economy, whilst
rural diversification projects will have been supported to recognise the importance
of existing business in the area. The issue of housing needs in West Durham
will have been addressed so that appropriate affordable housing for local people
has addressed the current imbalance.
A Settlement Hierarchy for County Durham
3.42 Chapter 8 of the Core Strategy Issues & Options paper sets out a summary
(7)
of the findings of our Settlement Study for County Durham. The study used a clear
methodology to assess each settlement’s access to services and facilities as a proxy
for ‘sustainability’ and is intended to guide our development and investment to the
7
20
See http://durhamcc-consult.limehoseuk/portal/planning/setstudy/sett_study_con_draft
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
most sustainable locations. This hierarchy will be adopted by the Housing Strategy
when considering issues relating to settlement sustainability and is relevant to all of
the issues raised in this paper.
3.43 The first order of settlements identified by the Study confirms the status of
the County’s main towns. These settlements have the largest range of facilities, with
differentials between the sub-regional roles of Durham City and Bishop Auckland,
the more local roles of Crook and Shildon and the intermediate role of the remaining
towns
3.44 Settlements with a reasonable range of facilities include places like Tow Law,
Easington Village and Bournmoor, which could possibly accommodate some small
scale infill development to support local services. The next group of settlements are
generally smaller with a few facilities and are generally reliant on larger centers for
most facilities. This group includes places such as Tantobie, Quarrington Hill and
Butterknowle where limited infill development may be permitted. Finally there are
the smaller villages and hamlets with few if any facilities such as Muggleswick, Mordon
or Old Cassop where new development would only be permitted in exceptional
circumstances, such as addressing a demonstrable local need for affordable housing.
Question 1
In terms of the wider context for the development of the Housing Strategy, is
there anything else that we need to take into account?
21
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Chapter 4: Housing Strategy Objectives and Outcomes
4.1
The Altogether Better County Durham Vision, the two main aims of
Altogether Better Place and Altogether Better for Peopleand the complementary
ambition to create sustainable places where people want to live, work, visit and
invest sets the context for the development of our new Housing Strategy for County
Durham:
4.2 Building Altogether Better Lives: A Housing Strategy for County Durham
2010-2015
4.3 This strapline reflects both the Altogether Better vision of the Council and
County Durham Partnership and also the 2009 Building Better Lives report by the
(8)
Audit Commission which sets out the importance of the Local Authority Strategic
Housing role as a key enabler of Sustainable Community Strategies.
4.4 Undertaking the Strategic Housing Authority role involves a framework of
activity at the Strategic, Executive and Operational levels of the Council, as outlined
in the illustration below:
Figure 4.1 Strategic Housing Authority Role Framework
4.5 The Building Altogether Better Lives Housing Strategy will set out how the
Council and its partners will set out to deliver the ambition of ‘creating sustainable
(9)
places where people want to live, work, visit and invest’ within this framework.
8
9
22
(Audit Commission, 2009)
(County Durham Partnership, 2010)
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
4.6 We have established three key objectives for the Housing Strategy, reflecting
what we consider to be the key components of Building Altogether Better Lives
through Housing:
‘Altogether Better Housing Markets’;
‘Altogether Better Housing Standards’; and,
‘Altogether Better at Housing People’
Figure 4.2 The three key objectives of the Housing Strategy
4.7 ‘Altogether Better Housing Markets’ is essentially about the role Housing
plays in regeneration, growth and development and includes issues such as the
updated SHMA, Durham’s ‘Growth Point’ status, new housing development (including
affordable housing), Rural Housing issues and housing-led regeneration. Here we
particularly reflect the strong links to the Regeneration Statement, Local Development
Framework (LDF), Economic Assessment and other relevant spatial and development
plans.
4.8 ‘Altogether Better Housing Standards’ focuses on the role that Housing
plays in improving standards in terms of investment in, and use of, existing stock
and includes issues such as Decent Homes, tackling empty homes, financial
assistance policy (grants & loans), licensing & enforcement of the private rented
sector, energy efficiency and fuel poverty. There will be strong links to the
Regeneration Statement and LDF as well as wider issues such as Environmental
Health, Community Safety, Sustainability & Climate Change and Social Inclusion.
23
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
4.9 ‘Altogether Better Housing People’ picks up the non-‘bricks & mortar’ elements
of housing and will include issues such as the provision of housing and
housing-related support services to older people, vulnerable adults, gypsies &
travellers, homelessness & housing options, care & support provision, and the
provision of Housing services within the social rented sector, particularly the Council’s
Internal and Arms Length housing Management Organisations. Here we will reflect
the links to the Health Improvement Plan, various Social Care Commissioning
Strategies, and the Business Plans for the social housing providers.
4.10 We’ve set out how the three objectives link to the Sustainable Community
Strategy and other key plans in Appendix 1 (Appendix 1: 'Links between Housing
Strategy objectives and other key plans').
4.11 Under each of the three key objectives we have identified a series of initial
outcomes – the things that we would like to see happening as a result of the delivery
of the Strategy and our ambition to create sustainable places where people want to
live, work, visit and invest.
Table 1 Summary of Objectives and Outcomes
Objectives
Altogether Better Housing Markets
Outcomes
More new housing built, with a range of
housing types and tenures to meet the
economic and social needs of our
County
More joined-up approach to regeneration
and delivery providing more ‘bang for
buck’
Altogether Better Housing Standards
More Decent Homes
Fewer Empty Homes
Improved management standards in the
private rented sector
Enforcement taken against problem
landlords
Warmer Homes
Safer Homes
Altogether Better at Housing People
24
More & better Homes for vulnerable
groups
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
More & better support services for
vulnerable groups
Higher quality Housing Services in the
public and private sectors
Question 2
Do the strapline and three key objectives cover the full range of issues that the
Housing Strategy needs to address?
Question 3
Are there any other high level outcomes that we need to identify at this stage,
and if so which of the three objectives would they come under?
25
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Chapter 5: Housing Strategy Issues and Options
5.1 We have identified 14 key issues to be addressed in the delivery of the
Objectives and Outcomes of the Housing Strategy. The first ten relate to the three
objectives, with the additional four cross-cutting issues of Equality & Diversity, Value
for Money, Health Impact and Social Inclusion:
Figure 5.1 Issues to be addressed by the Housing
Strategy
Altogether Better Housing Markets
Issue 1: Housing Growth - More Homes
Why is this an issue?
(10)
5.2 There are around 231,965 homes in County Durham
but more homes are
needed as the population is predicted to grow and people live longer. The population
for County Durham is expected to grow to 511,000 by 2026 and households are
predicted to grow from 207,000 to 251,000. (DCC mid estimates 2007)
5.3 As part of the development of the new Housing Strategy the Council is currently
researching housing needs & demand which will inform the development of LDF
Core Strategy (the County Durham Plan) and the new Housing Strategy, providing
clear guidance on the numbers of homes required, their location, type and tenure.
10 (ONS/HSSA 2009)
26
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
(11)
5.4 The County Durham Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) was
completed in October 2008 and highlights a notable turnaround in County Durham’s
population dynamics in recent years. Following a number of decades of sustained
economic restructuring and population loss, the population of the region and the
county has grown year on year since 2003. Even while the population was falling
there was still growth in the number of households. With changing age structures
and social trends Figure 4 below shows household growth of 19% between 2010
and 2030.
Figure 5.2 Provisional 2008 - based projections of household numbers (Source:
DCC Mid 2007 Estimates)
5.5 The 2008 SHMA concluded that the housing requirement set out in the RSS
is close to that required to accommodate household growth up to 2016. However
beyond 2016 it concluded that the RSS housing targets fell notably short of projected
household growth. In addition to the RSS housing requirement an additional 3100
houses have been agreed by Government as part of the South and East Durham
(12)
Growth Point .
5.6 Table 2 below illustrates the residual housing requirement for County Durham
to 2030, discounting completions from 2004 to 2009. The table also includes existing
commitments (sites under construction, with planning permission or currently
allocated) as of April 2009 (12,983 houses) minus a projected 5% allowance for those
sites that will not come forward over the plan period (as a result of the downturn in
the housing market).
Table 2 Housing Requirement for County Durham
Existing
Total
RSS
Growth
Requirement Point Completions Requirement
2004-2010
2004-30*
Existing
Commitments
(less 5%)
Remaining
Requirement
2009-30
11 (Durham County Council , 2008)
12 (Durham County Council, 2010)
27
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
35,975
3,100
10,139
28,936
10,437
18,499
5.7 The average annual requirement in RSS has been projected forward to 2030
to give a figure for the Core Strategy period.
(13)
5.8 The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment’s (SHLAA)
was
completed in March 2010 with the primary role to identify sites with potential for
housing, identify any issues affecting the development of sites such as access
problems and estimate when they are likely to come forward which may be affected
by issues such as policy constraints or site conditions. The SHLAA enables the
Council to demonstrate sufficient developable sites are available to deliver the LDF
Core Strategy targets for new Housing delivery.
5.9 Recent research carried out by the Council in February and March 2010 on
the ‘Durham Key Options’ Choice Based Lettings Scheme, local estate and letting
agents and a survey with all Registered Providers operating within County Durham
suggests that the most popular areas to live in Durham are Durham City, Consett,
Stanley, and Peterlee and the most popular house types are family housing and two
bedroom bungalows. Demand for executive housing was highlighted in Spennymoor,
Durham and Chester le Street.
5.10
The Housing Quality Network commenced a review of older persons
accommodation and support services in County Durham in February 2010. Housing
Quality Network have recently produced a draft strategy for consultation that shows
that Durham has a considerable stock of properties reserved for let or sale to people
approaching and over the age of retirement. The draft strategy suggests that there
is a considerable oversupply of units as much of this provides very small space
standards and may be in the wrong location with difficult access or remote from
services and facilities.
There is therefore a need to change the housing offer for older people in Durham.
The over supply of social housing stock needs to be reduced and replaced with mixed
tenure options so that older people have more opportunities to meet their housing
requirements. Shared ownership is a good option for many, particularly for older
owners of older terraced houses where property values are around two-thirds the
purchase price of a two bedroomed bungalow. Intermediate tenures may also be
popular with people who have sufficient resources to meet their own housing costs.
The vast majority of demand is for two bedroomed bungalows but these are expensive
to provide through either open or subsidised markets. Excellent quality attractive and
affordable retirement apartments are likely to be very acceptable provided the design
is accessible (including good lifts) spacious and provides for peoples lifestyles.
The draft strategy also highlights the need for increased provision of extra care
schemes including provision for people with early signs of dementia.
13 (Durham County Council, 2010)
28
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
What are we doing about it, and what are the options going forward?
5.11 The LDF Issues & Options paper sets out the case for growth and change
(14)
required to deliver a prosperous County Durham . In terms of Housing Development
and Housing Growth, Government guidance advises local authorities to consider the
implications of different levels of development taking place within the Core Strategy
(15)
period and the Regional Spatial Strategy
housing requirements are acknowledged
as ‘guideline figures [that] do not represent a ceiling; plans may make the case for
higher figures as appropriate’.
5.12 The LDF Core Strategy Issues & Options paper considers two ‘options’ based
on economic scenarios which effect the future provision of new house building:
Option A: Promoting Economic Development
5.13 This option is focussed on delivering the economic growth priorities of the
SCS and the Regeneration Statement. The Council believes that promoting economic
development is the most effective way of building and sustainable and prosperous
economy for the whole of County Durham.
5.14 This option therefore directs the majority of new development to locations
that have been shown to be attractive to the market and have most chance of
delivering the economic development the County needs. The Regeneration Statement
and the SCS both identify Durham City as the primary location for new development
in the County to enable the step change to the County’s economy that is required to
bridge the gap with the economic performance of the rest of the North East and the
UK.
Option B: Targeted Regeneration
5.15 This option directs the majority of new development to the more deprived
parts of County Durham in order to aid their regeneration. Instead of expecting these
areas to benefit from the general upturn in the County’s economic performance
resulting from the directed economic development in Option A, this option would
directly target those areas that have most suffered from deprivation in the past.
The broad implications of OPTION A
5.16 The RSS identifies Durham City as an asset to the County and recognises
that the limited scale and offer of the city centre prevents it from providing a wider
sub-regional role. The Council believes that if Durham City was to become a city of
regional, national and international significance that this would enhance the economic
performance of the County as a whole. In order to do this it would need a critical
14 See LDF Issues & Options Paper Chapter 4: What do we need to deliver and
where should it be?
15 SeeRegional Spatial Strategy
29
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
mass of population, employment and visitors to build on its existing assets and a
housing stock that complements economic growth and provides a mixture of housing
for its population whilst meeting new demands.
