I write in response to Mr Kirkham’s letter, Building Communities, in the July 27 edition of the Watford Observer.

Three Rivers District Council has always been keen to encourage developers to build social rented housing. Examples of this can be seen in the regeneration of South Oxhey.

Across the district, social rented housing is usually owned and run by a registered housing provider (such as a housing association) and the rent charge is calculated using a government formula.

Both affordable rented and social rented accommodation fall within the Government’s definition of affordable housing.

Affordable rents are always more expensive than social rents.

The council typically negotiates with developers and providers of affordable housing to ensure affordable rents are not higher than the Government-regulated Local Housing Allowance; this ensures ‘affordable’ rents are still genuinely affordable for benefit-dependent and low-income households.

Like any property ownership tenure, any repairs and maintenance to the property are the responsibility of the owner.

The council acknowledges that, Mr Kirkham believes registered providers should build and let at least 50 per cent of properties at social rents but properties let at ‘affordable’ rents allow registered providers to build more homes as their income is greater.

Furthermore, registered providers can apply for government funding from Homes England to build affordable housing.

A condition of this grant is that affordable rented properties are let at affordable rent and not social rent.

The council has a legal responsibility to provide advice and assistance to anyone who finds themselves homeless and must provide temporary accommodation to some households in accordance with legislation Due to a shortage of temporary accommodation in the Three Rivers District, a minority of homeless households are being provided with temporary accommodation out of the district.

The council endeavours to move these households back into the district as soon as possible and will always take into consideration individual circumstances (such as employment, children’s schooling, medical or support needs) when placing a household into temporary accommodation.

The shortage of temporary accommodation in the district is currently being addressed, with 17 temporary accommodation units being constructed in Rickmansworth and three more sites having received planning approval.

Because market rents in the district can prove to be unaffordable for some people, Three Rivers Council will, in some cases, make an offer of private rented sector accommodation out of the district, which will usually be in a neighbouring district or borough where possible.

All offers of social housing will be within the district.

I agree that building communities is very important.

Where sufficient land becomes available such developments can take place. The new housing near Warner Brothers at Leavesden is one such example.

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) introduced by the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 is a charge which allows the council to raise funds from new developments for use on infrastructure to support the growth in the district.  

Three Rivers’ CIL Charging Schedule came into force on April 1, 2015.

Central government is requiring all local authorities to build hundreds of new homes each year with approximately 600 per year in Three Rivers for about the next ten years. Getting the infrastructure in place when new homes are built is important but it involves a range of organisations both public sector and private working together focusing on what new communities require.

Cllr Andrew Scarth

Lead Member for Housing