As work gets under way on 2,000 new homes, Ted Czerniak hopes it is just the start of a wide-scale council building programme demonstrating local government’s community leadership role
There was much celebration earlier this month within councils across the country after successful bids for first round Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) new-build funding.
Construction will begin on the first sites before the end of the year and the 47 councils involved will receive a share of £127m HCA Local Authority New Build (LANB) funding to develop 2,021 properties, which will be matched by prudential borrowing. This marks the biggest local government housing programme since the 1980s and will be a start in beating massive waiting lists – not to mention giving the construction industry a boost.
My own authority, Broxtowe BC, built 10% of council properties nationally in 2006 – but that was just 12 homes and it was done entirely using our own funds. The Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) has been campaigning for a fairer housing finance system and for local authorities to be able to fulfil their building potential. A welcome shift in policy is the fact resources are now allocated under the LANB programme, and government has indicated councils can keep rental income and sales receipts on new properties.
ARCH has lobbied to overcome barriers to council building and our member authorities are leading the way in taking up new opportunities. ARCH members among successful LANB first round bidders include: Birmingham City Council, Bristol City Council, Exeter City Council, Cambridge City Council, Croydon LBC, Southwark LBC and West Lancashire DC. Ourselves and other ARCH members are planning to bid for second round LANB funding, which closes at the end of October and should take the total number of properties built using this particular pot to some 3,000.
But we don’t just see this as a one-off chance to build a few thousand homes. We see it as a chance to show what local government can achieve and hope it is the start of a wide-scale council housing programme that really meets the aspirations – and not just the needs – of local communities.
We see it as a chance for councils to demonstrate their community leadership role in a tangible way.
We know exactly what properties are needed and where. We won’t cut ourselves any slack in terms of planning permission but are obviously in tune with the council’s thinking on planning. We also understand how new homes can contribute towards achieving wider strategic goals, such as addressing climate change, community leadership and economic development. What’s more, we do not see this as a case of ‘build ‘em cheap and stack ‘em high’. The days of monolithic housing estates are over. We are emphasising quality and environmental considerations and looking to build sustainable communities for the future.
Broxtowe had not built in two decades prior to its 2006 scheme, which saw the construction of eight new bungalows at Plumptre Way and four flats at Anderson Crescent. This £1.5m project was funded using the council’s own capital resources and Section 106 contributions. The scheme was run in-house and built by a local contractor according to lifetime homes and energy efficiency principles. Making it a high quality development also stopped any ‘NIMBYism’.
We will apply lessons learned to the eight properties given the go-ahead by the Government, for which we have received £490,000 from first round HCA LANB, to be matched by our own funds.
Exeter City Council’s successful first round bid to HCA also demonstrates how house-building is meeting strategic local authority goals.
This features 18 units at Merlin Crescent, for which it was awarded £1350,000 and three at Sivell Place, for which it was awarded £195,000. The council has placed a strong emphasis on high quality, sustainable properties, and innovative design to show leadership to other agencies through exemplar schemes. Resident focus groups and surveys have been undertaken to ensure the schemes meet community needs and aspirations.
The Building process is just one aspect of local government’s housing role and no-one plans to lose focus on other priorities. But getting house-building under way on site is a very tangible way of showing local communities what their council can do for them.
Building again after 20 years will be a collective learning curve. The confidence of councils has been eroded as they have been without resources or opportunities, so sharing of knowledge is key to future success. w
Ted Czerniak is director of housing and leisure at Broxtowe BC and a member of the executive board of the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH), which his authority chairs
Construction will begin on the first sites before the end of the year and the 47 councils involved will receive a share of £127m HCA Local Authority New Build (LANB) funding to develop 2,021 properties, which will be matched by prudential borrowing. This marks the biggest local government housing programme since the 1980s and will be a start in beating massive waiting lists – not to mention giving the construction industry a boost.
My own authority, Broxtowe BC, built 10% of council properties nationally in 2006 – but that was just 12 homes and it was done entirely using our own funds. The Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) has been campaigning for a fairer housing finance system and for local authorities to be able to fulfil their building potential. A welcome shift in policy is the fact resources are now allocated under the LANB programme, and government has indicated councils can keep rental income and sales receipts on new properties.
ARCH has lobbied to overcome barriers to council building and our member authorities are leading the way in taking up new opportunities. ARCH members among successful LANB first round bidders include: Birmingham City Council, Bristol City Council, Exeter City Council, Cambridge City Council, Croydon LBC, Southwark LBC and West Lancashire DC. Ourselves and other ARCH members are planning to bid for second round LANB funding, which closes at the end of October and should take the total number of properties built using this particular pot to some 3,000.
But we don’t just see this as a one-off chance to build a few thousand homes. We see it as a chance to show what local government can achieve and hope it is the start of a wide-scale council housing programme that really meets the aspirations – and not just the needs – of local communities.
We see it as a chance for councils to demonstrate their community leadership role in a tangible way.
We know exactly what properties are needed and where. We won’t cut ourselves any slack in terms of planning permission but are obviously in tune with the council’s thinking on planning. We also understand how new homes can contribute towards achieving wider strategic goals, such as addressing climate change, community leadership and economic development. What’s more, we do not see this as a case of ‘build ‘em cheap and stack ‘em high’. The days of monolithic housing estates are over. We are emphasising quality and environmental considerations and looking to build sustainable communities for the future.
Broxtowe had not built in two decades prior to its 2006 scheme, which saw the construction of eight new bungalows at Plumptre Way and four flats at Anderson Crescent. This £1.5m project was funded using the council’s own capital resources and Section 106 contributions. The scheme was run in-house and built by a local contractor according to lifetime homes and energy efficiency principles. Making it a high quality development also stopped any ‘NIMBYism’.
We will apply lessons learned to the eight properties given the go-ahead by the Government, for which we have received £490,000 from first round HCA LANB, to be matched by our own funds.
Exeter City Council’s successful first round bid to HCA also demonstrates how house-building is meeting strategic local authority goals.
This features 18 units at Merlin Crescent, for which it was awarded £1350,000 and three at Sivell Place, for which it was awarded £195,000. The council has placed a strong emphasis on high quality, sustainable properties, and innovative design to show leadership to other agencies through exemplar schemes. Resident focus groups and surveys have been undertaken to ensure the schemes meet community needs and aspirations.
The Building process is just one aspect of local government’s housing role and no-one plans to lose focus on other priorities. But getting house-building under way on site is a very tangible way of showing local communities what their council can do for them.
Building again after 20 years will be a collective learning curve. The confidence of councils has been eroded as they have been without resources or opportunities, so sharing of knowledge is key to future success. w
Ted Czerniak is director of housing and leisure at Broxtowe BC and a member of the executive board of the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH), which his authority chairs
