Fears for local applicants bring call to shun region's homes plan

Coun John Blackie, of Richmondshire District Council, says the choice-based lettings scheme will give no priority to local applicants when social housing becomes available in their area.

When social housing comes up in Richmondshire, it will be allocated to the most needy on the combined waiting lists across North Yorkshire and not in the local area, Coun Blackie will say in a motion to full council tomorrow.

The Yorkshire Post has revealed the growing problems for rural communities trying to secure affordable housing. Grace Pounder, 22, from Gayle in Upper Wensleydale, is facing homelessness after the owner of the house where she lives died.

Nearly 14,000 people are waiting for affordable homes in North Yorkshire, with around 1,500 in Richmondshire and more than 12,000 in the rest of North Yorkshire.

This figure excludes Harrogate, the only district authority in North Yorkshire not in the scheme.

But Coun Blackie claims in the motion that Harrogate still enjoys the funding benefits of remaining in the partnership.

He believes it would be wrong for Richmondshire District Council to join the lettings scheme proposed by the North Yorkshire Strategic Housing Partnership.

"There will be no special priority accorded to Richmondshire applicants for the Richmondshire social housing that becomes available," he said.

"It will be allocated on the basis of the needs of all the 13,757 applicants on the North Yorkshire Strategic Housing Partnership's combined waiting lists.

"The choice based lettings scheme is not in the best interests of the local communities in Richmondshire the district council is here to serve."

The scheme means that those most in need – the homeless, single parents or those in crowded or substandard accommodation – would be given priority.

Coun Blackie, who represents Hawes and High Abbotside ward, said that the system does not work in areas of the Yorkshire Dales where there are few houses and they only become available once every three to four years.

He added: "There is a small stock of local houses and they change hands infrequently. It's designed for urban areas and not the sort of areas in the Dales.

"(There] is the problem of displacing the local family wanting to stay within the village they have been brought up in, by someone who comes from miles away and happens to have a greater housing need.

"Housing need is a factor of social problems which occur much more frequently in urban areas."

Colin Dales, who is responsible for housing at Richmondshire and Hambleton District Councils, confirmed any partner can withdraw from the scheme, due to start early next year.

But he said: "I've recommended it to the council because I think it will be of greater benefit to the people in Richmondshire. It puts people on the waiting list in the driving seat, instead of waiting passively for an opportunity."

He added: "What the choice based lettings system has done is it appreciates the fear that people have that there is going to be mass migration from one area to another.

"We have looked at other choice based lettings systems around the country (and] they saw that doesn't happen."

The system, which aims to cut down on bureaucracy and form-filling, originated from the Netherlands and was embraced by the Labour Government when it first came into power.