By email

Monday 10rd November 2014

Dear Sir / Madam

Invitation to apply for membership of HomesWest

Thank you for expressing an interest in joining HomesWest This letter provides an explanation of our proposals for the new partnership and guidance on the joining process.

The four West of England Unitary Authorities (WoE UAs) are seeking to enter into a partnership with Registered Providers (RPs) that is focussed on the delivery of key local priorities for affordable housing as well as meeting the strategic affordable housing delivery aims of the region. We are placing significant importance on the ability of RPs to rise to the local challenges each WoE UA is experiencing in delivering its affordable housing programme but are also keen to work with RPs to deliver the strategic trajectory of affordable housing delivery across the region.

We envisage a partnership that is made up of both smaller, specialist and local RPs alongside larger, national or regional organisations. We welcome RPs from outside of the region who are keen to work in the West of England subject to their meeting the Partnership criteria set out below.

West of England Affordable Housing Trajectory 2015-18

2015/16 2016/2017 2017/2018

NSC 150 150 150

BANES 160 160 160

SGC 838 795 668

BCC 600 700 850

Total 1748 1805 1828

Registered Providers may choose to be considered to work in one or more of the 4 local authority areas.

Any RP seeking membership of HomesWest will be asked to demonstrate their ability to meet 10 key Partnership Criteria underpinning HomesWest. Each WoE UA has also set out the key local priorities for their District – an RP may respond to all or some of these depending on the areas in which they intend to work and the nature of development they propose to undertake.

There is a presumption towards inviting any RP who demonstrates a willingness to sign up to these principles to be part of HomesWest. Each RP will be scored on the 10 key principles. Any RP not

currently working in the West of England, or scoring less than 40 in their response to criteria 6 and 8 or under 70/100 points overall may be invited to an interview with the appropriate UAs.

The responses given in the Local Partnership Criteria section will not be scored but the responses given may be used in any interviews and within the Partnership Agreement/Performance Agreements with each UA identified.

Invitation to work at one UA level area will not automatically result in the opportunity to work in another although a place on the strategic HomesWest partnership is ensured.

Partnership Criteria

Please use the form attached to provide concise responses that demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to the key 10 HomesWest Partnership Criteria. Please do not post links, attach appendices or add other supporting evidence unless specifically instructed.

Your responses will inform the terms of your partnership agreement with each of the WoE UAs and each UA will monitor your performance against locally agreed targets.

Please keep answers concise, MAXIMUM one A4 page per question, written in font Arial size 12 and use bullet points wherever possible.

Responses must be submitted in PDF format by email to: housing_development@bathnes.gov.uk

The submissions received will be assessed during January, notifications of interviews will be sent by 16 January 2015 and interviews will be held no later than 30 January 2015. Membership of HomesWest and the 4 local partnerships will be advised by mid February 2015.

If you have any questions arising from the HomesWest Partnership paperwork, please contact Louise Davidson (louise_davidson@bathnes.gov.uk / 01225 477658) or Phillippa Yeates (Phillippa.yeates@n-somerset.gov.uk 01934 426282). We look forward to receiving your submission by 12 noon on Wed 31 December 2014.

Yours faithfully

Mark Hughes,

Head of Strategic Housing, North Somerset Council

On behalf of WoE Heads of Housing

HomesWest West of England: Partnership Criteria 2014

HomesWest Key Partnership criteria Score

I confirm that in order to be part of the HomesWest partnership, […….organisation name…………..] agrees to fulfilling the following criteria:

1. Confirmation that [……..organisation name …….] currently meets the HCA Regulatory Judgement Governance and Viability Rating of G1 or V1 and can provide an adequate response to any adverse consumer regulation findings

Yes /No

2. Willingness to pay Enabling Fees as set annually across the WoE by each UA in the West of England (currently £550 per unit of affordable housing enabled). Yes /No

3. Payment of £500 joining fee per organisation to cover the cost of HomesWest Events/administration for a full three year period and additional fees (not exceeding £500 plus RPI plus 1%) to cover similar services on a three yearly cycle as required post 2018 Yes /No

4. Willingness to sign up to a WoE Partnership Agreement and Annual Performance Agreements with each UA that your Organisation wishes to work with Yes /No

These 4 key Partnership Criteria are not negotiable and all future HomesWest partners will be expected to answer ‘yes’ if they wish to join the Partnership

5. Please demonstrate your Business Plan or other strategic commitments to the delivery of affordable housing in the West of England

[ ] / 15

6. Please evidence your capacity to deliver your proposed housing numbers taking into account the delivery trajectory 2015-2018, including details of funding sources and how you will maximise these.