5.17 It would not be possible or desirable to concentrate all future growth in Durham
City. Therefore other towns need to be identified that will complement this growth
and contribute to the regeneration of the County as a whole. In order to ensure the
delivery of this growth it would seem sensible to direct it to those locations that have
been attractive to the development industry in the past. These are the towns that
have attracted more development and have therefore been more successful in
regeneration than others. Following an assessment of house building and economic
and retail performance it is considered that the towns that have been most successful
in terms of regeneration and economic development, in addition to Durham City, are:
Chester-le-Street
Consett
Seaham
Bishop Auckland
Barnard Castle
5.18 Whilst Durham City and the other priority towns will be the focus for this
approach the other areas of the County must also be allowed to experience growth
and prosperity. This will be both from benefiting from the overall uplift to the County
resulting from the increased economic activity and from their own share of new
development.
5.19 To reflect Durham City’s central importance to Option A, the LDF issues &
option paper proposes that it initially receives the largest share of the housing
requirement. The towns of Chester-le-Street, Consett, Seaham, Bishop Auckland
and Barnard Castle all receive a significant share. The rest of the requirement is
distributed equally between the remaining towns and delivery areas. This distribution
has then been adjusted to reflect constraints that would prevent delivery.
5.20 In order to give some flexibility in later periods of the Plan the LDF issues &
options paper proposes to distribute the first 15 years of the total housing requirement.
The distribution by town and delivery area is given in Table 3 and Figure 5.3 below.
Table 3 Option A - Distribution of Housing Requirement 2012 to 2030
Main Town/ Delivery Area
30
Total Net Housing
Requirement
Durham City
5050
Remainder of Central Durham
1590
Chester-le-Street
1590
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Consett
3180
Peterlee
1450
Seaham
2030
Stanley
1450
Remainder of North and East Durham
1300
Bishop Auckland
3180
Crook
1450
Newton Aycliffe
1450
Shildon
1450
Spennymoor
1450
Remainder of South Durham
1300
Barnard Castle
725
Remainder of West Durham
290
Total
28935
Figure 5.3 Option A - Housing Requirement by Delivery Area
31
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.21 For further detail of how the number of new housing units developed in each
of these main settlements and areas are proposed under option A please see issues
(16)
4a – 4j from the LDF Issues & Options Paper .
Question 4
Do the proposals from the LDF Issues & Options paper (4a – 4j) properly
reflect the range of options for housing development in the key settlements
under Option A?
The broad implications of Option B
5.22 The direction of the majority of new development to the more deprived parts
of County Durham in order to aid their regeneration would, in essence, require an
emphasis on development in the towns of Newton Aycliffe, Peterlee, Spennymoor,
Stanley and Shildon. The rest of the requirement is then distributed equally between
the remaining towns and delivery areas. This distribution has been adjusted to reflect
constraints that would prevent delivery. The housing distribution from the Growth
Point, which allocates 100 houses to Peterlee, 400 to Bishop Auckland, 140 to Newton
Aycliffe, 1260 to Spennymoor and 300 to the rest of South Durham, is included. The
final distribution by town and delivery area is given in Table 4 and Figure 5.4 below.
Table 4 Option B - Distribution of Housing Requirement 2012 to 2030
Main Town/ Delivery Area
Durham City
1940
Remainder of Central Durham
1550
Chester-le-Street
1420
Consett
1420
Peterlee
2420
Seaham
1420
Stanley
2840
Remainder of North and East Durham
1550
Bishop Auckland
1820
Crook
1550
16 LDF Issues and Options Paper
32
Total Housing
Requirement
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Newton Aycliffe
2980
Shildon
1550
Spennymoor
3330
Remainder of South Durham
1850
Barnard Castle
775
Remainder of West Durham
520
Total
28,930
Figure 5.4 Option B - Housing Requirement by Delivery Area
5.23 For further detail of how the number of new housing units developed in each
of these main settlements and areas are proposed under option A please see issues
(17)
5a – 5j from the LDF Issues & Options Paper .
17 LDF Issues and Options Paper
33
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 5
Do the proposals from the LDF Issues and Options paper (Issues 5a - 5j) properly
reflect the range of options for housing development in the key settlements under
Option B?
Question 6
In terms of the proposals on Options from the LDF Issues and Options paper
which do you think most clearly align with our ambition for County Durham?
A. Option A - Promoting Economic Development
B. Option B - Targeted Regeneration
C. A combination of the two
Question 7
Are there any other options that we should consider in developing for growth
and change?
Issue 2: New Affordable Housing – tackling affordability ‘hotspots’
Why is this an issue?
5.24 In a County with overall average house prices of around £123,000 compare
(18)
to a national average of £142, 648
and lower-quartile (a proxy of ‘entry-level’
housing) averages around £72,500, Durham’s housing represents lower than regional
and national averages.
5.25 The highest house prices in County Durham are in Weardale, Barnard Castle,
Elvet and Nevilles Cross where the average ranges from £217,000 to 300,000. The
lowest prices are in Dawdon, Peterlee, Shotton, Shildon, Craghead, Anfield Plain
(19)
and Ferry hill where average prices range from £80,000 to £96,000
5.26 Traditionally Durham has not suffered from the extreme affordability issues
experienced in other areas, but with low average incomes (£21,200 compared to a
national average of £25,500) combined with the recent economic downturn and ‘credit
18 Source: Hometrack December 2009
19 Source: Hometrack December 2009
34
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
crunch’ and higher than average levels of worklessness & deprivation our aspirations
for housing growth and economic development must be supported by a sustainable
level of new affordable housing development.
5.27 The 2008 Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) estimated a backlog
of housing need of between 10,600 and 13,400 households, with a further 600-1,000
newly forming households per year being unable to afford to buy or rent without
support. The SHMA concluded that the County needed to maximise the delivery of
‘affordable’housing in the right locations to cater for those on low incomes who have
no access to market housing for sale or rent.
5.28 Once the annual turnover of existing housing stock and existing projections
of new affordable housing provision had been taken into account, the net annual
shortfall was estimated at 551 – 1189 homes per annum, based on the low and high
estimates of households in housing need and a 10 year phased approach to meeting
need. In order to deliver such numbers, the SHMA recommended the following initial
percentages of affordable housing:
In the former Easington, Sedgefield and Wear Valley Districts the Local
Authorities could seek a minimum of 20% affordable housing provision on
residential developments of over 15 dwellings/ 0.5 ha.
In the former Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, Durham City and Teesdale Districts
the Local Authorities could seek a minimum of 30% affordable housing on
residential developments of over 15 dwellings/ 0.5 ha.
However, given the projected total house building trajectory of 1,610 per annum
(2012 – 2030, assuming linear trajectory) a 30% tariff would yield only a maximum
of 483 units per year, just about meeting the minimum projected annual need,
and a 20% tariff would yield a maximum of 322 units per year. When compared
with the current reduced rate of housebuilding (see table 5 below) due to the
impact of the recession, meeting the 2008 SHMA low target of 551 affordable
housing units per year at a 20% rate would require a total annual house
completion rate of 2,750 units per annum, more than 50% higher than the current
RSS indicative level.
Table 5 County Durham completions compared with RSS indicative levels from
2005/06
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
County Durham
completions
1800
2361
2397
1426
1179
RSS indicative level
1670
1670
1670
1670
1670
% of actual
completions to RSS
level
108%
141%
144%
85%
71%
35
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
What are we doing about it, and what are the options going forward?
5.29 Actual delivery of new affordable housing units has been positive over recent
times (despite the overall slow-down in the number of houses being built) rising from
12% of total completions in 2008/9 (170 units of affordable housing) to 19% of total
completions in 2009/10 (223 units of affordable housing), although this was still below
our 2009/10 target of 300 new units and almost half that of the 2008 SHMA low target
of 551 units per annum.
5.30 Recognising the fact that the housing market has changed substantially since
the 2008 SHMA was completed, the methodology and inputs are currently being
reviewed by Planning and Housing Officers and a revised affordable housing target
is expected by July 2010.
5.31 The 2008 SHMA also recommended that 80% of affordable housing should
be social rented and 20% intermediate housing. While the reasoning behind this
was sound – providing a wider range of ‘affordable’ housing solutions than the
traditional 100% social rented provision option – the reality of the recent housing
market situation and particularly the lack of availability of mortgages for first time and
low-income buyers has resulted in a high proportion of intermediate housing schemes
(particularly Low Cost Home Ownership) being ‘converted’ back to social rented
properties.
5.32 As well as identifying the need for affordable housing we must also determine
whether it can be delivered. To this end we have recently embarked on the
development of a Housing Viability model which will be used to inform future policy.
It will determine what proportion of new housing can be ‘affordable’ on a site by site
basis without making development inviable. This is will be tested across the County
as what is viable in different areas is likely to vary as land values and development
conditions change. Consultation on the conclusions of the Housing Viability Study
will be undertaken to inform the affordable housing policies in later versions of the
Core Strategy.
Question 8
Is the principle of an overall Countywide target of affordable housing, with specific
targets for individual sites based on an Economic Viability study and local
affordability/housing market intelligence a sound one?
36
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 9
If not what should the overall target be?
A. 10%
B. 20%
C. 30%
D. 40%
Question 10
Should the aspiration for a mixed provision of affordable homes, including low
cost ownership and intermediate rent, remain despite current housing and
mortgage market conditions?
Question 11
Which is the most appropriate type for County Durham?
A. Rented from a social housing provider such as the Council or Housing
Association.
B. Intermediate housing such as shared ownership, shared equity, Homebuy
etc.
C. Low cost market housing provided by a house builder.
Question 12
How else could we look to maximise provision of new affordable housing in
County Durham?
Issue 3: Rural Affordable Housing
Why is this an issue?
37
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.33 The 2008 SHMA also suggested that there is a requirement to have a delivery
mechanism that addresses affordable housing needs for local people within rural
areas which will include smaller settlements. With this in mind, the overall aim should
be to ensure that the development Options A & B outlined above that steer
development towards the most sustainable locations do not inadvertently have a
detrimental impact on smaller settlements.
5.34 The LDF Core Strategy represents an opportunity to improve the sustainability
of existing rural communities especially in terms of seeking an improved social and
(20)
economic balance as suggested in the Taylor Report
of 2008. The mechanism
through which rural affordable housing will be delivered should acknowledge that
the characteristics of the rural settlements of County Durham vary significantly and
this will have implications for the delivery of rural affordable housing in the future.
5.35 In the ‘deep rural’ West Durham area there may be fewer opportunities to
provide affordable housing in many villages through traditional market mechanisms
(21)
as sites tend to be below the minimum threshold (15 houses as set out in PPS3 )
whereby our policy framework would require provision of affordable housing as
discussed in issue 2.
5.36 PPS3 identifies that rural exceptions sites located adjacent to or within existing
settlements may provide opportunities to do this. PPS3 allows for small sites on
which new housing development that would normally be contrary to policy to be
developed for 100% affordable housing under a ‘rural exceptions policy’. Under such
a policy new sites for affordable housing would be considered where they meet the
needs of local people identified through a Local Housing Needs Survey on the
provision that the housing remained affordable and available to local people in
perpetuity. The occupancy of the housing would generally be subject to a legal
agreement limiting the residency to people from the immediate areas, generally
through a Local lettings Policy through the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy.
5.37 It should be noted that any future policy in affordable housing provision is
likely to be subject to the Economic Viability Assessment process mentioned in the
previous section.
What are we currently doing about it, and what are the options available?
5.38 The LDF Issues & Options paper includes specific questions about the future
provision of affordable housing in the rural west, and these have been incorporated
into this paper.
20 Living Working Countryside The Taylor Review July 2008
21 Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (Department for Communities & Local
Government, 2010)
38
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 13
What is the best way to secure affordable housing within the rural areas of the
County, particularly within the West Durham sub area?
A. Apply the same policy that is used within the rest of the County i.e. Delivered
as part of a mixed tenure open market development.
B. Apply a rural exception policy to meet the needs identified in local housing
needs surveys.
Question 14
Are there any other options to consider?
Issue 4: Executive Housing
Why is this an issue?
5.39 Regional studies have suggested that housing supply needs to be matched
to housing aspirations to attract higher skilled workers and entrepreneurs to improve
the attractiveness of an area as a place to live and invest in and to drive economic
(22)
growth. Studies such as the 2005 Regional Housing Aspirations Study
have
suggested that
5.40
“Without more ‘aspirational’ housing the new knowledge-based workers
arriving in the region as a result of projected economic growth will serve to increase
the competition for the already scarce resource of suburban/semi-rural house types
in the travel to work areas of the conurbations.” (P57)
5.41 Market Towns and Villages are popular with these ‘Wealthy Achievers’ and
County Durham, falling between the two City Regions and with a number of attractive
market towns and villages, can undoubtedly play a significant role in providing this
essential offer for the region. Both the RSS and 2008 County Durham SHMA
supported this conclusion.
