A NEW policy that will see the council give more appropriate support to thousands of residents with little chance of securing social housing has been approved.

Cheshire West and Chester Council currently has 9,000 people on its social housing waiting list, but with just 1,228 homes allocated in the last financial year, demand massively outweighs supply.

But cabinet members approved a new allocations policy at Wednesday’s meeting which the authority hopes will be fairer and can help people understand the options available to them.

Cllr Richard Beacham, Labour cabinet member for housing, regeneration and growth, said: “There is a problem in the system of a lack of housing and an over-demand.

Northwich Guardian:

“Our duty as a local authority is to try and give people good quality information and to make people understand where they are in a system, so that they have got some degree of feeling of either hope that they are going to get housing or an understanding of the reasons why they won’t.

“If the chances are that they are not going to be eligible for social housing then I think we should be honest with them about that.”

CWAC’s social housing waiting list has grown rapidly in recent years, with around 600 applications a month, while each property attracts between 30 and 40 bids from prospective tenants.

There are currently five bands, with the majority of people on the waiting list in the bands that are least likely to be allocated social housing.

The new system introduces three bands – Band A for people with an urgent housing need, Band B for people with a high housing need, and Band C for people without a statutory hosing need.

For those in Band C – expected to be more than 7,000 of the total list – the council will give advice about private landlords who are signed up to its scheme, while some social houses that are not allocated to Band A or B residents could be offered.

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A total of 566 people took part in a consultation about the changes last year, with more than 70 per cent backing the changes overall, although support for Band C dropped to 54 per cent.

“I think what we are doing does give people who are using this particular council service some degree of confidence,” Cllr Beacham added.

The new policy includes other changes that are designed to make the process of applying for social housing fairer and simpler – including a rule requiring residents on the list to have a two-year local connection and a restriction of three housing bids per week.

Cllr Lynn Gibbon, Conservative shadow cabinet member for regeneration, housing and growth, backed most of the new policy – but raised concerns about the removal of a rule giving preference to rural residents for housing in those communities.

“If rural communities are to continue to thrive then they will need supporting,” she said.

Northwich Guardian:

“Families are the backbone of community life, but taking away the rural preference from those families wishing to stay within a village – or those having a rural connection – is a backward step.”

Cllr Beacham insisted there needed to be a ‘balance’ between supporting rural communities and ensuring there are enough homes available for the whole borough.

However, he confirmed that any legal agreements between housing developers, parish councils and rural communities that prioritised local residents at specific developments would not be affected.