[ ] / 257. Please confirm your organisation will deliver full compliance with local policies (Core Strategies/SPD’s).

If you are unable to answer ‘yes’ please provide a short justification:

Yes / No

[ ] / 15

8. Please set out how your Organisation will deliver its commitment to excellence in housing management and maintenance and asset management, particularly where you have no stock currently in the West of England and/or no local housing service/office.

[ ] / 20

9. Please demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to active participation in:

i) Working with Homes West partners across the WoE to develop and deliver approaches and programmes to meet the strategic priorities of the area and attract inward investment

ii) Local partnership meetings and to joint working on delivering locally agreed actions.

[ ] / 15

10. Please evidence how your organisation will help create sustainable, mixed and balanced communities, with well-designed homes and a commitment to adding value – eg: enhanced design and build standards, train and build/apprentices/social enterprise, innovation to increase supply etc.

[ ] / 10

Total score – Key criteria [ ] /100

Local Partnership Criteria

HomesWest - Bath & NE Somerset

Bath & North East Somerset has a Core Strategy target for the delivery of 12,956 homes including 3,290 affordable homes to 2029. Set against a backdrop of a World Heritage City, 2 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 25,000 hectares of Greenbelt covering 70% of the District & 50 conservation areas, homes in the district are some of the most expensive the West of England. With an average house price of £312,355 and a 9:1 house price to earnings ratio* affordability of housing products present a significant concern to the Council. In Bath & North East Somerset we are seeking partners who show:

A clear commitment to RP-led delivery of both affordable and market homes (where these directly support the delivery of affordable homes) across the District

A commitment to explore new ways of working to deliver homes that are truly affordable in the context of high property & land values, with an emphasis on delivering new tenure options and new methods of delivery for those in housing need

A commitment to deliver high quality specialist and supported housing opportunities

A commitment to maximising ways to meet wider Corporate objectives through the development of affordable homes

A commitment to promoting affordable housing issues at a local level, including rural housing, by engaging with communities, landowners, local politicians, the voluntary sector & funders & investors and taking an active role in strategic decision making across the Council to maximise delivery, including rural housing & Extracare housing provision

*Hometrack data July 2014

Q1: Provide evidence of your organisation’s commitment to delivering affordable housing in Bath & NE Somerset, together with your projected delivery trajectory for B&NES over the next 3 years:

HomesWest Bristol

Bristol City Council has a Core Strategy target for the delivery of 950 homes per annum (pa) including 30 /40% affordable homes (AH) to 2026. In addition there is a Mayoral target to deliver up to 850 AH PA by 2017-18. BCC is the European Green Capital in 2015 and therefore is encouraging developers and registered providers to build fabric first energy efficient housing development that demonstrate climate change resilience. The city has some of the most expensive house prices in the South West of England, with an average house price of £262,485 and a 8.5 to 1 house price to earnings ratio therefore affordability of homes remain one of the principal concerns of the city. In Bristol we are seeking partners who can help us deliver the main housing priorities.

1. Significant increase in the supply of all forms of AH to deliver 600 AH in 2015/16; 700 in 2016/17 and 850 in 2017/18

2. Provide over the next 10 years 986 market and affordable homes in retirement living communities

3. Provide Community Led Housing through supporting Community Land Trust, Custom Build, Co- Housing schemes

Q1: Provide evidence of your organisation’s commitment to delivering affordable housing specifically in the Bristol City Council area, together with your financial capacity to meet the projected delivery trajectory for BCC over the next 3 years:

HomesWest North Somerset

The Council’s Core Strategy was adopted in April 2012. Following a High Court Judgement in March 2013 the plan remains adopted with the exception of those policies remitted. Consequently the Council intends (subject to consultation) to increase the housing requirement to 20,985 dwellings in the period 2006-2026. The target delivery of affordable homes is 3,000 to 2026.