5.42 Executive housing has been defined in some studies by the higher Council
Tax Bands but it can be related to a combination of value, size, density and
surroundings. For the purposes of the Core Strategy, the term Executive Housing
relates to top end of the market, detached housing of high quality design and
materials, set in its own grounds at a density of no more than 6 dwellings per hectare.
22 (Nathaniel Litchfield & Partners Ltd, 2005)
39
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 15
Given the disparity with the national average, what target proportion of total new
housing should be developed as 'executive' housing?
A. 0.5% of the total annual housing requirement i.e.145 homes
B. 0.75% of the total annual housing requirement i.e.217 homes
C. 1% of the total annual housing requirement i.e. 290 homes
Question 16
In terms of provision of Executive Homes are there other options to consider?
Question 17
Where should new Executive Housing be developed?
A. Dispersed distribution with additional executive housing in a large number of
locations meeting sustainability criteria.
B. Allocate executive housing in a small number of locations which meet
sustainability criteria and are in close proximity to high quality employment sites.
C. Allocate executive housing in only one or two select locations which meet
sustainability criteria and in proximity to the most prestigious employment
locations such as NetPark or Durham City.
Question 18
Are there any other issues to consider in the location of new Executive Housing
in the future?
Issue 5: Better Balanced housing markets - regeneration & renewal
Why is this an issue?
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.43 County Durham has a mixed and varied housing offer. In many areas there
is a good range of housing, from good quality affordable social housing to smaller
‘starter homes’, two and three bedroom family houses, and larger ‘executive’ homes.
And in other areas the mix reflects the historic growth of settlements, with greater
numbers of older terraced and inter/post-war social rented properties and fewer high
quality ‘aspirational’ properties for sale.
5.44 The mix of housing in terms of dwelling types varies significantly across
County Durham, with a higher than average proportion of terraced housing (around
40%) and a lower than average proportion of detached housing (around 17%) when
compared with national averages.
Figure 5.5 Housing Stock by Type of dwelling
5.45 In Derwentside, East Durham, Sedgefield and Wear Valley almost 50% of
the stock is terraced and in some cases the quality is of a poor standard. A number
of communities with older terraced housing also have relatively poor access to
amenities such as health services, leisure facilities and green infrastructure.
5.46 There are around 48,000 social rented properties in County Durham (around
21% of the total housing stock), with proportionally more in the former District Council
areas of Easington and Sedgefield and proportionally fewer in Teesdale and Wear
Valley.
41
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Figure 5.6 Housing Stock by Tenure
5.47 In terms of age, around 15% of the housing stock in the County was built
pre-1900 although his ranges from as high as 39% of stock in the Teesdale area and
as low as 6% in Easington. Around 24% of existing housing was built between
1900-1939, ranging from 38% in Easington to 12% in Wear Valley. Around 42% of
stock was built between 1939-1982 ranging from 52% in Sedgefield to 30% in
Teesdale. And around 19% of stock has been built since 1983, ranging from 21% in
(23)
Chester le Street to 17% in Teesdale .
5.48 In 2008 the former District Councils worked with the Building Research
Establishment (BRE) to develop a model for Private Sector house condition using
the Government’s Decent Homes standard. This model suggests a strong correlation
between levels of older housing and levels of non-decency, with Teesdale having
around 57% of private sector housing classed as ‘non-decent’, Wear Valley at around
42%, while Chester le Street and Easington are both modelled as having 29% of
private properties failing to meet the standard. A significant factor in this profile is
the lack of thermal efficiency of older housing stock, with many of the pre-1900
properties failing this element of the decent homes standard.
What are we currently doing about it and what are the options going forward?
5.49 The Durham Coalfields Housing Market Renewal Partnership, working with
the former Government Agency English Partnerships and Jacobs Babtie Consultants,
(24)
commissioned a Coalfield Settlement Study A number of settlements were identified
as having old, obsolete housing stock with neighbourhoods declining and a need to
23 Source: VOA data 2007
24 (Jacobs UK Ltd, 2005)
42
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
re-balance the housing offer.A series of ‘Area Development Frameworks’, or
regeneration plans, for 13 key settlements where substantial regeneration and housing
market renewal activity were considered a priority. These settlements included:
Easington Colliery
Dawdon, Seaham
Coundon
Dean Bank
Ferryhill Station
Sacriston
Chilton West
Craghead
New Kyo/Quaking Houses
Bowburn
5.50 Existing priorities for regeneration and renewal activity included within the
Council’s Renewal & Improvement Team work plan and Capital Programme include
Easington Colliery, Sedgefield, Thornley & Wheatley Hill, Coundon and Craghead
with plans and projects ongoing in these areas to address local issues of low demand
and abandonment of housing. The Local Investment Plan recently agreed by the
Council and Homes & Communities Agency has set out the following priorities for
housing renewal and regeneration activity:
Central Durham
5.51 Establish a programme of demolition and development in Eshwinning and
partial demolition and new build in Sherburn Road.
North and East Durham
5.52
Commence clearance in Easington Colliery, Dawdon and South Stanley.
South Durham
5.53
Housing clearance at Dean bank, Chilton and Coundon
West Durham
5.54
No current priorities for housing renewal activity
5.55 As part of the work on the LDF Issues & Options paper we have developed
a ‘Settlement Sustainability Assessment’ through which we have attempted to capture
the somewhat ethereal concept of ‘settlement sustainability’ into a more ‘objective’
review of our larger settlements, comparing them against a set of criteria that reflect
the key concepts behind ‘sustainable communities’: health facilities; schools; shopping
facilities; Post Offices; Pubs; built sports facilities; community centres; industrial
estates; distances to larger towns; and public transport services.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.56 The methodology for this assessment is due to go out to public consultation
at the same time as this Issues & Options paper, and to date it has been used to
allocate a score for each settlement that has enabled clustering into a series of groups
or : small villages with limited or no facilities (<25 points): villages with access to
some facilities (25-49 points); villages with access to more facilities (50-69 points);
larger villages and small towns (70-89 points); and main towns (>90 points). While
the absolute scores and somewhat arbitrary, and remain subject to consultation, they
do provide a useful indication of relative sustainability of each settlement and should
therefore be used to guide future housing renewal investment decisions.
5.57 As a final consideration, the future levels of public sector grant funding to
housing renewal activity is uncertain and likely to reduce in the short-medium term.
The 2010/11 allocation of Regional Single Housing Investment Programme (SHIP)
funding for this work was reduced by 10.3% from £3,874,750 to £3,474,000 at the
end of 2009/10, and future cuts are likely. To this end, the Council needs to consider
its options for future housing market renewal activity, and where it should target it’s
(potentially dwindling) resources.
Question 19
In considering future housing market renewal activity, how should the Council
target its resources?
A.
Continue to target previous priority areas for housing renewal
B.
Review previous priorities with a view to targeting settlements that are
relatively ‘sustainable’ through the settlement sustainability assessment
C.
C. Review previous priorities with a view to targeting areas with the most
substantial housing market failure issues e.g. empty homes, low house
values, tenure in balances, etc
Question 20
Are there any other issues to consider in the targeting of future housing market
renewal activity?
Altogether Better Housing Standards
Issue 6: Better Existing Homes
Why is this an issue?
44
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Decent Homes
5.58 There are approximately 48,000 social rented properties across County
(25)
Durham, and as at March 2010
around 32% of these properties are failing to meet
the Government’s ‘Decent Homes Standard’, under which homes are required to be
warm, weatherproof and have reasonably modern facilities. The biggest challenge
is the East Durham area where around 83% of the social housing stock is currently
non- decent.
5.59 Around 80% of County Durham’s housing stock is privately owned, ranging
from 88% in Teesdale to 75% in Easington and Sedgefield areas, and there are
substantial numbers of non decent homes in the private sector. A 2008 Building
Research Establishment (BRE) report modelled the county’s private housing stock
using English House Condition Survey information and concluded that around 34%
of private housing was failing the standard, representing around 53,000 households
living in homes that are not up to this minimum standard. Around 16,000 of these
households living in non-decent housing were classed as vulnerable, or likely to be
in receipt of means-tested benefits. The total estimated cost of bringing all private
sector homes up to standard was a staggering £492million, dropping to £147million
to improve the homes of the most vulnerable.
5.60 Although the overall Decent Homes failure rate of 32% was a little below the
national average of 37%, the proportion failing due to a category 1 health hazard
(largely excess cold) was around 20%, as opposed to just 3% at a national level.
This is almost certainly a reflection on the County’s profile of older terraced housing,
and particularly pre-1900 housing in the rural dales. The links to excess winter
mortality and other health and social care implications of vulnerable people living in
cold homes is evident.
5.61 A report produced by Homeless Link in 2009 ‘Places of Change North East
Priorities and Needs Snapshot,’ highlighted improvements required to the homeless
accommodation in County Durham and this will be prioritised in the Homelessness
Strategy Action Plan.
Private Rented Sector
5.62 Compared to other regional, northern and national statistics, County Durham
has a disproportionately high level of Private Rented housing, and a significant
proportion of this housing does not meet the ‘Decent Homes’ standard. In addition
to housing condition, ineffective management by a substantial minority of Private
Landlords, together with an unwillingness to invest and a lack of engagement with
local communities, has lead to destabilised neighbourhoods and a high turnover of
tenants and other residents in some areas.
Empty Homes
25 Source: Tenant Services Authority and Regulatory and Statistical Return - RSR
45
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
(26)
5.63 There are around 10,000 empty properties across County Durham , with
around 6,500 empty properties identified by the Council as empty over 6 months.
This figure includes properties in the social and private sector. As well as causing a
problem for local residents by attracting crime and anti-social behaviour, empty homes
also represent a reduction in the overall supply of affordable homes available.
Adaptations
5.64 Given the challenges presented by the projected future demographic profile
of County Durham, with both an increasing population of older people and a falling
dependency ratio (the ratio of older people to younger, working people) it is essential
that the existing and new residential offer allows enables this ageing population to
remain as independent as possible for as long as possible.
5.65 The 2010 County Durham Total Place pilot identified the need for a single
system for adaptations with clear routes and transparent criteria. Some of the
proposals for change include improved synergy between health, social care and
housing services and the development of more new build solutions to improve the
(27)
supply of ‘Lifetime’ homes .
5.66 The size of the system for adaptations is significant. There are over 7,000
referrals annually and 41 Occupational Therapists across the county undertaking
assessments to assess need and design solutions. The client base is made up of
people with lifetime needs, for example children with disabilities as well as the ageing
population.
Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty
5.67 The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 requires the Government
to set out a strategy to end fuel poverty in England for all households by 2016,
reinforced by the 2003 Energy White Paper which sets a primary goal ‘to ensure that
every home is adequately and affordably heated.’
5.68 However since 2004 there have been substantial increases in gas and
electricity costs to domestic households. The Department of Energy and Climate
Change (DECC) estimate for every 1% rise in energy prices an extra 40,000
households nationally become fuel poor, since 2003 the average annual gas bill has
increase by 139% and average electricity bill by 80%. As a result the North East
Region has approximately 297, 000 households in fuel poverty equating to 27% of
fuel poor households compared to only 8.7% in 2003. National studies have also
indicated that Rural Fuel Poverty is not being tackled by the existing national funding
mechanisms due to the high cost of measures to communities with hard to treat
homes.
26 Source: HSSA 2009
27 See Total Place Business Case 5: Homes Adaptations atTotal Place Business
Case Adaptations
46
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.69 Significant national concerns are being raised that recent Government policies
announced in the new UK Carbon Transition Plan will further increase current energy
bills by 6% by 2020.
5.70 Domestic energy conservation is the primary element to reducing fuel poverty,
providing warmer homes and reducing domestic climate change emissions. As a
result the Government have introduced substantial national funding programmes
such as Warm Front (£362m) Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (£1.3b) and
Community Energy Saving Programme (£100m) to tackle these key issues in the
existing housing stock.
5.71 The existing housing stock contributes to over 40% of all national Climate
Change emissions and is therefore the biggest contributor to Global Warming. The
Government have therefore introduced a range of national programmes to insulate
all existing domestic homes by 2020.
5.72 The UK has one of the highest Excess Winter Death rates in Europe and it
is estimated that for every 1o C that the winter temperature drops below the average,
there will be an associated increase of 8,000 excess winter deaths.
