Housing Strategy 2002-7 

Executive Summary

 

Mission Statement is to: "To Improve the Quality of Life for people in Chester"

Chester City Council's Housing Priorities are:

Affordable Housing

• Meeting the needs of households unable to purchase or rent on the open market
  due to high prices in both urban and rural areas.
• The effective regeneration and re-use of previously redundant sites in Chester District
  for housing, with a modest amount of new residential development in the larger villages.
• Encouraging the development of more mixed and socially inclusive communities

Improving the quality of existing housing & neighbourhoods

• Improving the condition of existing housing particularly private rented
• Making better use of vacant properties
• Improving energy efficiency in the whole of the housing stock
• Working to regenerate local neighbourhoods

Homelessness

• The reduction of homelessness

Supported Housing

• Meeting the needs of people with special housing requirements in particular the
  elderly and those with mental health problems

Improving access to housing advice

These Priorities have been identified by:

• Private Sector Stock Condition Survey (1993 & 2002)
• An Urban Housing Needs Survey (1998)
• A Rural Housing Needs Survey (2000)
• Community Plan
• A mapping exercise of supported housing supply (2002) which will be supplemented
  by a needs assessment exercise (2003)
• Consultation with partners and stakeholders

The Council's short-term aims are:

• The delivery of affordable housing on private development sites in the North East Urban Action Area and West Chester SRB area as well as on other key city centre housing sites.
• The completion of the Western Avenue redevelopment in West Chester.
• The completion of the Cornwall House scheme
• The delivery of single person/couple accommodation in urban Chester.The delivery of emerging household/first time buyer/smaller family accommodation in rural Chester.
• The establishment of the framework for Supporting People for implementation in 2003
• The development of a replacement/follow-on strategy for the Renewal Areas
• The continuation of the Improvement Grant programme
• The development of new ways to help people maintain their properties
• The promotion of the Accredited Properties Scheme.
• The continued promotion of energy efficiency.
• The regeneration of homes and communities in West Chester
• The delivery of Move-On accommodation in West Chester

The Council's medium-term aims are:

• To ensure that 75% of all new housing is provided on brown field sites
• The delivery of affordable housing in areas of identified need in both urban and rural areas including on private development sites.
• Maintaining the present low level of empty properties and targeting long term empties.
• The delivery of housing and advice to meet the identified need of Chester's black and minority ethnic (BME) community.
• The continuation of individual and area improvement policies.
• The continued upgrading of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
• Continued working towards the 10 year target set in 1996 to reduce domestic energy consumption by 30%.
• Ensuring adequate supported housing provision for teenage mothers.
• Researching & developing a comprehensive housing advice service.

Download

• Housing Strategy Statement 2002-2007 (346kb)
• Housing Strategy Appendices 1-10 (191kb)
• Appendix 11 - Housing Investment Programme (34kb)
• Sub Regional Housing Strategy (99kb)
• Sub Regional Action Plan and Appendices  (899kb)
• Older people's Housing Strategy - Executive Summary (79kb)