Housing Strategy 2005 - 2010 Foreword The Council has produced a comprehensive Housing Strategy for 2005 to 2010, setting out our priorities for the next 5 years. Members and senior managers at the Borough Council recognise that providing the residents of the Borough with a choice of good quality housing is vital. This is intrinsically linked to the Council's commitment to ensuring that areas of low demand are tackled through the Renew North Staffordshire Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder. As the Renew programme continues to evolve over the coming 12-18 months, the actions and priorities timetabled within this Strategy may be subject to change. The Council will continue to ensure that residents are able to influence the Strategy through effective consultation. This Strategy sets out the strategic delivery of housing services and ensures that all housing aspects are a fundamental part of the Community Strategy and Corporate Plan. The Strategy has been developed in line with national and regional priorities set out within the Communities Plan and the West Midlands Regional Housing Strategy, 'Putting Our House in Order'. Through our continued support of partnership working the Council is working with key partners in the North Staffs Housing Alliance to develop a Sub-Regional Housing Strategy. The Council is keen to ensure that locally and regionally the needs of the areas outside of the Pathfinder Intervention Area are recognised and addressed. Within the Borough this includes mixed urban areas and a signif- icant rural area. The Council is therefore pleased that this Strategy is able to address the issues arising within the Housing Market Renewal Programme and key issues within our rural and wider urban mixed areas. Through this approach the Council is able to ensure that the views of all residents are considered. Councillor David Leech Leader of the Council Contents Executive Summary 1 Corporate Context 9 National, Regional and Sub-regional Priorities 16 Ranking of Priorities 23 Options Appraisal 24 Regeneration and Sustainability 25 Social Inclusion 35 Decent Quality Housing 48 Diversity and Choice 56 Investment and Delivery 65 Consultation 74 Action Plan 83 Glossary 89 Contact Details 91 Feedback Form 92 Executive Summary Introduction Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is the largest of Staffordshire's eight districts, with a population of 122,030 (2001 Census). Although the number of residents is fairly stable it reflects the national picture of an ageing population with 22.16% aged over 60 and 16.91% aged over 65. 2.03% of residents are from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups, these are mainly concentrated in Keele, Seabridge and the Westlands. Of the 52,107 residential properties within the Borough, 40,577 are owner occupied showing the preference for owner occupation. House prices vary greatly across the Borough with rural areas providing an opportunity to attract more affluent households into the Borough whilst simultaneously creating challenges to meeting local needs. Aspire Housing is the main landlord with 8,977 of the 10,252 social housing properties in the Borough. Beth Johnson and Staffordshire Housing also have significant numbers of properties. Recent research has confirmed the over provision of social housing and through the establishment of the Renew North Staffordshire Pathfinder, the Council and our partners are looking to address this issue. Although the current provision of social housing is able to meet the majority of housing need there remains a lack of supported accommodation to address the needs of vulnerable groups, many of whom face becoming homeless. With diverse housing issues in the Borough, this Strategy looks to consider a wide range of options and adopt the most appropriate solutions to each problem. All of the relevant Strategies can be viewed on the Council’s website: www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk The Council’s website has two awards for its accessibility: The first is the RNIB accessible website mark which means that the website is accessible to anyone regardless of their abilities or the technology they use. The Council’s website also has the Internet Crystal Mark from the Plain English Campaign. This means that the language used will be easy to understand and act upon. 1 Our Vision The vision for housing in Newcastle-under-Lyme is: 'To ensure that present and future residents of the Borough have greater choice in being able to live in a home that is affordable, in good condition and adequately meets their needs'. Our objectives are: 1. To improve the sustainability of the local housing market 2. To prevent homelessness and to ensure support is available to vulnerable people 3. To meet the Decent Homes Standard by improving the condition