Demand for housing continues to grow, in September 2014 there were 3490 people on the Housing Register. We are seeking partners who have a strong commitment to promoting affordable housing issues at a local level, by engaging with communities, landowners, local politicians, the voluntary sector & funders & investors and taking an active role in strategic decision making across the Council to maximise delivery. In our Housing Strategy, we highlighted a number of priority areas of work to help us meet our vision of “Maintaining and developing successful communities where people want to live, by meeting the housing needs of our residents now and in the future”. The 3 main priority areas are:

1. Delivering Homes, Developing Communities

A capacity to support affordable housing growth identified within NSC’s Core Strategy and contribution to the creation of sustainable, mixed and balanced communities by delivery of RP led affordable housing and developer led (S106).

2. Better Homes, Better Places

A commitment to provide new homes that are of good design, create sustainable communities in both villages and towns. Making the best use of existing stock, by contributing to the regeneration of Town Centres within North Somerset and bringing empty properties back into use.

3. Greater Opportunity, Greater Choice:

A commitment to find suitable housing solutions for people with learning and other disabilities, as well as housing for a growing older population and youth homelessness.

Q1: Provide evidence of your organisation’s commitment to delivering affordable housing specifically in North Somerset, together with your projected delivery trajectory for NSC over the next 3 years:

HomesWest - South Gloucestershire

In the period to 2027 the District faces the challenge of continuing to ensure that planned growth supports the Council’s commitment to sustainable communities. To respond successfully to the impact of new development, South Gloucestershire Council has prepared and published its Core Strategy adopted December 2013.

South Gloucestershire’s Core Strategy makes provision for a total of 28,355 new homes in the period 2006-2027, of which 21,450 additional new homes are planned between 2014 and 2027. The plan’s Strategy for Development supports sustainable communities in places where essential infrastructure is in place or planned, by concentrating new development within the Bristol North Fringe/East Fringe urban areas. Outside the Bristol urban area, development land will be provided in Yate/ Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury, to promote greater self-containment of these settlements. Within villages, the focus will be on supporting existing services and providing for limited new housing development by working with our communities through the principle of ‘bottom up’ community planning.

The Housing Strategy for South Gloucestershire 2013-18 was approved by Adults and Housing Committee on 3rd July 2013.and sets out our vision for housing in South Gloucestershire and the ambitions we want to achieve through 4 themes:

Housing and our economy: Affordable, sustainable and investing in communities Housing and healthier living: Quality, choice, right for you Housing within communities: Friendly, safe communities we are proud of Housing and our place: Well-planned places for a greener future

We are seeking partners who will:

- deliver the Core Strategy affordable housing projected completions

- maximise opportunities to pull in other funding

- deliver mixed tenure ExtraCare Housing to meet targets

- deliver rural S106 and exception sites

- be prepared to engage with custom build and other specialist delivery programmes

- be prepared to explore RP-led development for both affordable and market homes (where these directly

support the delivery of additional affordable homes)

- be prepared to seek opportunities and explore the delivery of additional affordable housing both on S106

sites and through other opportunities

Q1: Provide evidence of your organisation’s commitment to delivering affordable housing specifically in South Gloucestershire, together with your projected delivery trajectory for SGC over the next 3 years:

Please provide details of the type of housing you wish to deliver and in which areas together with the delivery mechanisms you will utilise:

Bath & North East

SomersetBristol North

SomersetSouth

Gloucestershire

i. Type of housing

General needs housing provision

City Centre Regeneration

Rural and market town affordable housing delivery

ExtraCare provision

Bringing empty homes back into use, including empty space above shops

High quality specialist and supported housing options within the UA to include a commitment to find suitable housing solutions for people with learning and other disabilities, as well as housing solutions for a growing older population and youth homelessness.

Custom Build/Train and Build

Provision of Gypsy & Traveller Pitches

Other (please note)

ii. Delivery mechanisms

Landbanking

Windfall opportunities

Cross subsidy opportunities

S106 Opportunities

Other (please note)

NamePosition

On behalf of:Organisation

Address

telephone

Email

Date for submission: noon 31 December 2014

Please return your submission by email in PDF format to: housing_development@bathnes.gov.uk Please do not submit additional information, links or attachments as part of your submission. Evidence which supports your statements may be sought by individual UAs in determining your invitation to work at a local level.