Chaddleworth Parish Council objects to Sovereign sale amid housing crisis

A parish council has spoken out against the sale of a property in its patch.

Chaddleworth Parish Council has voiced its “disappointment” at the imminent sale of a two-bedroom Sovereign property located at 14 Long Row, saying the decision goes against nationwide demand for more affordable and social housing.

Chairman Jim Wilson said the council holds its own housing register and is confident it could have found a new tenant within a matter of days.

He said: “We are disappointed this has happened and we would like to say we feel it is a shame.

“Firstly, a shame that we were not consulted about this decision.

“Secondly, a shame as it means one less affordable/social house available to the wider population of West Berkshire.

“I am confident we could have a tenant ready to move in within days.”

But Sovereign Network Group, formerly Sovereign Housing association, responded by saying the house does not currently meet the standards its customers expect.

A spokesperson for the housing association said: "We want to make sure all our homes support our customers' wellbeing by being adaptable, sustainable, enjoyable to live in and affordable to run.

“Working with our customers, we developed our Homes and Place standard, which gives us a framework to make good decisions and how to invest in our existing homes as well as building new ones.

"Where possible, we invest in our homes to bring them up to the standard our customers want and we are already doing this for 127 homes in West Berkshire.”

Regarding the property in Chaddleworth, they continued: “In some cases, like this one, we don't think the home will be right for our customers.

“In these cases, we will sell the home with funds to be reinvested in new build homes in the area.”