Providing affordable housing across Fylde is part of the strategic local plan. It is important that people living in Fylde or with strong local connection have the opportunity to access decent affordable homes.
Fylde Council work in partnership with Developers and Registered Providers to ensure that Affordable housing is being delivered in line with the local plan.
Affordable housing is for:
- People unable to buy a home on the open market
- People who want to rent a home but cannot afford the market rent
- First time buyers
Our local plan identifies that the need for affordable homes across the borough is still prevalent and therefore our ongoing work to facilitate and deliver affordable housing is essential.
Fylde Council do not own or manage any properties as stock was transferred to Progress Housing Group in 2000 and so work with Registered Providers (RPS) to meet local housing need is necessary.
Any queries relating to affordable housing please contact housing@fylde.gov.uk
Types of Affordable Housing
Affordable homes come in different shapes, sizes, and tenures to fit housing needs of those that are not being met on the open market. Eligibility to access affordable housing varies depending on the form of housing you want and is linked to local incomes and local house prices. Further details and contact information are available in the linked pages.
Please note Fylde Council do not hold any housing stock and the affordable rent options are accessed via the choice based lettings system operated across the Fylde coast. For the affordable homeowners options these are accessed via registered providers, government backed schemes and developers.
Please click here to download a map of affordable housing sites.
Homes that are owned, let, managed and maintained by a registered housing provider. Rents are charged lower than open market rents – often around 80%.
Affordable rent properties across Fylde are allocated via ‘my home choice’ made up of registered providers who hold housing stock across Fylde, Wyre and Blackpool. Affordable rent properties do become available on new housing developments depending on the tenure agreed for the affordable housing element of new developments – these are also allocated via my home choice.
Social rented housing is owned and let by local authorities and housing associations. These homes are offered at the lowest rents which are set by the Government for households on low incomes. At present social rented properties are not available in Fylde.
Social housing is let at low rents on a secure basis to those who are most in need or struggling with their housing costs. Normally councils and not-for-profit organisations (such as housing associations) are the ones to provide social housing. Limits to rent increases set by law mean that rents are kept affordable.
At present there are no social rented properties in Fylde – Fylde Council are proactively working to ensure that housing need is being met and when a social housing need presents work will take place in looking at the delivery of social housing in the borough.
This is where you purchase a share of the property (its equity) – generally between 25% and 80% and the rest is owned by the registered provider. A rent will be payable to the registered provider and is calculated based on the % of the property you do not own. The bigger share of the property you own the smaller the rent contribution would be. Generally you will be able to purchase more of the equity as you can afford to do so – the terms of your shared ownership is stipulated by the registered provider.
It allows you to take out a smaller mortgage than if you were buying the whole property.
A good homeowner option for:
- First time buyers
- Household incomes less than £80,000
AHO Updates
December 2022 (PDF) | February 2023 (PDF) | Combined (PDF)
This scheme works by you receiving an equity loan – to boost your deposit making it easier for you to purchase a property and secure a good mortgage. Shared equity or an equity loan is often offered direct via the developer.
There is the government backed scheme ‘help to buy’. You must have 5% deposit and the government will loan (Equity loan) you up to 20% of the purchase price. You would legally own 100% of the house but you will need to repay the equity loan within 25 years – if you sell the property the value of the loan is deducted from the sale price.
The Government appointed agent for the Fylde is Help to Buy North West provided by the Plus Dane Housing Group. For information on help to buy and how to access please visit www.helptobuy.gov.uk
A good homeowner option for:
- Securing a smaller mortgage but owning 100% of the property
- First time buyer
Discount Market Sale (OMV) is a low cost home ownership product where a new build property is purchased at a discounted price. This discount is usually around 20% and the scheme is to help low and middle earners get onto the property ladder – household incomes below £60,000. These properties are available in partnership with the council at 20% below the current market value.
The eligibility criteria to access this affordable housing option is set and managed by Fylde council. Eligibility is assessed on an application form which is required to be completed and issued to Fylde Council Housing Team who will assess your eligibility and if successful issue you with an official letter for you to provide to Developers who are offering Discount Market Sale properties.
Housing developers are required to provide 30% affordable housing on sites which are providing 10 or more dwellings as per our adopted local planning document . These can be delivered by a mix of different tenures:
- Shared Ownership
- Shared Equity
- Starter homes
- Discounted market sale
- Affordable rent
- Social Rent
The adopted tenures of affordable housing on a new development is assessed by the Housing team, on the presumption that of the overall 30%; 60% will be affordable rent and 40% intermediate housing. How this percentage is delivered is assessed using data received from the choice based lettings system and data collected in regards to housing need. Housing Needs Surveys are carried out to provide necessary information to allow the Council to facilitate the provision of relevant affordable housing.
In 2021 Fylde Council undertook a housing needs survey to us better understand the housing needs within the Borough. The survey has been carried out across the whole of the Fylde Council area, along with smaller-area analysis for 10 sub-areas of the Borough.
The results can be downloaded by clicking here.
Affordable Homes to rent
If market rent prices are too expensive for you and you are struggling to a maintain private rented property or need to find your own property to rent then affordable rented homes could be for you. To find out if you are eligible and how to apply click the link below.
