Buttercup Fields, Belper
Local Lettings Policy
Amber Valley Borough Council
03 October 2024
1. The Site
The Buttercup Fields housing development was built on land off Belper Lane, Belper (link to Google Maps).
The development includes affordable housing, in accordance with the Council's ambition to acquire new dwellings. The affordable housing consists of 17 houses and four flats. The first homes on the site are scheduled to be completed in early December 2024.
2. Property Numbers, Type & Tenure
- 4 x one bedroomed flats (1-2 persons)
- 10 x two bedroomed houses (2-4 persons)
- 7 x three bedroomed houses (3-5 persons)
All properties will be let on affordable rent terms.
3. 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 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.
4. 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.
5. The Local Lettings Policy Criteria – Initial Lets Only
Amber Valley Borough Council are proposing 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 end of February 2025.
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.
6. Allocation Criteria
50% of the general needs flats and 50% of the houses 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, B+, B and C only. These are recognised as the priority housing bands including applicants who have an urgent need for housing or rehousing.
7. 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. For more details about mutual exchange, see the Exchange Locata website.
8. Public Consultation
This policy was subject to public consultation from 3 October to 31 October 2024. No responses were received so the policy was adopted as written.
9. Contact Details
If you have any questions or queries, please contact the Home-Options Team at Amber Valley Borough Council by email at home.options@ambervalley.gov.uk or by phone on 01773 570222.