PROPERTY NEWS: Part-buy and part-rent options on affordable homes

PEOPLE looking for an affordable home in West Somerset are being urged to buy rather than rent.
Magna West Somerset Housing Association said it had a number of a part-buy, part-rent properties available immediately through its development company Charter (S.W.) Ltd.
They included properties in and near West Somerset, in Stogursey, Lynton, and Bampton.
A Magna spokesman said: “You can buy part of the property and rent the remaining part.
“Your monthly outlay would typically be between £500 and £600, depending on the value of the property you part-buy and the type of mortgage you take.”
Charter (S.W.) Ltd’s core area of operation covers Somerset, Devon, and Dorset, and in addition to traditional affordable rented housing, it offers additional options to local communities in fulfilling housing needs, including shared ownership, shared-equity opportunities, and sub-market renting.
At its Lonlay Meadows development, in Farringdon Lane, Stogursey, the company is offering part-buy, part-rent on a first floor one-bedroom coach house apartment with private entrance and garage, lounge, kitchen, and bathroom for £42,000.
The outside of the property is rendered with feature wooden cladding.
It also has five new one-bedroom apartments available with private entrance and parking, open plan living room and kitchen, bathroom, central heating, and double glazing, starting at £38,000 under the same scheme.
In Lynton, two two-bedroom apartments are available at The Chapel, featuring open plan living rooms with fully-fitted kitchens and family bathrooms, central heating, double glazing, and parking, from £56,500.
The Bampton development, known as Scotts, offers a 40 per cent share in a two-bedroom apartment from £54,500.
The traditionally-built apartments on the edge of the town were carefully designed and built to a high standard by local developer Devonshire Homes and feature an open plan living room and kitchen.
Each is fully fitted with white goods, including oven/hob, washer/dryer, and refrigerator, and is carpeted throughout.
More information about the Charter homes is available by calling 0844 463 8031.
Anybody who wants to part-buy, part-rent one of the Charter homes should register at http://www.home2own.org.uk/.

• Our images show (from the top) Lonlay Meadows, Stogursey, The Chapel, Lynton, Scotts, Bampton. Images submitted.

New scheme gives tenants freedom of choice over social housing

A NEW service to give people on housing waiting lists more freedom to find suitable homes for themselves is set to go live across the county next month.
Currently, anybody on a council or housing association register is allocated a property according to their individual need, which is based on a point-scoring system.
From December 10, Homefinder Somerset, however, will replace existing council and housing association waiting lists.
It will scrap the points system and instead put tenants into three different priority bands - gold, silver, and bronze - according to need.
Tenants will be able to see every housing association and council house property in Somerset as it become available to let and can bid for the one they want.
West Somerset Council is a member of the partnership of local authorities and housing associations which have joined together to create the Government-led scheme.
Tenants need to register for social housing in order to be able to join the scheme, and anybody already on the housing register will need to re-register with Homefinder Somerset.
West Somerset housing portfolio holder, Councillor Kate Kravis, said: “Homefinder Somerset is a fairer scheme as it gives house hunters a wider choice of rental homes and more freedom to select properties that suit their needs.
“Previously, people were allocated homes and they had little say in the matter.
“From December 10, all other housing waiting lists and registers close.
“We have written to our customers to let them know of the changes but we would like to remind them, and new applicants, to contact the council so that we can help them register with Homefinder.
“It is easy to register and we are here to help.”
More information about Homefinder Somerset is available by visiting www.homefindersomerset.co.uk or emailing the council at customerservices@westsomerset.gov.uk or calling 01643 703704.

New website helps people search for an ‘affordable home’

SOCIAL housing organisation Somer Housing Group, which has properties in West Somerset and Taunton Deane, has launched a new website aimed at people looking for affordable housing options.
The site, www.somerhomes.co.uk, has details of all the properties on offer from the group’s members through the ‘New Build HomeBuy’ scheme.
It allows people to move in to a new home which they part-buy, part-rent - buying a percentage of the home and paying rent on the rest of it.
As people’s circumstances change, they can buy further shares until they own the whole of their home.
Some developments have homes available through ‘rent to buy’.
The new scheme is aimed at people who cannot afford or cannot obtain a mortgage, or who have simply been put off purchasing in the current economic climate.
They receive the best of both worlds, renting a home at 80 per cent of the local market rate and at a later date they will be given the first chance to buy the property through ‘New Build HomeBuy’.
The website currently has properties available in parts of Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and the Cotswolds.
Somer sales and marketing manager Sarah Turton said: “This is a very difficult time for people who are frustrated because they want to find a home, but are still having difficulty finding somewhere they can afford or getting a mortgage.
“We have some great homes for sale and rent and these schemes give you lots of flexibility about how you commit yourself now, with the possibility that one day you will own all of your home, without ever having to move.”
The group includes Somer Community Housing Trust, which is the largest social landlord in the Westcountry, Bristol-based Redland Housing Association, young people and homeless charity Shape Housing Association, and Lantern Homes.