Choice based lettings
My Home Choice is the choice based letting scheme across the Fylde coast covering Fylde, Blackpool and Wyre. It is a system that improves access to affordable housing and makes the process of applying for a home simpler, fairer and easier to understand. In order to access My Home Choice you will need to register and complete an application at www.myhomechoicefyldecoast.co.uk
| Registered Provider | Website |
|---|---|
| Progress Housing | www.progressgroup.org.uk |
| Great Places | www.greatplaces.org.uk |
| Muir Group | www.muir.org.uk |
| Places for People | www.placesforpeople.co.uk |
| Regenda | www.regenda.org.uk |
| Blackpool Coastal Housing | www.bch.co.uk |
The registered providers stated above currently hold housing stock across the Fylde coast which are accessible via the my home choice application process – in terms of new developments if affordable rent tenure is agreed on a site a Registered provider will take this stock and release it via my home choice.
Affordable Homeownership
If you would like to own your own home but cannot quite afford it, or you are a first time buyer, low cost homeownership may be of interest to you.
Affordable ownership – Intermediate Housing
Intermediate housing aims to provide 40% of the ‘affordable’ housing element on new housing developments. Intermediate housing is aimed at people wanting to get on the homeownership ladder by providing options to suit middle income households.
How to apply
If you have explored the affordable housing options available and are interested in affordable home ownership here is how you can access the different schemes. For all affordable housing for sale, you will need to take out a mortgage to pay for your share of the home’s purchase price (unless you have savings) in the conventional way.
Like any house purchase decision, we recommend you should also seek;
- Legal advice
- Advice from an independent financial advisor
- Your bank or mortgage provider
- Advice agencies
- Government websites
Shared Ownership / shared equity
Accessed directly via registered providers. Details of the registered provider who has the affordable housing stock on a new housing development will be available from the development sales office. The registered provider will also market these properties via their own webpage and services such as Right Move.
Help to Buy (Equity loan)
Some developers directly operating an equity loan scheme details of this will be available direct from the sales suite on the development site – it is advised you make contact with the sales suite on your preferred housing development site and explore the options available.
If you are looking to access the government backed equity loan scheme – ‘Help to Buy’ then please follow the web link www.helptobuy.gov.uk
Discounted market sale (OMV)
Households are to complete an application form to register interest in Discounted OMV properties. If you would like to request an application form for a Discounted Market Sale property, please contact the Developer directly or email us at housing@fylde.gov.uk. If Fylde Council assesses the application as meeting the eligibility criteria then an official letter is issued to you by Fylde Council stated your eligibility for Discounted Market Housing. This supporting document is then to be presented to Developers who are offering Discount Market Sale properties.
Available now: Wrea Brook Park | Heaton Green
Alternative Affordable Housing
Community-led housing
The community housing fund was announce by The Department for Communities and Local Government with an annual pledge of £60 million allocated across councils in rural and coastal areas which have been impacted by high levels of second homeownership; the fund is to support and facilitate Community-led housing, build capacity within local groups, raise awareness of community-led housing and identify local communities that could benefit and support these to develop genuinely affordable homes
What is community-led housing?
Community-led Housing (CLH) is the process of local communities identifying a housing need in their local area and meeting these needs by providing a community led solution. It aims to solve local housing problems, create affordable homes and establish and encourage strong communities. These solutions can be the development of new build properties, the re-use of existing buildings and bringing empty homes back into use.
The community takes the lead in designing and developing housing for their community with the presumption to take the long-term role in the ownership, stewardship or management of the homes dependent on the community Housing Model they adopt.
Models of Community Housing:
- Co-Housing
- Community Land Trusts (CLT)
- Cooperative Housing
- Self and Custom Build
- Self Help Housing
Community-led housing can be delivered by an independent community group, existing community organisation or in partnerships of landowners, community groups, registered providers, developers and the local authority.
If you are part of a community or organisation that is interested in community-led housing and would like some further information please use the contact details below:
Contact Details
Affordable Housing Officer
01253 658658
housing@fylde.gov.uk
Projects
Background and Need:
Lindsay Court is located at the North of Fylde Borough Council, adjacent to the former Pontin’s holiday park and Squires Gate railway station. Built in the late 1960’s / early 1970’S it consists of 96 flats located in six blocks with ancillary garages and green spaces. The flats and the site are falling into chronic disrepair and in July 2018, a Tribunal determined that a full fabric repair scheme should be overseen by the current Management Company, requiring a £30k per unit contribution from owners.
Whilst all parties seem to realise the need for something to be done, major problems exist in delivering an agreed solution. Specialist support to facilitate an agreed solution where residents could inform the options and begin to take a lead role in changing their environment, an approach was developed which involved empowering residents to make informed decisions regarding potential options. This community-led approach worked through a wide range of options, resulting in July 2019 in a final options report being produced. This suggested that two ‘preferred options’ be looked at in greater detail, with direct support and engagement with an interested registered provider. Supported by Homes England, this Stage Two proposal would clearly establish whether a final, deliverable proposition is agreeable and achievable.
Downloads
Custom and Self-Build Homes
We currently operate self-build and custom build registers where you register your interest in self-build and custom building your home.
Self-Build – Projects where individuals or groups directly organise the design and construction of their new home(s)
Custom build – project where individuals or groups work with specialist developer(s) to help deliver their new home(s)
For further information, please click here.
Grants
We are currently operating a Community Grant policy with the opportunity for you to apply for grant funding that may be able to assist with Community led housing initiatives or self and custom build projects. Details of what the grant can be used for and the eligibility criteria to access the grant are outlined in the grant fund policy operated by Fylde council. For more information you can download the policy and application pack here.