5.73 The Decent Homes Standard (DHS) was originally devised as a means of
improving housing in the social rented sector. The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy indicates
that the Thermal Comfort element of the Decent Homes Standard would be the main
mechanism in addressing fuel poverty in social housing in England. However from
the outset, the Thermal Comfort criteria of the standard fuel poverty in social housing
were criticised as minimal and inadequate. The Government effectively conceded
this argument in observing that the standard would not provide affordable warmth
for all social sector tenants, that additional measures would be required and
emphasised the potential role of social tariffs in this context.
5.74 In 2002 the Government adopted additional targets relating to the reduction
of non-decent homes occupied by vulnerable households in the private sector. The
Government subsequently dropped the decent homes standard in the private sector
as a national indicator; however, the Council is committed to addressing decent
homes condition in this sector and will continue to monitor performance in this area.
What are currently doing about this, and what are the available options going forward?
Decent Homes
(28)
5.75 Through our work on the 2010 Total Place
pilot looking at ‘Housing &
Regeneration’ we have mapped all 48,000 social rented properties across County
Durham, identifying 32 different ‘Registered Providers’ of this housing offer (Housing
Associations, Arms Length Management Organisations, the Council’s Housing
28 Total Place Initiative
47
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Department, and other social housing landlords). We are currently gathering
information on the condition of this stock, and aim to be able to publish the plans and
timescales to bring these homes up to the ‘Decent Homes’ standard by July 2010.
5.76 As part of the Total Place work we have identified a need to consider the
rationalisation of Registered Providers as a potential option for increasing investment
(29)
into social housing stock in County Durham .
5.77 Alongside the consideration of social housing provision, the Council has also
started work on commissioning a formal ‘Stock Options Appraisal’ to consider the
options for the future provision of Housing Management and Investment services to
the Council’s 19,000 rented properties. We are working closely with the three existing
providers, East Durham Homes, Dale & valley Homes, and Durham City Homes on
this work and intend to come to a conclusion in early summer 2011.
Question 21
Apart from investigating the potential for Rationalisation of social housing
providers and undergoing a formal Stock Options Appraisal for the Council’s
19,000 homes, is there anything else that we could do to improve the condition
of social housing in County Durham?
(30)
5.78 In April 2010 the Council adopted a new financial assistance policy . The
Policy has been produced to reflect the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Housing
Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002. This Order repealed much of the
existing prescriptive legislation governing the provision of grants and replaced it with
a more general power to provide a range of forms of assistance.
st
5.79 This policy came into effect from 1 April 2009 and has recently been reviewed.
Arrangements to deliver the financial assistance products have been developed in
a method that is consistent others across the north east region. The North East
Regional Loan Partnership (consisting of representatives of each of the sub-regions
in the North East, Government Office for the North East, North East Assembly and
Foundations, the Co-ordinating Body for Home Improvement Agencies) is currently
considering how financial assistance can be delivered across the region in a way
that will take advantage of scale, to facilitate the increased recycling and reinvestment
of funds into remedying poor housing conditions.
5.80 Through effective joint delivery across the region, and the building of a worthy
track record of the provision of loans assistance, it is envisaged that the Policy will
become increasingly self-sustaining through the attraction of private finance.
5.81
The policy offers a range of assistance with the key objectives of,
29 Total Place Business Case:Rationalising across Social Housing Providers
30 County Durham Financial Assistance Policy
48
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Improving and maintaining healthy living conditions, specifically helping
homeowners on limited incomes to repair improve or adapt their homes and so
facilitate independent living.
Contributing to the regeneration of areas suffering from market vulnerability and
to tackle poor housing conditions where there may be neighbourhood decline.
Encouraging homeowners to undertake works that will make their homes more
energy efficient and to reduce the number of people affected by fuel poverty.
5.82 In order to drive up standards in the private sector stock the Council work in
partnership with the local Home Improvement Agencies to provide a range of advice
and guidance and encouragement to homeowners to utilise their own funds to improve
their homes and quality of life.
5.83 The financial assistance policy also provides funding in the form of Mandatory
Disabled Facilities grants along with discretionary funding to adapt properties for
people who find themselves living in a disabling environment.
5.84 The Policy offers assistance to tackle low confidence in an area by enabling
problematic empties to be brought up to the decent homes standard and brought
back into use; to encourage tenure change in areas where the number of rented
properties is disproportionately high and where it is linked to poor perception of the
area provision may be given to first time buyers; and to assist in the councils plans
for property clearance to assist to relocate to a more suitable home.
Question 22
Thinking about future use of the Financial Assistance Policy should we:
A.
Target the policy into those economic and regeneration settlements as
outlined in ‘options A and B as outlined within issue 1.
B.
Prioritise those settlements where investment schemes are planned by
Social Landlords?
C.
Continue to use the current datal order system?
Empty Homes
5.85 The Council’s approach to empty homes in the private sector is to investigate
and deal with those that have been empty for more than six months. There are many
reasons why homes are empty and not all empty homes are problem homes or can
49
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
be dealt with. Some will be on the market for sale, some subject to probate, others
being repaired and in some cases the owner is absent from the property for good
reasons.
5.86 A review of our policy and procedures in relation to empty homes will be
completed by the end of June 2010 to ensure that each empty property is dealt with
appropriately.
5.87 Not all properties can be brought back into use. Some of the worst ones will
be structurally unsound and should be demolished. Other properties may be in areas
where expenditure on a property is not value for money as it is in an area where
people do not want to live and/or repairs will cost too much.
5.88
Working with the Environmental Health Service we have produced an
‘enforcement protocol’ to make sure that the issues associated with empty homes
such as rubbish, dilapidation, access etc. are addressed. We will set targets and
monitor performance relating to actions taken on empty homes and numbers brought
back into use.
Question 23
When considering how to tackle empty homes across County Durham should
we:
A.
Prioritise the main economic development settlements as outlined in the
‘option A’ scenario discussed in Issue 1
B.
Prioritise the main regeneration settlements as outlined in the ‘option B’
scenario discussed in Issue 1
C.
Prioritise properties on a worst-first basis
Question 24
Is there anything else that we should take into consideration when considering
how we deal with Empty Properties in County Durham?
Adaptations
5.89 The Countywide Review of Older Persons Accommodation & Support Services
commissioned by the Council and Primary Care Trust in February 2010 will provide
an evidence base for planning future accommodation and support service provision
and is likely to indicate a need to review and improve the strategy and policies for
adaptations and technological improvements to existing residential property.
50
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.90 The 2010 County Durham Total Place pilot recognised that social care and
the housing parts of the existing aids & adaptations system needed to connect better
with each other, and concluded with a preferred option of redesigning the system in
(31)
order to remove injustice and improve the outcomes for clients .
Question 25
Do you agree with our approach to a move towards a single system for
adaptations?
Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty
5.91 There are a number of initiatives in place to tackle fuel poverty some examples
include Durham County Council’s Warm Homes Campaign which has 700 local
community venues promoting the full range of energy conservation grants and
schemes currently available to residents, County Durham Energy and Fuel Poverty
Partnership which provides the coordination mechanism for countywide partnership
working, the 2009/10 Warm Front report of which Durham County Council are the
leading North East Authority having brought over £6.2million of funding into County
Durham with over 5500 homes assisted and the 2009/10 Go Warm Report which
involved the assessment of 101, 000 private homes and 11, 000 homes insulated
using £2.95 million funding from utilities/owner occupiers.
Question 26
In order to help with the climate change agenda for existing homes, for example
lower fuel bills and fuel poverty, should we:
A.
Concentrate on tackling fuel poverty only for example continue to promote
access to grants for insulation and heating
B.
Concentrate on making homes totally energy efficient by introducing a range
of measures
C.
A combination of both
Issue 7: Better New Homes
Why is this an issue?
Reducing Carbon emissions
31 Total Place Business Case Adaptations
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.92 The scientific consensus seems to be that the earth’s climate is changing and
rising global temperatures are likely to bring changes in weather patterns, sea levels,
and increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The 2008
(32)
Climate Change Act
set a target to reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO²) emissions by
34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. Durham County Council has a set a target above
this, aiming to reduce emissions across the County by 40% by 2020 (from a 1990
baseline). This will require an annual reduction of 4% or 180,000 tonnes of CO².
5.93 New housing can contribute to the mitigation of the effect of climate change
in two key ways: by reducing carbon emissions from the development and occupation
of new housing and by building homes that are better equipped to deal with the
effects of climate change.
(33)
5.94 The Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced in 2008 and is the national
standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. It aims to reduce
carbon emissions and create homes that are more sustainable. The Code measures
the sustainability of a new home against nine categories and used a one to six star
rating system, with Code Level 1 being the lowest and Level 6 the highest. The
Government is currently reviewing the responses to the recent consultation on the
roll-out of the Code towards the ambition that all new homes will be ‘zero carbon’ by
2016.
Climate Change Adaptation
5.95 Scientific evidence suggests considerable inertia in the earth's climate system
and that climate changes may be inevitable over the next 30 to 50 years, regardless
of any reductions in current CO2 emissions. Adapting to the impacts of any climate
change that does occur will need to be a key consideration in all new development.
The LDF Core Strategy & Housing Strategy will need to ensure that climate risk is
factored into future decisions on issues like the design of future buildings and
infrastructure and improving green infrastructure.
Lifetime Homes Standards
5.96 The number of people of retirement age is expected to grow by 35% between
2006 and 2021 and the number aged over 85 by 81%. The majority of current
sheltered housing in the County is in need of modernisation or remodelling to respond
to a range of needs. The 2008 SHMA recommended that further research was needed
to forecast housing requirements for older people and to review the existing
accommodation in terms of type, quantity and particularly quality of provision, and
this work is currently ongoing with a report due in summer 2010.
32 The Climate Change Act 2008 includes a target of at least an 80% cut (against
a 1990 baseline) in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
33 (Department for Communities and Local Government, 2010)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.97 In recent years Government policy has promoted enabling elderly people to
remain living independently in their own homes for as long as possible. It is likely
that a substantial majority of older people will want to remain in their own homes with
‘mainstream’ private housing providing the primary means of meeting demand, with
some vulnerable people requiring additional support or bespoke housing solutions.
It is likely that the Council will continue to fund the adaptation of existing dwellings
to allow elderly and disabled people to live independently in their own homes, however
funding limits and means testing criteria mean that adaptations will only occur in a
small proportion of the existing housing stock.
(34)
5.98 New properties built to ‘Lifetime Homes’
standards may offer advantages
to disabled people, older people, family carers and parents with young children. The
16 design criertia are intended to ensure that ‘Lifetime Homes’ properties are
adaptable to meet changing needs, such as a member of the household becoming
disabled or having an illness or injury that affects his or her mobility. In this situation,
being in a Lifetime Home can avoid the necessity for major adaptations or a move
to a more suitable property. The design of Lifetime Homes also makes it easy for
wheelchair users to visit the property, although it does not necessarily give full
wheelchair access throughout the home.
5.99 Providing ‘Lifetime Homes’standards in new housebuilding could result in
older people and people who become disabled in mid-life being more able to stay in
their own home and avoid a move to residential care or alternative housing. There
could also be significantly reduced expenditure on home adaptations and savings in
healthcare due to people being more confident, relaxed and able to cope in their
environment. This could, in turn, benefit relatives and friends who provide care and
support. The Lifetime Homes standards are currently proposed to be mandatory for
all social housing sector new housebuilding from 2011 and all new private
housebuilding by 2013.
Question 27
How should we treat the Lifetime Homes standard in County Durham?
A.
Align with the national proposals to apply the Lifetime Homes standard to
all new social housing by 2011 and private sector housing by 2013.
B.
Align with the national proposals but encourage earlier adoption of the
Lifetime Homes standard on land in public ownership.
34 (Habinteg, 2010)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 28
Is there anything else to be taken into consideration when considering the
standard of accommodation for older and/or disabled people?
What are we currently doing about this, and what are the options going forward?
5.100 The LDF Core Strategy will need to be ambitious in setting out a path to
ensure that the carbon emissions from new development contributes to the Council’s
overall carbon reduction target. The Development Management DPD will focus on
specific targets for new development and the means of bringing about significant
improvements in energy and environmental performance.
5.101
New homes built with public sector funding through the Homes and
Communities Agency is already required to meet or exceed ‘Code 4’ standards, but
the code is currently voluntary in the private sector. We eagerly await the Government
response to the recent code for sustainable homes consultation and any resulting
targets for adoption of the relevant standards for new house building.
Climate Change Adaptation
5.102 AS well as the Code for Sustainable Homes, consideration is also currently
being given to how homes built to the BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment
(35)
Method)
standard will have resilience built into them through the adoption of
Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDs) or reduced hard standing, etc..
