Big Energy Saving Week - 26th - 30th October

High energy bills are a big concern for households across the country and as winter approaches it’s the perfect time to make sure you and your bills are prepared for what the weather brings us.

Big Energy Saving Week runs from the 26th to the 30th of October and is jointly organised by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Citizens Advice and Energy Saving Trust. It is a national campaign delivered through the media that aims to help householders take practical steps to cut their energy bills by encouraging them to check they are on the best deal, to switch tariff or supplier and to save energy by taking control of their heating and electricity.

CCB’s Project Co-ordinator Helen Dean is running projects in Berkshire, giving advice to families on how they can reduce their home energy costs.

See Helen’s web-page giving advice on all areas of reducing your home energy bills – Click Here for full information.  There is also advice on the page for families with young children on low incomes, check out the Warm Home Discount of £140 available from electricity suppliers.

Switching suppliers to get a cheaper tariff saves an average around £200 or more. This is the single biggest way to save money on your energy bill. Ofgem’s ‘Go Energy Shopping’ website gives great advice on checking you if have got the best deal, and switching to save money - http://www.goenergyshopping.co.uk/en-gb

RHE Review of Housing & Planning Bill 2015

What sort of a 'House' do you live in?

While I was busy dipping my toes (toes only) in the Atlantic at Biarritz last week, the Government finally published the Housing & Planning Bill 2015, I was blissfully unaware.

So back at my desk I have read the Bill and the accompanying Explanatory Notes and can give a 60 second account of what is in it and how it might affect future provision of affordable homes for local people in Berkshire.  60 seconds because as ever the Bill is not overly laden with detail but full of expressions like: "The Secretary of State may by regulations amend..." or, "regulations may make provision for..."

There is good news for people who are interested in Self-Build as Local Authorities have a duty to grant planning permission for enough serviced plots to meet the demand for this type of housebuilding in their area.   Again, we need to see the full detail, but  this may well include Community Led Buildings. So if you have an idea for some Community Led Housing do get in touch and we can see what support there is out there to get your project off the ground.

For me the more important items in the Bill were regarding Starter Homes and the extended Right to Buy.  Both of these things have been much discussed over the summer as bits have leaked out.  Again the full detail is yet to be revealed but here is a summary:

Starter Homes:   This is a new tenure introduced by the government. Starter Home will be: 

• available to purchase at 20% off the open market value 
• for people who are under the age of 40 and are first time buyers.  
• property values have a cap of £250,000 (outside London) which may limit what sort of Starter Homes we will get in high value Berkshire.  

It is expected that further regulations will be issued that will put some limits on time frames before these houses can be resold or let out privately to prevent investors making a quick profit.

Local Authorities will now have a duty to promote Starter Homes in their policies. This will likely be Planning obligations  by means of S106 conditions on Planning Applications, in much the same way affordable housing quotas have been met in the past.

What isn't clear is whether this is at the expense of affordable rented and shared ownership tenures.  The Government seems to be moving away from the provision of affordable housing for rent.

The Bill makes absolutely no reference to exception sites. However as the regulations are released it is anticipated that there will be exemptions in the regulations regarding certain areas.

Extended Right to Buy - Also included in the Bill is the acceptance of a voluntary deal between the National Housing Federation and and the Government to extend the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants who rent their properties.  As a result of the 'Voluntary Deal' there is actually very little detail in the Bill about the extension.  It is expected that sufficient demand for home ownership through exercising Right to Buy will be met by the Associations that have opted into the deal to avoid any further legislation at this time.  

Right to Buy means that Housing Association tenants will be able to purchase their properties at a discounted rate.  The discounts will be reimbursed to the Housing Association by means of Homes and Communities Agency grants.  

It is unclear how this will impact on properties on existing exception sites. There are certainly implications for future exception sites, as landowners will be reluctant to release land for development of homes that may be sold.

Vacant High Value Local Authority Housing Also included in the Bill is a requirement for Local Authorities to make payments to the Secretary of State for any empty high value stock (to be defined in further regulations).  Local Authorities are encouraged to sell any high value stock that becomes vacant.  In places where there has been a stock transfer, that includes transferred stock.  These payments will help to fund the Right to Buy discounts. There are no rural exemptions.

There are many other provisions in the Bill including changes in planning regulations that affect Neighbourhood Plans and grant the Secretary of State additional powers particularly where a Local Authority is under-performing on delivery of planning decisions or delivery of Local Plans.

To read the Bill and follow its progress through Parliament click the link: Housing & Planning Bill 2015

Comment
Home-ownership is indeed desirable for most people,  truthfully though, not feasible for many people. There must be alternatives that are affordable and secure.  I appreciate that there is no longer treasury funding to develop new houses for social rent.  However I am gravely concerned in the midst of an enormous housing crisis the Government's response is to sell off the little social housing we have at discounted rates in order to develop homes for sale with not even a mention of the people who are destined to rent for their entire lives.