and energy efficiency of homes across all tenures 4. To provide a greater choice of housing in response to residents needs This Housing Strategy sets out how these objectives have been prioritised and which options have been considered within the four main chapters. Each of the preferred solutions chosen from the options appraisal is then carried forward to the action plan. 2 Key Messages This section breaks down the key messages that are dealt with in this Strategy, which form the basis for the structure of the Strategy. Corporate Priorities National and Regional Policy Improving housing quality and choice is a ● The identification of North Staffs as a key corporate priority. Housing Market Renewal Area is key to Housing is also crucial to meeting other national priorities priorities: ● The Council is committed, through the ● Reducing inequalities Homelessness Strategy, to deliver ● Improving the health of residents national homelessness targets ● Improving the sustainability of the ● The need for affordable housing environment within the rural area is recognised ● Through the development of a North Regeneration and Staffs Housing Strategy the Council will Sustainability link directly to regional priorities ● Through the development of the North ● The Council recognises the Staffs Housing Market Renewal importance of specific Black and Prospectus the Council aims to secure Minority Ethnic issues sufficient funding to implement a long- term programme of renewal Social Inclusion ● Within Newcastle renewal will be ● Working in partnership with the focussed on the Area of Major Supporting People Programme to Intervention; Knutton, Lower Milehouse commission new services and Cross Heath ● To develop an Older Persons Strategy ● Through the work undertaken on the to properly identify the best ways of Galleys Bank Estate develop an meeting the specific needs approach to ex-coal board estates ● To support the refurbishment of the ● Through thematic approaches improve domestic violence refuge the largely social housing estates ● To continue support for the ● Improving the Town Centre to be a development of supported housing for vibrant attractive area with both young people affordable and executive homes ● Implementation of the actions listed in the Homelessness Strategy will improve services for homeless people Decent Quality Housing ● To work with the Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to ensure their stock meets the Decent Homes Standard by 2010 ● To improve the condition of housing within the Borough as directed by the Private Sector Renewal Strategy ● Utilising the new Housing Health and Safety Rating System ● Developing an Affordable Warmth Strategy and reducing fuel poverty are key priorities 3 Diversity and Choice Investment and Delivery ● Recognising the area as low ● Securing the Housing Market demand with low value housing Renewal Funding will be crucial to ● Working towards identification of implementing key elements of this specific rural housing needs in Strategy partnership with RSLs and Parish ● Ensuring the continuation of Councils Approved Development Programme ● To promote sustainable home funding for a modest housing ownership development programme of clearly ● To encourage any housing identified priorities development to include high quality ● Continue securing a successful and executive homes programme of Disabled Facilities ● Ensure residents are able to Grants access private rented ● To target the Council's private accommodation sector investment complementary to the Renew investment Consultation ● To engage with residents through a variety of mechanisms including open days, public stands, the Council’s website and newspaper 'The Reporter' ● To engage with a full range of stakeholders through the Housing Forum and Local Strategic Partnership ● To ensure that residents and stakeholders are able to easily comment on this Strategy through the comment form ● Through the Cabinet and scrutiny system ensure that Members are aware of the housing priorities and are able to have ownership of the actions listed with- in the Action Plan 4 NEWCASTLE BOROUGH Mow Cop Built-up area / Larger villages Harriseahead Other settlements Borough boundary Newchapel Railway Kidsgrove Main roads Talke Motorway J16 A500 Area with population over 3000 Audley Bignall End A34 HMR area Balterley Waterhayes Miles Green Wood Lane Chesterton Bradwell Alsagers Bank Betley Halmerend Wolstanton Scot Hay Knutton Cross 0 4km Wrinehill Heath May Bank Madeley Silverdale Heath A525 n Madeley Keele Newcastle- under-Lyme M6 Keele University A519 Westlands A34 Clayton Onneley A53 J15 Madeley Park Wood Butterton Aston Whitmore Heath Whitmore Baldwins Gate Knighton A51 Winnington Chapel Chorlton Maer Mucklestone Ashley Loggerheads Ashley Heath Almington Hales Tyrley "This map