Delivering Sustainable Development
5.103 We are currently proposing to include a broad strategic policy on Delivering
Sustainable Development which will draw together environmental, social and economic
issues into one over arching policy, which will then provide the context and justification
for more detailed guidance in other County Durham Plan documents such as the
Development Management Development Plan Document and the Sustainable Design
Supplementary Planning Document. The purpose of the policy will be to improve the
urban design and sustainability of new development in County Durham it will cover
the following issues:
Concentrating the majority of development within urban areas as set out in the
settlement hierarchy and the ‘option A’ approach to economic development;
Locating development to sites well served by all modes of transport, particularly
walking, cycling and public transport;
Linking development to the appropriate provision of infrastructure, including
green infrastructure;
35 (Building Research Establishment, 2010)
54
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Linking development to the appropriate provision of educational, health and
other social facilities and services;
Promotion of appropriate mix-used development, and the linking of housing and
employment development
The creation of well balanced and mixed residential communities;
High quality, sustainable and locally distinctive design, including community
safety considerations;
Mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change/extreme weather on new
development; and
Protection and enhancement of the natural environment, including improving
biodiversity from the landscape context of new development.
5.104 As well as overall targets, an additional consideration will be the ‘extra-over’
costs associated with the enhanced quality standards and that the way that this may
effect the viability of development in County Durham. As an example a recent
Government evaluation of the costs of meeting the various Code for Sustainable
(36)
Homes standards
suggests the following indicative ‘extra over’ costs compared
to the current baseline new build standards:
Table 6 Costs of meeting the various Code for Sustainable Homes standards
House Type
Code Level 3
Code Level 4
Code Level 6
Flat
£2,088
£5,281
£27,465
Semidetached
£2,645
£7,793
£36,735
Source: Code for Sustainable Homes: A Cost Review (CLG 2010)
5.105 Any additional costs associated with this higher standard may result in
competition against other ‘planning gain’ priorities such as affordable housing, play
provision, and other community infrastructure or facilities.
36 (Department for Communities & Local Government, 2010)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 29
Please rank the following options for ‘planning gain’ on new housing sites, from
5 = most important to 1 = least improvement:
A.
Provide or improve open space, sport and recreational facilities
B.
Community centres or other community buildings
C.
Address Climate Change by making homes more sustainable i.e using less
energy or waste
D.
Education facilities and young people’s services
E.
Affordable housing
F.
Health facilities
G. Improved accessibility, including new roads
H.
Higher quality design
I.
Facilities or alternations to buildings for elderly
J.
Public Art
K.
Improvements to existing housing stock in the locality
Question 30
Is there anything else that we should take into consideration when considering
the quality of new homes built in County Durham?
Altogether Better at Housing People
Issue 8: Better Housing Management
Why is this an issue in the Social Housing Sector?
5.106 As in many other areas of the country, ownership & management of social
housing stock has evolved in County Durham in complicated and diverse ways.
Within our administrative boundaries there are over 48,000 social rented properties,
managed and/or owned by 32 different social landlords, referred to in this paper as
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
‘Registered Providers’ (Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMO), the council’s
in house service (InMO), traditional Housing Associations (RSL) and Large Scale
Voluntary Transfer organisations (LSVT)). The two largest Registered Providers
(RPs) own around 8,500 properties each and at the other end of the scale there are
RPs with only one or two properties. Nine RPs (six currently or originally local authority
stock, three traditional Housing Associations) own and/or manage over 1,000
properties and around 25 landlords have under 100 properties in the County.
Table 7 Abstract from table of Registered Providers by stock in management.
DCC. January 2010. (grey shading indicates Council-owned dwellings)
% of ‘market
No of dwellings share’
Rank
Organisation
1
Sedgefield Borough Homes
(LSVT)
8555
18%
2
East Durham Homes (ALMO)
8547
18%
3
Derwentside Homes (LSVT)
6705
14%
4
Durham City Homes (InMO)
6110
13%
5
Dale and Valley Homes (ALMO)
4329
9%
6
Cestria Community Housing
(LSVT)
4255
9%
7
Home Housing (RSL)
2967
6%
8
Three Rivers HA (RSL)
1857
4%
9
Durham Aged Miners Homes
(RSL)
1280
3%
10
Accent HA (RSL)
948
2%
% of total
94%
5.107 In terms of Local Authority owned housing, four of the former Durham District
councils had transferred their stock prior to the establishment of the new Durham
County Council unitary authority (three stand alone Large Scale Voluntary Transfers
and one part of a group structure), one retained the stock in direct management and
two established Arms Length Management Organisations.
5.108 Such diversity of local housing management provision has the potential to
allow inconsistencies in delivery which effectively result in passive discrimination in
social housing provision in terms of service cost (ie rent & service charge levels) and
quality (ie range of services provided & quality of services) to social housing tenants
at neighbourhood level, as illustrated the table below.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Table 8 Illustration of range of performance of Registered Providers operating
in County Durham (2010 baseline) Sources: Housemark benchmarking club,
April 2010: TSA Website accessed 12 May 2010 at
Indicator
‘Best’ Performance in
Durham
‘Worst’ Performance in
Durham
Average Re-let Times
19.6 days
82.1 days
Proportion of emergency 99.9%
repairs completed on time
84%
Proportion of repairs 98%
appointments made and
kept
81%
Tenant Satisfaction with 96%
repairs (TSA)
63%
Proportion of homes that 4.3%
fail to meet the Decent
Homes standard
86.9%
Average rent (excluding £50.47
service charges) (TSA)
£79.35
Overall Tenant
Satisfaction (TSA)
96%
67%
Satisfaction that Tenants 86%
views are taken into
account by their landlord
(TSA)
50%
5.109 While differentials in cost and service quality could be considered as requisite
components of a ‘mixed economy’ (and acknowledging that operational performance
and rent levels can be contextual even at a local level) the current situation does not
facilitate informed choices by current and future customers of social housing in
Durham and the only key variables readily accessible to consumers are likely to be
cost (rent levels) and availability (waiting lists).
5.110 The emerging ethos of the new regulatory framework for social housing
(37)
proposed by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) is one of local housing offers ,
with Registered Providers expected to set out how they intend to develop these local
offers by October 2010 and for the offers to be agreed with tenants by April 2011. In
the meantime the TSA has established six standards which all Registered Providers
will be required to meet:
37 Tenant Services Authority
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Tenant involvement and empowerment
Home standard
Tenancy
Neighbourhood and Community
Value for money
Governance
What are we currently doing about it, and what are the options going forward?
5.111
Our Total Place Business Case for Rationalisation of Social Housing
(38)
providers
sets out our case for improving the management of this social housing
stock where this complexity of provision results in poorer services to tenants at higher
costs. economies of scale, duplicating infrastructure and fracturing ‘line of sight’
between RPs and other essential local service provision.
5.112 As part of the TSA’s Neighbourhood and Community standard Registered
Providers are expected to demonstrate “meaningful cooperation with Local Strategic
(39)
Partnerships and the strategic housing function of local authorities”
and the
proposals set out in our Total Place rationalisation report for have already been
endorsed by the County Durham Housing Forum:
Proposals to carry out a stock options appraisal review for the Council’s 19,000
homes
establishing and publicising a ‘Durham Benchmarking Club’ for social tenants,
linked to the countywide Choice Based Lettings scheme
identify priority area(s) where rationalisation of management functions may be
of benefit and commission a feasibility study(s) to scope the potential
Question 31
Apart from investigating the potential for Rationalisation of social housing
providers and undergoing a formal Stock Options Appraisal for the Council’s
19,000 homes, is there anything else that we could do to improve the quality of
social Housing Management in County Durham?
Question 32
If you are a social housing tenant, are you aware of proposals by your landlord
to consult you on agreeing your ‘local housing offer’?
Why is this an issue in the Private Rented Sector?
38 SeeTotal Place Business Case:Rationalising across Social Housing Providers
39 TSA Neighbourhood and Community Standard
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.113 The private rented sector plays a key role in the housing market. It provides
flexibility for those who do not choose to buy and can provide affordability for those
who are unable to afford to buy their own home. However, poor housing management
by some private landlords can have a negative impact on neighbourhoods.
5.114 The Housing Act 2004 gave local authorities the discretion to introduce
selective licensing schemes to cover all privately rented property in areas which
suffer, or are likely to suffer from, low housing demand and significant anti social
behaviour and there are two selective licensing schemes in County Durham in the
areas of Easington and Sedgefield.
5.115 In 2008 the Government commissioned an independent review of the sector
(40)
and the ‘Rugg Review’ findings were published in October 2008 . The review set
out six policy directions aimed at improving the private rented sector, these include,
Developing a sound evidence base to improve the data that we have on the
sector.
Promoting housing management, which proposes full mandatory and
independently led regulation of letting and managing agents.
Growing the business of letting, here the focus is on measures which
acknowledge landlordism as an active business.
Equalising rent choices
Light touch licensing with effective redress which proposes a ‘no hurdle’ licensing
system for landlords.
Tenancy frameworks that suggest consideration of longer fixed term lets.
What are we currently doing about it and what are the options going forward?
5.116 Following the recommendations set out in the Rugg Review, the Council is
promoting professionalism in the private rented sector by providing advice and
guidance to landlords operating across County Durham and taking enforcement
action against poor quality Landlords where necessary.
5.117 There are five Private Landlord Accreditation schemes operating across
County Durham, including over 400 landlords and 1500 properties schemes and the
Council’s Renewal & Improvement Team is currently in the process of aligning these
schemes into a single County Durham Landlords Accreditation scheme. There are
two pilot Selective Licensing schemes in operation in County Durham, in Sedgefield
and Easington. These Selective Licensing schemes involve the Council designating
an area suffering from problems caused by private rented properties and requiring
all Private Landlords operating in that area to apply to the Council for a license,
including them passing a ‘fit and proper person’ test and also having their properties
inspected for physical standards and ameneties. The first scheme was introduced
40 The Private Rented Sector: its contribution and potential – Julie Rugg and David
Rhodes
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
in Sedgefield in 2008 and we will be carrying out a full review of the effectiveness of
the scheme and appraising the potential to roll Selective Licensing out to other
communities in County Durham.
Question 33
Do you think that landlord accreditation schemes and selective licensing is the
right approach to improving housing management in the Private Rented Sector?
Question 34
Are there any other issues you would like us to consider in relation to housing
management in the Private Rented Sector?
Issue 9: Better at Housing Vulnerable Groups
Why is this an issue?
(41)
5.118 The Sustainable Communities Strategy
sets out the ambition of a County
Durham that is Altogether Better for People, tackling deprivation and narrowing
the gaps in life chances across the county. The way that the housing offer and
provision of housing support are tailored to the needs to vulnerable people in our
communities is critical to achieving this ambition.
(42)
5.119 Initiatives such as the Fair Access to Care Service (FACS) framework
(43)
and Putting People First have directed the current approach to provision of social
care services to a wide range of vulnerable groups within County Durham, directing
investment in support for individuals and carers including transport, leisure, education,
employment, health, community safety and housing. We believe that good quality,
safe homes in decent locations with appropriate levels of support will significantly
improve health and wellbeing and promote social inclusion for vulnerable people.
5.120 For the purposes of the Housing Strategy we have identified ten key groups
for whom housing and housing-related support provision have been identified as
priorities.
Older People
41 (County Durham Partnership, 2010)
42 (Department of Health, 2003)
43 (Department of Health, 2007)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.121 As set out in previous chapters, we are expecting there to be substantial
increases in the numbers and proportions of older people in our communities in future
years with the largest increases projected in Durham City, Chester le Street and
Easington localities. As such we are expecting substantial increases in the numbers
of people needing to access social care and health provision, with people aged over
85 generally having the highest levels of need. The 2010 Joint Commissioning
(44)
Strategy for Older People
suggests that there is on oversupply of residential care
in both social and private sectors and that many of our settlements do not currently
offer a good supply of housing stock for older people. It also points to challenges for
older people in accessing good quality housing options advice and support to maintain
their own homes.
5.122 The Council has commissioned a Review of Older Persons Accommodation
and Support Services which is due to conclude with a draft report for consultation in
July 2010.
5.123 Durham has a considerable stock of designated and sheltered housing, but
this hides the fact that much of this is provides very small space standards, and is
unpopular with older people. The draft County Durham Older Persons’ Accommodation
and Support Strategy shows a need to increase the supply of accommodation
specifically for older people but in reality this growth is required for non-social rented
homes in the main, although any significant reduction in the stock of unpopular homes
that are not meeting needs will need at least partial replacement with good quality
affordable rented homes. The demand is for two bedroom bungalows in particular,
but these are expensive to provide through open or subsidised markets. The policy
framework below considers a range of options for rebalancing supply.
