The team at Advantage is proud to work with a number of housing associations and affordable housing providers nationwide, providing structural warranties that are underwritten by leading insurers for their developments. So we take a keen interest in the progress of new affordable housing schemes.

This week, we’ve been taking a look at Torus Homes’ two affordable schemes, which The Echo reports are due to be approved in an effort to create “a balanced community.”

Social housing provider Torus is pursuing the affordable schemes for housing developments close to Andrews Lane and Lenton Avenue in Formby.

Permission was granted by Sefton Council back in April 2018 to build 100 new homes on land near Andrews Lane. The local authority also gave the green light for 34 homes to be built on land near to Lenton Avenue in Formby back in June 2018.

As reported by the Echo: Now the housing association wants 27 of the homes near Andrews Lane and nine of the houses on Lenton Avenue to be available for affordable rent via a “local lettings plan.”

A local lettings plan is an agreement between the local authority and registered providers and they decide how homes will be allocated to people.

The affordable housing will be welcomed by some as both developments fall into the Harington ward in Formby, where only two percent of homes in the area are advertised for social rent. This means just 101 homes out of 4,796 in the ward are affordable housing.

As construction output gradually increases nationwide following the implementation of new social distancing guidelines on sites, many local councils are continuing to strive to increase the availability of affordable housing, focusing on this long-term goal alongside implementing short-term measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

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