This policy and supporting documents do not
radically change the policy or processes that have been applied to
the award of affordable housing funding grants to date. However, it
does formalise the bidding and allocation of funds process to
ensure that they are more open, transparent and fair.
It is important to note that national policies
and programmes relating to housing in general, but especially
affordable housing, are going through some significant changes at
present, the full outcome of which is not yet known. Local
priorities for housing are also under review, and will culminate in
a new Peterborough Housing Strategy hopefully being agreed by the
council during the autumn of 2011. This strategy will cover housing
from a wide remit, such as: helping to deliver growth; meeting
housing needs; regenerating existing housing stock; and using
housing programmes to help create sustainable and mixed
communities. The intention is for this local strategy to also
highlight particular areas for targeted action, as well as
prioritising key types of action/intervention which the council
will undertake.
Commentary in the policy document acknowledges
this changing national and local context, but as a whole the policy
document is sufficiently flexible to adapt to these changes as they
emerge. However, to ensure the limited capital funds are targeted
wisely and fully in line with corporate priorities of the council,
there is a clause in the policy document which explains that, prior
to the adoption of the local Peterborough Housing Strategy referred
to above, only exceptional bids (i.e. ones which score very highly
against the criteria in the policy) will be awarded grants.
Overall, the key issues addressed by the
policy document are:
- the processes and protocols for bidding and allocating
grant funding to RPs
- the criteria we will adopt to determine applications for
funding
- who is responsible for what in signing off bids (as per the
constitution)
- model ‘terms and conditions’ for any successful grant
awards
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Housing Capital Funding Policy
(216KB, 23 pages)
Please note the following updates relevant to the affordable
housing capital funding policy and process:
Diary dates for bid submission and assessment
for 2012
| Deadline dates for bid submissions |
Panel dates for bid assessment |
| 30 March 2012 |
30th April 2012 |
| 22 June 2012 |
12th July 2012 |
| 28 September 2012 |
19 October 2012 |
| 14 December 2012 |
17 January 2013 |
The adoption of the Peterborough Housing
Strategy 2011 to 15 on 22 February 2012 means that the interim
provisions regarding the bid assessment process set out in
paragraph 4.2 of the policy no longer apply.
The
economic appraisal toolkit used by the HCA has been updated.
Therefore the relevant toolkit to accompany submitted bids referred
to in paragraph 3.1(b) of the policy is now the HCA Development
appraisal toolkit.
Consultation
The policy was prepared by the Housing
Strategy and Enabling team, but supported by a panel of officers
across the council covering legal, planning, property and finance
teams. In addition, a 10 day consultation period on the draft
policy took place with our seven local RP partners from 11th - 20th
January 2011. We received a range of helpful and constructive
comments which further helped to shape the final policy.