5.124 The Older Persons’ Strategy also identifies a predicted under-supply of
around 3,200 ‘retirement’ homes (the majority of need is for good quality retirement
housing for sale or intermediate tenure) and a predicted deficit of around 920 units
of extra care, including for older people with mental health issues. As a result the
Strategy suggests that the County Durham Plan should explore options for allocating
sites specifically for retirement housing and extra care units.
5.125 Whilst the existing supply of retirement housing is focused on more urban
areas, need is likely grow in more rural areas, especially in the West Durham where
the availability of suitable housing is already an issue.
Adults with Learning Disabilities
(45)
5.126 The 2009 Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) suggests that County
Durham has around 15,000 people with a learning disability, and the County Durham
(46)
Joint Commissioning Strategy for People with Learning Disabilities
identifies 2,300
adults with Learning Disabilities engaging with the Council’s Learning Disabilities
44 (Durham County Council, 2010)
45 (Durham County Council, 2009)
46 (Durham County Council, 2009)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Service. Referrals of adults with Learning Disabilities into the health and social care
system have increased by around 126% across County Durham, with the most
significant increases being experienced in the Easington and Derwentside areas.
Around 55 young people with learning disabilities are due to enter the adult services
social care system in 2010/11, and around 130 adults with learning disabilities
currently live with elderly carers and may need alternative home and support provision
as carers become unable to cope with care provision in future years.
Older People with Mental Health conditions
5.127 According to the 2009 Joint Commissioning Strategy for Older People with
(47)
Mental Health Needs , around 20% of older people in County Durham have a
(48)
diagnosed mental health need. The 2009 JSNA
identifies 40% of older people
attending GP surgeries, 50% of older general hospital patients and 60% of care home
residents have mental health needs. The number of older people with mental health
problems is projected to rise significantly over the next 15 years, in line with the
overall demographic projections for an ageing population.
Adults with Mental Health Needs
5.128 The 2009 Joint Commissioning Strategy for Adults with Mental Health Needs
(49)
cites the York Psychiatric Index in suggesting that every former District Council
area of County Durham has higher than national average levels of deprivation and
(50)
mental illness. The 2009 JSNA
suggests that there are around 2,600 adults with
severe mental health issues registered with GPs in County Durham, with Easington
and the Durham Dales having the highest rates of prevalence. The Mental Health
Foundation estimates that one in four people will experience some form of mental
health problem, and the World Health Organisation predicts that by 2020 depression
will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide. People with a severe mental
illness are three times more likely to be in debt (affecting landlords in terms of rent
loss and reflecting the importance of engagement with appropriate Housing Advice
services) and have the lowest employment rates of any disabled people.
Young Single Homeless People
5.129 County Durham currently has 26 accommodation-based services for young
homeless people, with a lack of accommodation in the Teesdale and Sedgefield
areas. There are around 80 young people on a ‘waiting list’ for such specialist
accommodation services, and around 40 people who are ready to move out of
specialist accommodation but can’t find appropriate accommodation elsewhere. A
significant barrier to young people finding suitable move-on accommodation is the
47
48
49
50
(Durham County Council, 2009)
(Durham County Council, 2009)
(NHS County Durham, 2009)
(Durham County Council, 2009)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
lack of suitable social rented properties and the effect of the Local Housing Allowance
which significantly affects the affordability of private rented accommodation for young
people in receipt of Housing Benefit.
Domestic Abuse
5.130 Despite some really good partnership working between the Council, Housing
Providers, Police and Voluntary sector partners in County Durham domestic violence
remains one of the main causes of homelessness and is one of the key issues for
the County Durham Homelessness Strategy. The 2008 Safe Durham Domestic Abuse
(51)
Strategy
outlines the context for tackling domestic abuse in County Durham,
suggesting that Easington, Sedgefield and Derwentside had the highest levels of
reported domestic abuse.
Young/Teenage Parents
5.131 Teenage conception rates in Durham have fallen by a little under 10% since
the 1998 baseline but remain above national averages. The challenges facing young
parents are well-documented, and while many maintain independent, happy and
healthy lives others require intervention from a range of support providers including
health, education, social care and employment. The provision of accommodation
and support services for young parents has been a priority within County Durham
for a number of years, with a highly successful Young Parents scheme developed
with a Housing Association in Bishop Auckland in 2007 offering 9 units of apartment
accommodation and floating support. Further similar schemes are currently in the
pipeline.
Offenders
5.132 The 2009 JSNA estimated that approximately 10% of the active offender
population are responsible for half of all recorded crime in County Durham. The
majority of Probation Service clients in Durham live in permanent ‘independent’
housing, while around 15% are in short term accommodation and 1.2% are of no
fixed abode. Getting offenders into stable accommodation is the foundation for
successful rehabilitation and for ensuring we manage risk efficiently. Accommodation
can provide the anchor for a previously chaotic life and act as a springboard for other
crucial steps such as getting and keeping a job, and accessing health care or drug
treatment. As an active partner in the Housing And Returning Prisoners (HARP)
protocol in the North East since its launch in 2006 Durham has established a track
record of good practice in housing and supporting Offenders on their release.
Nonetheless, Offenders continue to be vulnerable to lack of appropriate housing and
accommodation services, whether through being ‘excluded’ from social housing
waiting lists due to previous behavior, unable to access private rented properties due
51 (Durham County Council, 2008)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
to lack of employment and access to bonds etc. or a lack of life skills to maintain an
independent tenancy, often linked to substance misuse problems linked to their
(52)
offending behaviour. .
Care Leavers
5.133 The majority of children and young people come into the care system as a
direct result of adults not fulfilling their responsibilities towards them. In effect this
means that most young people leaving care have experienced some form of abuse,
neglect, family crisis or dysfunction and may not have the skills and experiences
required to maintain themselves in a sustainable home. The County Durham Care
Leavers Accommodation Protocol (CLASP) sets out the working relationship between
the Council and housing providers for this vulnerable group in order to achieve:
Early identification of accommodation and support needs
Clearer understanding of roles and responsibilities between agencies, workers
and clients
Smoother transitions to independence
Increased tenancy sustainability
Reduced homelessness presentations
Gypsy, Roma& Travellers
5.134 The Gypsy, Roma & Traveller community is the largest ethnic group in
County Durham. In 2007 the Council commissioned a Gypsy Roma & Traveller Study
with a final version action plan produced in 2009. The Study concluded with a series
of recommendations including:
A better coordinated approach to policy development between housing, health
and social care agencies
A requirement for new permanent sites
The refurbishment of existing sites
Addressing unauthorised encampments, including the provision of new stop-over
sites
Improvement of Health, Welfare & Housing related support coordination
What are we currently doing about it, and what are the options going forward?
Older People
5.135
The emerging findings of the current Review of Older Persons
Accommodation and Support Services point to a range of issues to be addressed
and these will be subject to public consultation in July 2010, with a view of
incorporation into the overall Housing Strategy Delivery Plan by September 2010.
52 (Ministry of Justice, 2010)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.136 The 2010 Joint Commissioning Strategy sets out some health & support
priorities in the meantime, with Housing related issues including:
Undertaking reviews of Handyperson, Telecare and Community Alarm services
in County Durham
Gaining a better understanding of the needs of older prisoners & ex-offenders,
older people with alcohol dependency and older people from the Gypsy, Roma
& Travelling community
Concluding the review of Older Persons accommodation and support services
Concluding the review of Council Residential Care Home provision
Review of Falls & Osteoporosis Services (links to Aids & Adaptaions/DFG
processes in Housing)
Question 35
When considering housing and housing support services for Older People, are
there any other options to consider?
Adults with Learning Disabilities
5.137 The key priorities for housing and support provision set out in the JSNA and
Joint Commissioning Strategy are:
Resettlement of people currently in residential care
Increasing the amount of emergency accommodation & support available to
avoid the use of residential & nursing care use
Expanding the range of housing options available to adults with learning
disabilities and improve access to good quality housing options advice
Increase the availability of floating support to enable people to continue to live
independently
Question 36
When considering housing and housing support services for adults with Learning
Disabilities, are there any other options to consider?
Older People with Mental Health conditions
5.138 The 2009 Joint Commission Strategy for Older People sets out a number
of housing related issues to be addressed in County Durham:
Developing extra care housing to delay or prevent admission to hospital
Develop & integrate technology into care packages (eg Telecare & Telehealth)
Extend floating support services to enable people to live in their own home
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 37
When considering housing and housing support services for Older People with
Mental Health conditions, are there any other options to consider?
Adults with Mental Health Needs
5.139 The key housing-related priorities within the Joint Commissioning Strategy
(53)
for Adults with Mental Health needs
are:
the need to work with hospitals on improved discharge pathways to ensure that
people with severe mental health issues are provided with appropriate housing
and support services
tackling exclusion caused as a result of poor access to appropriate and affordable
housing
develop a housing & accommodation strategy for adults with mental health needs
by April 2011
5.140 The County Durham Homelessness Strategy, currently being reviewed by
the Homelessness Action Partnership (HAP) identifies the links between
homelessness and mental health and includes key actions to address this including
the development of a Vulnerable Adults Protocol. The Protocol aims to address the
support and accommodation needs of vulnerable people who are homeless or at risk
of losing their homes.
Question 38
When considering housing and housing support services for Adults with Mental
Health Needs, are there any other options to consider?
Young Single Homeless People
5.141 The 2010 Homelessness Strategy action plan sets out the following key
priorities for preventing homelessness in young people:
Continue to support the countywide ‘Support to Talk’ Family Mediation Service
available to young people estranged or at risk of estrangement from their families.
Review current provision of Family Mediation to assess the need to engage with
younger age group (under 16s).
Continue to enable the multi-agency Young People’s Joint Protocol for 16/17
years olds
53 (NHS County Durham, 2009)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 39
When considering housing and housing support services for Young Single
Homeless People, are there any other options to consider?
Domestic Abuse
(54)
5.142 The Safe Durham Domestic Abuse Strategy
sets out a priority of providing
consistent Housing Advice & Accommodation Services for individuals and families
fleeing domestic abuse. The 2010 Homelessness Strategy action plan includes the
following priorities:
Continued roll out of the countywide cross-tenure target hardening ‘Sanctuary
Schemes’ for anyone at risk of violence or harassment where homelessness is
threatened
Working with partnership organisations to develop perpetrator programmes to
enable perpetrators to change behaviour.
Work in partnership with organisations to deliver the ‘Freedom Programme’ to
victims of domestic violence.
Work with landlords to offer alternative housing to perpetrators to enable victims
to remain in their home.
Develop safe houses and partnership responses to enable victims to remain at
home or access suitable alternative accommodation.
Question 40
When considering housing and housing support services for people suffering
from Domestic Abuse, are there any other options to consider?
Young/Teenage Parents
5.143 The Council has recently secured Homes & Communities Agency funding
to develop another Young Parents accommodation scheme in Durham City, in
conjunction with Fabric Housing Group. This scheme of 9 two bedroom apartments
with communal areas for management, training, laundry, staff sleepover etc will be
complemented by a number of family ‘general needs’ houses comprising with a mix
of social rent and intermediate rent. Work is ongoing to locate a suitable site for a
similar scheme in south Durham.
54 (Durham County Council, 2008)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 41
When considering housing and housing support services for Young/Teenage
Parents, are there any other options to consider?
Offenders
5.144 Continuing our good work on innovation in dealing with housing and support
issues for Offenders, the Council’s Housing Solutions team has seconded a member
of staff to the County Durham Offender Management Service to foster better working
relationships and develop housing & support pathways for Priority & Prolific Offenders.
5.145 The Housing Solutions service also continues to provide access to the Bond
Guarantee Scheme which can remove the barrier to private rented accommodation
for offenders unable to accumulate a rent bond payment themselves.
Question 42
When considering housing and housing support services for Offenders, are there
any other options to consider?
Care Leavers
5.146 The County Durham CLASP is currently being refreshed and will be published
in June 2010. As well as continuation of protocol there are a number of additional
housing priorities for Care Leavers that need to be taken into consideration:
Increasing access to temporary accommodation & ‘crash pads’ to prevent Care
Leavers from presenting as homeless if they experience a housing crisis
Increased numbers of supported accommodation units where Care Leavers can
receive support to gain the skills necessary to access and maintain training, jobs
and housing
Floating support services to enable Care Leavers to maintain some level of
independence in their homes while receiving support
Question 43
When considering housing and housing support services for Care Leavers, are
there any other options to consider?
