Local Lettings Policy - Moor Lane, Kirk Langley
Amber Valley Borough Council
07 February 2024
Note: this Local Lettings Policy applies to all rented properties on this development for initial lets only.
The site
The Moor Lane housing development was built on land off Moor Lane, Kirk Langley. The development includes affordable housing, in accordance with the Council's ambition to acquire new dwellings. The affordable housing consists of six houses and one bungalow. The first homes on the site will be completed in March 2024.
Property numbers, type & tenure:
2 x one bedroomed, 1-2 person houses (affordable rent)
2 x two bedroomed, 2-4 person houses (affordable rent)
2 x three bedroomed, 3-6 person houses (affordable rent)
1 x two bedroomed, 2-4 person bungalow (affordable rent)
A link to the site on Google Maps can be found here: Location of Moor Lane development.
Reason for the Local Lettings Policy and background
Amber Valley Borough Council, through its Housing Strategy has a responsibility to help its residents have good quality homes and housing services which meet their needs, and to help create sustainable, mixed and balanced communities.
In addition, the Council’s planning policy, requires that developments granted planning permission under this policy provide affordable housing that meets a genuine local housing need. The planning permission granted for this site sets out the allocation criteria to ensure that local needs are being met.
Legal framework
This approach complies with the government’s guidance issued through the Allocation of accommodation: guidance for local housing authorities in England (DLUHC, October 2023). This guidance allows local housing authorities to use local lettings policies to achieve a wide range of housing management and policy objectives.
The Local Lettings Policy criteria – initial lets only
Amber Valley Borough Council has developed a Local Lettings Policy which reflects key features in order to ensure a sustainable, mixed and balanced community on this development, and to comply with the Council’s planning policies.
The criteria will be followed for all initial lets until all affordable homes on the development have been let. The anticipated date for this is Autumn 2024.
Applications must be registered with the Amber Valley Borough Council’s Home-Options scheme or any other scheme which may replace it. 100% of the properties will be allocated on initial lets only through the Borough Council’s Home-Options Scheme.
Local connection
Local connection - In the first instance, applicants will have a local connection to Kirk Langley parish, then its smaller adjoining parishes and villages within Amber Valley of Kedleston, Mackworth, Muggington, Quarndon, and Weston Underwood. The smaller adjoining parishes of Amber Valley have been included for consideration as there are limited opportunities for residents to meet their housing need within these smaller parishes.
Properties will be allocated based on housing need in accordance with the Home-Options Choice Based Lettings Scheme, and preference will be given by local connection as outlined in Appendix A (see below).
Allocations criteria
50% of the general needs properties will have a preference to those households where at least one applicant is in permanent employment of at least 18 hours per week.
Preference will be given to applicants in priority bands A to C only. These are recognised as the three priority housing bands including applicants who have an urgent need for housing or rehousing.
Mutual exchanges
Mutual exchanges will be allowed into and out of the development in accordance with Amber Valley Borough Council and other landlords’ normal processes, although there will still be a requirement to meet the local connection criteria as outlined in Appendix A. For more details about mutual exchange, see the Exchange Locata website.
Appendix A - local connection
a) People living continuously for a period of no less than six months or having lived previously for a period of no less than 12 months in the previous five years, in the Kirk Langley parish in the first instance, followed by the smaller adjoining parishes in Amber Valley of Kedleston, Mackworth, Muggington, Quarndon and Weston Underwood.
b) People who have an essential need to live close to their work in the Kirk Langley parish in the first instance, followed by the smaller adjoining parishes in Amber Valley of Kedleston, Mackworth, Muggington, Quarndon and Weston Underwood.
Should no household meet the above criteria in the parish or smaller adjoining parishes in Amber Valley then the properties will be let to applicants registered with Amber Valley Borough Council.
Community Consultation
The proposed policty was subject to public consultation from 20 February to 24 March 2024. Only one response was received.
Amber Valley Borough Council considered the response but decided to adopt the policy as originally written.