Arlene Kersley
Rural Housing Enabler for Berkshire
arlene.kersley@ccberks.org.uk 

Village SOS launches Mobile Phone App

A new Mobile App which aims to help community groups with their project planning has been launched by Village SOS, a UK wide campaign funded by the Big Lottery fund. Village SOS is a campaign which offers one-to-one support and advice to community groups who are providing a service in their local community, via a network of partnership organisations across the UK. It is hoped that the Mobile App; which is available FREE to download on both Android and Apple devices, will make the process of developing project ideas easier.

Users can access case studies, useful project planning advice, business planning tips as well as make use of downloadable templates such as a ‘cashflow template’. The App is a resource for community groups to use when taking their project forward, understanding the complexities of keeping it going and also learning from those with experience of similar activities.

Chris Cowcher, Village SOS Community said: “Projects across the UK can access expert advice from our partners, which will help them to develop and grow their project ideas and we hope that this application will help them to consider what is needed to keep going in future. Packed full of case studies, this is a very useful resource to have at your fingertips. The App has been designed to work without internet connection, once downloaded and it is hoped that this will help those in the many rural communities where the ability to get online is limited or in some cases non-existent.”

To read more about the Village SOS Mobile App including how to download, please visit the Village SOS website www.villagesos.org.uk.

CCB's Annual Review 2014-15 OUT NOW

To read a copy please click here.
CCB's Annual Review of the last financial year is now out. Many of our projects continue to grow and flourish into 2015-16, and hopefully beyond. This Annual Review covers some very interesting projects including;

• Fuel Poverty Advice Work
• Development and building of Affordable Homes in Berkshire
• Providing an expert Community Buildings Advice Service
• Supporting Community Consultation Projects and Parish Planning activities
• Supplying a bulk buying oil club membership service to those who can benefit from it
• Hosting the Berkshire Association of Local Councils to provide expert advice, training and information to member councils
• Providing regular community news, events, funding opportunities and information via our e-bulletin ‘Action for All’

If you have any questions or would like to hear more about anything in our Annual Review please get in touch. 

We have our AGM fast approaching, taking place on 22nd October 2015 at Beech Hill Village Hall from 5.30pm, providing a further opportunity to learn more about us and chat to the team. Arlene Kersley, CCB Rural Housing Enabler will also be giving an informative presentation on ‘Shifting Sands: Impact of Change in Rural Policy’. If you would like to come along please contact gemma.pearce@ccberks.org.uk

To read a copy please click here.

News from the Rural Housing Enabler

News from the Rural Housing Enabler

Yesterday CCB staff settled into our new offices in Swallowfield and happy to have views of rural Berkshire from our windows.  

No doubt you will all have already noted our new address at Wyvols Court, Swallowfield, RG7 1WY.  Please note the mass email I sent to all my contacts was meant to be a test and ended up going out with a few notable errors.  Apologies to all of my contacts, do double check that you have the correct information.  Our postcode is RG7 1WY not 1WHY, which at least made us all laugh when we saw the error.  In the throes and chaos of our move, we may indeed have been asking ourselves 'Why?'

The main reason I am writing is because my mass email did elicit a number of responses.  Based on the number of 'undeliverable' messages I received I have been able to clean-up what is now a 10 year old contact list.  I even made contact with someone who is coincidentally leaving a long term post today, so it was good timing to catch them before they go, wish them well and hope to cross paths in their new endeavour.

But for me the most important response I had was from a Trustee at the Wokingham Area Housing Society, Eric Davies,  who was prompted by my email to send me an update on their very exciting housing project.

I first made the acquaintance of Eric and some of his fellow Trustees about 5 years ago.  Eric contacted me to ask for some advice on development options for some out of date retirement homes that the WAHS ran for the good of the community.  I had no idea an organisation like WAHS existed in Berkshire and was thrilled to make their acquaintance.

Apart from some sign-posting to the appropriate contacts I was not able to provide them with much support. However I am extremely pleased to report that 5 years on WAHS having partnered with Housing Solutions (one of the long-term supporters of the CCB Rural Housing Project), and they have now got the builders on site for their major redevelopment project.  The result of which will be 24 new affordable single bedroom flats reserved for people aged 55 and over who wish to remain independent.  The homes will be ready for occupation in Spring 2016.

Eric reports to me in his email that:

"Without the help of outside contributors like yourself we would not have been able to undertake such a project and we hope that in another 60 years or so somebody will say something about another "hidden gem" in Finchampstead. "

Well done to both WAHS and Housing Solutions.  It is always nice to report on a good news housing story for a change!  Do visit the WAHS website for more information at:  http://www.wahs.co.uk/#!/home