Gypsy, Roma & Travellers
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
5.147 The Council has established a Gypsy, Roma & Traveller Executive Group
comprising senior Council, Health, Housing & Police representatives with a Sub-group
dedicated to implementing the key recommendations of the 2009 action plan. The
group is currently refreshing the action plan, and has recently appointed consultants
to complete a Health Needs Assessment as well as an Accommodation Assessment
that will establish numbers and locations for future site provision.
5.148 A Capital programme for refurbishment of existing sites is underway, with
the first site completed in 2009, a second currently underway and a forward
programme for the 4 remaining sites subject to identification of capital funding.
5.149 The Council’s Traveller Liaison Service has also put in place a Training
programme, being taken forward by the Sub-Group.
Question 44
When considering housing and housing support services for Gypsy, Roma &
Travellers, are there any other options to consider?
Question 45
When considering the ten Vulnerable Groups identified as particularly affected
by housing and housing related support issues, are there any other groups that
we should include and, if so, on what grounds?
Issue 10: Better access to affordable housing
Why is this an issue?
5.150 Mirroring Regional and National housing market trends, demand for good
quality housing in County Durham has grown faster than supply. Coinciding with the
relative ease of availability of mortgage finance this demand has fuelled price
increases and reduced the affordability of market housing in some areas of County
Durham. These pressures on the housing market exhibit themselves through
increased waiting lists and increased risks of homelessness amongst households
on low/marginal incomes as people stretch their living costs to afford increasing
mortgage or rent payments.
(55)
5.151 The 2008 County Durham Strategic Housing Market Assessment
found
that across County Durham more than 45% of households were unable to purchase
housing based on their income, without equity, and 30% were unable to rent without
55 (Durham County Council ,2008)
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
access to housing benefits. As such in a market of increasing rent and mortgage
levels an increasing number of people were having their housing options limited to
the social rented sector. The table below illustrates average monthly costs of rents
in the social and private rented sectors in County Durham against average monthly
mortgage costs.
Table 9 Rental and Mortgage Comparisons for County Durham
Location
LA Rent
RSL Rent
Private Rent
Monthly
Mortgage
Chester-le-Street
£203.84
£222.51
£505
£741
Derwentside
£209.43
£238.24
£519
£668
Durham City
£209.73
£241.36
£612
£789
Easington
£205.70
£236.64
£670
£596
Sedgefield
£209.95
£242.49
£421
£632
Teesdale
£209.25
£257.14
£422
£945
Wear Valley
£209.12
£248.56
£448
£623
County
Durham
£208.47
£241.49
£514
£713
SOURCE: - CLG Housing Statistics/Hometrack
5.152 There are currently around 48,000 social housing properties in County
Durham, managed by 32 Registered Providers. Over recent years the social housing
sector has been seen as the tenure of last-resort, the safety-net for households
unable to afford to own or rent ‘market’ level housing. However, it has been suggested
that it can also be difficult for many households to access even social housing in
County Durham as the numbers of homes have fallen (through Right to Buy and
some selective demolitions), reduced levels of turnover of tenancies resulting in fewer
empty properties becoming available, and the introduction of a new way of allocating
social homes across County Durham through the introduction of a countywide Choice
Based Lettings (CBL) system in October 2009.
5.153 Social housing is allocated on a needs based system and a 2010 report
(56)
produced by the Council’s Strategic Housing Service revealed that 8351 applicants
(46%) were registered within the CBL system as having ‘no housing need’ or a ‘lower
level’ of housing need. Given the current situation with the social housing market it
56 Durham County Council, Durham Key Options Choice Based Lettings Strategic
Housing Quarterly Performance Report Quarter 1 2010.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
is increasing difficult for such ‘low need’ households to successfully bid for properties
in the CBL system and as a result could be faced with long waiting times to find a
home that they want.
5.154 A recent national study by property market researcher Hometrack suggested
that around 15,000 households allocated general needs social rented homes last
year would have had enough income to be eligible for an intermediate rent of 80 per
cent of their home’s open market value, with 1,401 households in this situation in
the North East region. This early evidence from the operation of the CBL system is
being followed up further analysis of household incomes for these groups, but
alongside the national report by Hometrack there is a suggestion that there may be
a need for some form of intermediate tenure choices for example ‘rent to buy’ schemes
or intermediate rent to increase the housing options for those CBL applicants with
low ‘needs’ and ease the pressure on social housing.
5.155
The report produced by the Council’s Strategic Housing Service also
highlighted that 4% of applicants are included in the lowest priority band because of
a history of anti social behaviour or for rent arrears. The offer of social housing in
the short term is unlikely and a number of these applicants then seek accommodation
in the private rented sector which is often resulting in the most vulnerable people
housed in the poorest quality housing stock.
What are we currently doing about it, and what are the options going forward?
5.156 The Council’s Housing Solutions Service provides housing advice and
assistance to residents of County Durham and further promotion of the service is
planned to continue to prevent homelessness and to raise awareness of the various
housing options available to residents. Recent radio and digiTV adverts seem to
have a positive impact on the number of households coming forward for advice and
assistance for accessing affordable housing solutions.
5.157 The data and analysis of the information that is available from the CBL
system will be used to inform a first full Annual Review of the scheme in September
2010 and and in the meantime monthly analysis is being carried out to inform decision
on Policy reviews and in terms of updating information on customer access, housing
need and performance management of the CBL system.
5.158 In order to avoid those vulnerable people being housed in poor stock in the
private rented sector, a joint initiative between the Council’s Housing Solutions and
Private Rented Sector teams and Accredited Private Landlords is currently being
developed to promote better pathways for vulnerable people seeking housing in the
private rented sector into decent quality & well managed properties. Further
information on these proposals are contained within the Homelessness Strategy
action plan 2010.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Question 46
In considering future options for intermediate housing solutions between social
and market levels, should we focus on:
A. Rent to Buy schemes to encourage people into home ownership.
B. Intermediate rent that bridges the gap between social rent and market rent.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Chapter 6: Cross Cutting Issues
Issue 11: Health Impact
Why is this an issue?
6.1 Housing has an important role to play in health, well-being and the delivery of
health and adult social care services.Good physical and mental health depends on
having homes that are safe, warm and free from physical hazards.
6.2 The role of housing becomes pivotal where services to an individual with
complex long-term needs are involved.Such service delivery is often dependent on
the accessibility and/or adaptability of the individual’s home.Issues such as dampness
or cold rooms, uneven floors or loose flooring, a lack of support rails or floors that
are slippery when wet can all make it difficult for the occupant to maintain good health
and well-being.
6.3 When adequate housing protects individuals and families and provides them
with a sense of privacy, security, stability, and control, it can make important
contributions to health. In contrast, poor quality and inadequate housing contributes
to health problems such as infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, and poor
childhood development.
6.4 A report published by the National Housing Federation in March 2010 ‘Social
(57)
Impact of Poor Housing
revealed that poor housing costs the NHS £2.5bn per
year. These costs are linked to treating people suffering from a wide range of
illnessess linked directly to living in cold, damp and often dangerous homes.
6.5 In County Durham the health of our population falls behind that of England as
a whole. For example, life expectancy at birth is 76.5 years for men and 80.2 years
for women in County Durham compared with England which is 77.7 and 81.8
(58)
respectively.
In County Durham 13% of the population live in areas ranked
nationally in the top 10% for deprivation, this equates to almost a third of the
population.
6.6 Areas of high deprivation are predominantly in East, North West Durham and
the Bishop Auckland, Crook and Willington areas with Easington having the highest
levels of deprivation, where 41.4% of the population fall within the national top 10%
(JSNA 20009, County Durham Health Profile 2009).
What are we currently doing about this, and what are the options going forward?
6.7 Durham County Council’s Housing Service and Housing providers across the
County work in partnership to deliver a number of projects and initiatives that will
improve the health of residents of County Durham. The Decent Homes Programmes
57 http//wwwhousingorguk/default.asptabid=212&mid=828&ctl=Details&ArticleID=2910
58 Durham County Council Health Improvement Plan 2010-2013
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
delivered by the Registered Providers of the County’s 48,000 social rented properties
has levered in massive amounts of funding to improve the condition of the homes of
some of our most vulnerable residents. The installation of Aids & Adaptations and
Disabled Facilities Grants to enable people stay at home and live independently play
a massive role in improving quality of life for residents and saving health and social
care providers money in reducing slips, trips and falls. Well over £8million was
invested in making homes warmer and cheaper to run in 2009/10, preventing excess
winter deaths and cold-related illnesses as well as freeing up household incomes to
avoid the ‘heat or eat’ conundrum. And through the various housing related support
services provided by a range of public, private and voluntary sector agencies tens
of thousands of households receive advice and assistance to remain in their own
homes.
6.8 A full Health Impact Assessment is to be completed when the Housing Strategy
reaches the Action & Investment Plan stage.
Question 47
Pending the completion of a full Health Impact Assessment, are there any other
issues for us to consider in terms of the Health Impact of housing and housing
related services?
Issue 12: Equality and Diversity
Why is this an issue?
6.9 Our commitment to equality and diversity means that we will make sure that
everyone is treated fairly and with respect. We all want to live in a society which gives
everyone equal chances to learn, work and access the services they need. This does
not mean however that we treat everyone the same. Each individual has different
needs and requirements which affect the way they find out about or use our services,
work for us or participate in decision making.
6.10 The Equality and Human Rights Commission states that “Equality isn’t a
minority interest: a fairer society benefits everyone in terms of economic prosperity,
quality of life and good relations within and among communities. The responsibility
(59)
for building a successful society rests with all of us.”
6.11 We have legal responsibilities in relation to gender and transgender, race,
disability, age, sexual orientation, and religion or belief, including:
Eliminating unlawful discrimination & harassment
Promoting equality of opportunity
59
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Promoting good relations between people from different groups
Promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people and taking account of
someone’s disability, even where that involves treating them more favourably
than other people
Involving people, particularly disabled people, in public life and decision making
What are we currently doing about it, and what are the options going forward?
6.12
In meeting these duties we must assess and monitor what impact our
strategies, policies, procedures, services and functions will have on our customers
by carrying out equality impact assessments (EIA).
6.13 We can not assume that everyone benefits equally from our policies or
services, we need a process to check that we are taking reasonable steps to tackle
disadvantage and meet the diverse needs of all our communities.
6.14 An equality impact assessment will be carried out throughout the development
of the Housing Strategy to assess any risk of discrimination and ensure that what
we are proposing to do will promote equality and make a positive difference for the
people who live within County Durham. Evidence of our customer profile for across
the county will need to be used to carry out the EIA. An action plan will be produced
following the assessment, identifying where improvements can be made so that our
services are inclusive and accessible to all.
Question 48
Pending the completion of a full Equality Impact Assessment, are there any other
issues for us to consider in terms of the Equality & Diversity impact of housing
and housing related services?
Issue 13: Social Inclusion
Why is this an issue?
6.15
Housing plays a major role in tackling deprivation and social exclusion.
6.16 There is a range of key determinants that can contribute to causing social
exclusion and these will be different for people in different neighbourhoods. They
include unemployment, poor educational attainment, ill health, low income, crime
and poor quality housing and/or local environment.
What are we currently doing about it and what are the options going forward?
6.17 The Councils Altogether Better Durham vision is supported by two aims:
Altogether Better Place and Altogether Better for People. All of the Issues
identified in this housing strategy play a role in delivering social inclusion by
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
addressing the key determinants of deprivation including increased opportunities for
employment and training, reducing land incomes, impacting on peoples' health and
reducing incidence of crime.
Issue 14: Value for Money
Why is this an issue?
6.18 In its simplest terms, Value for Money (VFM) can be thought of as the coming
together of the three ‘e’s of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. In considering
how we drive value for money in housing and housing support provision through the
development of our Housing Strategy we will be focusing on:
Economy – how much does it cost? What other inputs are there?
Efficiency – how well does it turn inputs into outputs?
Effectiveness – how well does the end product meet the needs of the user?
6.19 In the current and short-medium term future conomic climate a Value for
Money approach will become increasingly important if we are to demonstrate the
case for continued investment into housing in Durham.
What are we currently doing about this, and what are the options going forward?
6.20 Within the Delivery Plan stage of this Housing Strategy will be including
reviews intended to explore:
the costs of the housing, how it is performing and how it compares with others
the use of procurement processes to deliver the right services in the best way
the degree to which good financial planning is linked to priority and service
planning
the degree to which a culture of VFM and continuous improvement is embedded
Our initial thoughts are as follows:
Better Housing Markets and Value for Money
6.21 As outlined within issues 2 and 4 there is a shortage of executive housing in
Durham required to attract high earners and wealth creators and there are affordability
“hotspot” areas within the County.
