Building new affordable homes

Enabling: housing for the future

In the old days, councils like us built thousands of homes. But our role has changed over the last 20 years or so. 

Our role today is about enabling suitable homes to be built in areas where they are needed. We work with social housing providers (Housing Associations) and private house builders - who create new affordable homes in the district usually as part of a bigger development. 

New homes can be 'general needs' housing - including shared ownership (part rent and part buy) - and specialist housing for people with particular support needs.

Developers should contact our Affordable Housing Enabler to discuss their plans before they make a planning application.

Developers are very often required to provide affordable housing on site at their own expense as a condition of planning approval.

How does the enabling role support district residents?

One of the main tasks includes negotiation with developers on 'section 106' agreements.

When a housing development is being planned in the district, the housing developer is required to provide some affordable houses to be managed by a housing association.

These could be rented properties or shared ownership. We will have nomination rights to these houses - so we can make sure people who are in need of housing and on our waiting list will be able to bid for these new affordable homes through our sub-regional Choice Based Lettings scheme.

The Affordable Housing Enabler will talk to developers on how many homes should be affordable and what type of housing is needed, flats, houses or bungalows and the number of bedrooms needed.

Very often house prices are very high in rural areas - and first-time buyers or people on low or moderate incomes cannot afford to buy their own home.

The Affordable Housing Enabler will help co-ordinate local housing needs surveys in rural parishes so we can find out how much affordable housing is needed in rural areas.