Changes made to West Berkshire housing register

Councillors say more needs to be done to address social housing shortage - including options for Faraday Road

CHANGES to how people on West Berkshire’s housing register are allocated properties have been approved.

But more needs to be done to address a shortage of social housing, councillors said.

West Berkshire Council approved changes to its housing allocations policy in December.

The policy sets out how affordable homes rented through housing associations and registered providers are allocated to residents in need through the lettings scheme – Homechoice West Berkshire.

The changes result in a switch from a points-based system to a banding system, which the council said would be easier for applicants to understand and simpler to administer.

It also introduces a qualification criteria the council said would ensure social housing being allocated to local residents most in need.

The new system closes the housing register to people who do not live in the district and who do not have a housing need.

Exceptions include those fleeing domestic violence, needing to give or receive essential care, keyworkers moving to the district and armed forces personnel.

It also gives priority to keyworkers and separated spouses and partners of armed forces personnel.

The previous single earning threshold for all households has been replaced by a separate earnings threshold for couples (£60,000) and singles (£44,000) – based on the Office for National Statistics annual survey of hours and earnings.

The council said the changes would be fairer and more equitable, with the number of applicants on the housing register reducing to reflect only those in genuine housing need.

Speaking at a meeting in December, executive member for housing Hilary Cole (Con, Chieveley and Cold Ash) said there were 816 people on the common housing register, but she could not provide information as to how many would qualify for each band.

Mrs Cole said the changes were long overdue and she was pleased that additional priority had been given to key workers and members of the armed forces.

Tony Vickers (Lib Dem, Wash Common) said there were a lot of good improvements in the document, but it “didn’t deal with the underlying problem of a severe shortage of social housing, but I know we are doing what we can”.

Building on this, Steve Masters (Green, Speen) said: “Is it not the time for the council to not necessarily rely on the good will of the private sector to do the right thing, and maybe grasp the nettle and look at providing its own housing stock?”

Mr Masters said that plans to regenerate the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE) would be a great opportunity for this, rather than waiting for the private sector to do the right thing.

Mrs Cole said: “We are constantly looking and reviewing ways in which we can improve social housing, and the council can certainly look at provision of social housing as and when sites come forward that are on our land.

“Should housing occur on LRIE then I’m sure the provision of social and affordable housing will be one of the things we look at when plans come forward.”

The council entered a joint venture with Sovereign Housing in 2018 to help provide affordable homes.

Mrs Cole said there were other methods, including setting up a housing company.

“We are exploring all avenues but we don’t want to race into something without thoroughly examining them,” she said.