6.22 Following the recommendations within the Total Place Report, value for money
could be achieved through the adoption of a more joined up partnership approach
and maximising funding streams including Growth Point and Homes and Communities
Grant to enable regeneration and delivery programmes to be successfully delivered
resulting in savings and efficiencies through economies of scale.
6.23 In addition, tackling worklessness will contribute to the delivery of value for
money by providing local employment to the long term unemployed through the
provision of work placements with social housing providers.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
6.24 A County Durham social housing Benchmarking Club is in the process of
being developed to compare specific service costs and to flag up areas of good
practice and move towards sharing service expertise.
6.25 Combing data from the Choice Based Lettings scheme in relation to housing
need and demand and the emerging viability study will enable the council to make
informed decisions on the provision of affordable housing in specific settlements and
on new development sites.
Better Housing Standards and Value for Money
6.26 A high percentage of properties in Durham are in a poor condition and fail to
meet the Governments decent home standard, there is an over supply of terraced
stock and there is over 10,000 empty dwellings. In order to improve this situation
and deliver value for money it is envisaged that the recommendations included in
the Total Place Pilot work will be implemented to deliver joined up services and major
capital schemes resulting in significant improvements to the condition of the stock
and savings through economies of scale and efficient working.
6.27 A single system or programme for Adaptations is in under consideration
including partner-registered providers again savings will be realised through more
efficient working and economies of scale.
6.28 A new Social Housing Group has recently been set up to work as a joint forum
to promote cooperation, joint working and to share expertise in particular relating to
the Climate Change agenda.
Better at Housing People and Value for Money
6.29 County Durham has a high number of people classed as vulnerable mainly
as a consequence of its industrial heritage and high levels of continued deprivation.
A number of vulnerable groups have been identified in the Housing Strategy and all
will require some form of assistance with accessing Housing and Housing related
support.
6.30 Evidence has highlighted that the main issues of these vulnerable groups
include securing appropriate accommodation including temporary, securing access
to supported housing and support to sustain their tenancy.
6.31 In order to address these issues work has commenced to build up detailed
evidence base of the current availability of supported housing linked to demand to
ascertain the numbers of specialist housing units required. Move on options are being
explored with key partners and the possibility of housing higher numbers of vulnerable
people into the social sector as opposed to the private rented sector is also being
explored.
6.32 Value for money will be achieved through efficiency gains, targeting resources
to specialised community groups and making successful bids to the Homes and
Community Agency and via the Single Investment Pot.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
6.33 A better case can be made for the Health and Social Care savings resulting
from investment in housing conditions and support provision. This work will enable
a better informed discussion within the County Durham Partnership as to the future
allocation of public sector resources in County Durham.
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Appendix 1: Links between Housing Strategy objectives
and other key plans
Table 10 Links between the Housing Strategy Objectives and the Sustainable
Community Strategy Key Priorities
Sustainable Community Strategy Key Priorities
Housing Strategy Objectives
Altogether wealthier – focused on creating a
Better Housing Markets
vibrant economy and putting regeneration and
economic development at the heart of the SCS.
Altogether better for children and young people Better Housing Standards
– enabling children and young people to develop
and achieve their aspirations, and to maximise Better at Housing People
their potential in line with Every Child Matters.
Altogether healthier – improving health and
wellbeing.
Better Housing Standards
Better at Housing People
Altogether safer – creating a safer more socially Better Housing Markets
cohesive county.
Better Housing Standards
Better at Housing People
Altogether greener – ensuring an attractive
Better Housing Markets
‘liveable’ local environment, and contributing to
Better Housing Standards
tackling global environmental challenges.
Table 11 Links between the Housing Strategy Objectives and the Regeneration
Statement Objectives
Regeneration Statement Objectives
Housing Strategy Objectives
Thriving Durham City:
Better Housing Markets
Exploit the City’s potential as a major retail, Better Housing Standards
business and residential centre, academic hub
and visitor destination
Expand Durham City Vision principles to
the immediate locality
Deliver the City of Culture ambitions
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Vibrant and Successful Towns:
Better Housing Markets
Embed a “Whole-Town” approach
Unlock the potential of our network of major Better Housing Standards
centres including Bishop Auckland,
Consett, Peterlee, Seaham, Spennymoor
and Stanley
Deliver Transit 15 and major transport
infrastructure improvements
Competitive and Successful People:
Raising the aspirations, participation and
attainment of young people.
Re-engaging adults with work
Develop workforce skills and support
lifelong learning
Better Housing Standards
Sustainable Neighbourhoods and Rural
Communities:
Tackle deprivation and narrow the gap
Deliver quality, affordable and choice of
housing
Maximise the benefit of the Building
Schools for the Future programme
Better Housing Markets
Better at Housing People
Better Housing Standards
Better at Housing People
A Top Location for Business:
Better Housing Markets
Nurture business development and growth,
Better Housing Standards
aligned with key growth sectors
Support an enterprise surge and increase
economic activity
Create the right environment for business
development
Promote County Durham as an attractive
economic location for investment
Table 12 Links between Housing Strategy Objectives and the Local Investment
Plan
Local Investment Plan Objectives
Housing Strategy Objectives
Future Prosperity Wealth Creation and Growth Better Housing Markets
Developing the local economy
New infrastructure
Delivering more housing
Future Places Regeneration and Renewal
Better Standards in the Social sector
Better Housing Markets
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Better Standards in the Private sector
Better neighbourhood Regeneration
Housing and the Rural Economy
Better Housing Standards
Future Housing Solutions
Better at housing people
A lack of affordable housing
A lack of suitable housing for older people
A lack of suitable housing for those who
have special needs
A lack of suitable housing for those at risk
of becoming homeless
Table 13 Links between Housing Strategy Objectives and the Health
Improvement Plan
Health Improvement Plan Objectives
Housing Strategy Objectives
Improve life expectancy
Reduce mortality from circulatory
diseases
Reduce mortality from cancers
Reduce harm caused by alcohol
Reduce harm caused by drugs
Better Housing Markets
Reduce health inequalities
Reduce obesity levels
Increase physical activities
Better at Housing People
Better Housing Standards
Better at Housing People
Table 14 Links between Housing Strategy Objectives and the Core Strategy
Core Strategy Objectives
Housing Strategy Objectives
Climate change and Sustainable Development Better Housing Markets
Better Housing Standards
A Stronger and Diversified Economy
Better Housing Markets
Better at Housing People
82
A County of Sustainable Communities – the
Location and Future Development of County
Durham
Better Housing Markets
An Improved and Protected Environment
Better Housing Markets
Better at Housing People
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Better Housing Standards
Sustainable Resource Management
Better Housing Markets
Better Housing Standards
Better at Housing People
Improved Connectivity and Accessibility
Better Housing Markets
Table 15 Links between Housing Strategy Objectives and County Durham
Economic Assessment
Economic Assessment
Housing Strategy Objectives
Quality of place
Better Housing Markets
Deep dive reports: -
Better Housing Standards
Defining Town Centre Roles
Economic Assets: Understanding
Potential
The impact of Climate Change on
Quality of Place
Better at Housing People
Economic Infrastructure
Better Housing Markets
Deep dive reports: -
Better Housing Standards
Employment Land and Premises
Housing and Economic Growth
Physical and Digital Connectivity
Enterprise and Innovation:
Competitive
Better at Housing People
Business
Business Structures: Baseline for
Business
Skills for Competitive People
Labour Market: Competitive People
Worklessness Assessment
Economic Geography
Better Housing Markets
Deep dive reports: -
Better Housing Standards
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
County Durham’s functional
economic and market areas
Structure of the Economy
Deep dive reports: Future Sectors,Future Growth
Demographic Change
Deprivation, Understanding the Gap
Assessing Economic Health
County Durham Monthly Economic
Updates
84
Better at Housing People
Better Housing Markets
Better at Housing People
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Appendix 2: Priorities for County Durham from former
District Council Housing Strategies
2.1 As part of our work to develop the new Housing Strategy for County Durham,
the existing priorities from ex District Council areas and those included within the
Sub Regional Housing Strategy 2008 - 2011 were collated and are details are set
out below.
Sub Regional Housing Strategy for County Durham
http://www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/Service.aspx?ServiceId=868
2008
-2011
Regeneration
2.2
Housing market renewal in former coalfield areas
Demolition programmes
Refurbishment
New housing
Development of a Special Purpose Vehicle
2.3 Economic performance in former coalfield and isolated rural communities is
improved
Quality training schemes through partnerships
Development of a Community Interest Company
2.4
Physical and environmental appearance of housing is improved
Group repair that extend to footpaths, vehicular access and green space
Promotion of development of green spaces
Choice and Quality
2.5 All households can access housing that meets their needs at a price they can
afford
National Affordable Housing Programme
Identify ‘rural exception’ sites
Assist first time buyers with ‘equity share’ loans
2.6 New housing schemes for sale include an agreed component of affordable
housing
Identify best practice for Section 106 agreements
2.7 Affordable housing for rent and intermediate housing for sale is offered and
managed on the principles of choice.
Sub regional CBL to link social housing providers and private landlords
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
2.8
Affordable housing is managed in cost effective manner
Rationalise housing stock
Promote tenant participation
Promote protocols with HCA and DCC
Increased investment in existing housing
2.9 Public sector tenants have homes that are maintained and improved to decent
home standard
Development of HRA business plans
Delivery of 2 star and above housing management services
Alleviation of overcrowding
2.10
Owner occupiers have the means to improve their homes to decent standards
Regional loans
Handyvan service for minor repairs
Promotion of Home Improvement Agencies
Commission a sub regional house condition survey
2.11
Private tenants have homes that benefit from responsive landlords
Develop landlord licensing and accreditation schemes
Establish a private landlord Forum
Promotion of enforcement
Publicity campaign
2.12 A range of interventions are developed and delivered for those areas with
housing conditions below the average for the County
Linking in to wider regeneration strategies
Developing group repair to upgrade terraced housing
Engage with communities to tackle litter and graffiti
2.13
Significant improvements to energy efficiency
Ensure priority areas are targeted
Identify special circumstances in ‘deep rural’ areas
Through the North East Insulation project
Resource a coordinator to bring together the work of the PCT and County Durham
Energy Partnership
Support for all sections of the Community especially older people and people
with social and community needs
2.14
86
Older People
Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Support for older people to remain at home
Review and promote integrated working with housing and care and support
services
Develop the use of technology to enable independent living
Develop a county wide handy van service
Increase the provision of older persons housing
Review sheltered schemes
Develop new models of sheltered housing in particular extra care schemes
Offer a wider choice of tenure for older people
Develop services and accommodation for older people with special needs
Develop an integrated advice service for older people
Optimise the installation of adaptations
2.15
People with physical disability or sensory impairment
Increase the amount of specialist accommodation and the support services
2.16
Learning Disabilities
Introduce a choice of tenure options
Make better use of existing stock
Increase floating support
2.17 People at risk of social exclusion are given appropriate advice and support
including people with mental health needs, teenage parents, substance misusers,
AIDS and HIV, children leaving care, refugees, BME groups and Gypsies and
Travellers.
2.18 People at risk of homelessness or who are homeless are given advice and
support
Priorities from District Council Housing Strategies which are not covered by
the 2008 sub-regional Strategy:
2.19
Derwentside: 2009 Update
Empty properties
Review of Disabled Facilities Grants
Domestic Violence
Anti social behaviour
Vulnerable persons strategy
Remodelling of sheltered housing
Energy efficiency
2.20
Wear Valley Housing Legacy Document 2009 -2011
Regenerate the overall area in terms of employment opportunities
Regenerate coalfield areas
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Building Altogether Better Lives: Housing Strategy Issues and Options Paper
Evidence base
Empty properties
Energy efficiency
2.21
Sedgefield Borough Council Housing Strategy 2006-2009
Area Development Frameworks for Dean Bank, Ferryhill and West Chilton
TSA accreditation
Community Safety Strategy
Anti social behaviour
Redevelopment of sites within Ferryhill, Hawkeshead and Newton Aycliffe
2.22
Teesdale
Affordable housing in rural areas
Understanding of private sector housing conditions
Affordable warmth
2.23
Chester le Street
Minimum code level target for all new properties
Identify socially excluded groups in the area along with their housing needs
2.24
Durham
Crime and anti social behaviour and the respect standard
Continue partnership working with the DVRC
2.25
Easington
Area Development Framework for Easington Colliery
Promote the use of modern construction methods for new build housing
Develop neighbourhood works programmes
Prioritise developments in Peterlee and Seaham to support the economic growth
of the District
88