Magna contractors signing up to online register

MOST of the 400-plus contractors used by Magna West Somerset Housing Association and its parent group have been encouraged to sign up to the Government’s register of pre-qualified construction suppliers.
Constructionline is a nationwide database which offers industry-wide recognition and credibility to its members.
Contractors who have worked for both housing associations in the past are being encouraged to sign up to the database, which is used nationally by many public and private sector clients including local authorities and housing associations such as Magna.
Many companies in the construction industry are finding it tough in the current economic climate, and being registered on a national database used by thousands of local and national customers could provide them with more opportunities for work and business.
Magna head of technical services, Mark Allan, said: “Every time we use a new contractor we have to undergo a lengthy process of checks (known as pre-qualification) before we can start working with them.
“Given that on many projects we are up against tight deadlines, it is much more efficient for us to use a central register where the relevant checks have already been undertaken.”
Magna technical and property services manager Tim Harper said: “We feel using the database will, in most cases, make us more efficient.
“In this business, time often means money and any savings will be of benefit to our customers.”

Magna wins court injunction against anti-social tenant

ANTI-social behaviour by a housing association tenant in Williton has ended with a court injunction granted to his landlords, Magna West Somerset Housing Association.
The injunction against Paul Stevens, of 30 Northcroft, comes on the back of a catalogue of complaints made by Williton residents to Magna and to local police.
It will remain in place until February 19 next year and carries a power of arrest if Mr Stevens enters certain parts of Williton.
Magna tenant services manager Christine Boland said: “This was another big win for us.
“We take any form of anti-social behaviour extremely seriously, we work closely with the police to tackle these issues.
“Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.”
She said in a majority of cases Magna used other tools to resolve problems of anti-social behaviour, including mediation and acceptable behaviour contracts, as well as working closely with the local police.
However, Mrs Boland said: “In this case we had received complaints against Paul Stevens over a number of months concerning noise nuisance, nuisance relating to drug and alcohol abuse, shouting, fighting, and even threats to kill.
“Our residents have a right to live peacefully and securely in their own homes and so we had no other option than to apply for an injunction.”
The injunction means that any assault, threat to assault, intimidation, abuse, nuisance, or annoyance to any person who resides at Egremont Court, Northcroft, or Brook Road, in Williton, would result in Mr Stevens being arrested.

Five star rating for Magna meals after spot-inspection

MEALS produced by Magna West Somerset Housing Association (MWS) have been given a five star rating by local environmental health inspectors.
The district council’s food inspection team carried out a surprise ‘spot inspection’ on the Magna kitchen in Ingrams Meadow, Watchet, and found staff were spot on with their food handling and preparation regimes.
Staff at Ingrams Meadow provide hot meals for elderly Magna residents and for those in the housing association’s sister site at Silvermead, in Alcombe, Minehead.
Dishes for Magna Meals on Wheels are also prepared, cooked, and distributed from Ingrams Meadow.
Magna community services manager Barbara Mullan said: “This is a fantastic result, we were not expecting an inspection, so to get five stars is a huge pat on the back for everybody.
“We often see restaurants advertised in the local papers for getting four stars, so this is a real achievement.”
Magna Meals on Wheels is an essential service for many people in the area as it provides freshly cooked meals using fresh ingredients from local suppliers.
They are delivered hot to the customer’s door.
Magna Meals on Wheels is available to anybody who needs it within a 10-mile radius of Watchet, and the frequency of deliveries can be adjusted to meet the requirements of customers.
Mrs Mullan said: “Magna Meals on Wheels often provides a point of contact for a vulnerable customer who may well not see anybody else or have the opportunity to get a hot meal during the day.
“We do a great job and this five star rating reinforces that.”
More information about ‘Magna Meals on Wheels’ is available by calling Ian Wood on the freephone number 0800 138 6107.

• Our photograph shows Magna Meals on Wheels kitchen staff at Ingrams Meadow (left to right) Dawn Rowe, Jayne Clark, and Judy Snell. Photo submitted.

Housing association tenants support Exmoor village hall

A FUND-raising appeal for improvements to and Exmoor village hall has been boosted by a £1,500 cheque from tenants of Magna West Somerset Housing Association.
The money was handed over by the association’s tenants panel to the hall committee in Brompton Regis, where it is hoped to make the hall’s running costs more sustainable and therefore cheaper.
Tenants’ Panel chairman Bernard Ryder said: “The hall committee approached us for help with making improvements to the facilities. “The hall already provides a base for many activities in the area and plays an important role in the community.
“As a panel, we were only too pleased to be able to help with a donation of £1,000 from our environmental improvements budget, with Magna supplementing this with a further £500 sponsorship.”
Village hall secretary Jennifer Stringer said: “The hall is a registered charity and provides a vital social focus for all the local residents.
“It is well used by groups including a cinema club, luncheon club, and short mat bowls.
“The planned improvements would ensure the hall is compliant with all necessary regulations and also to make it more sustainable by reducing running costs.
“We were delighted to receive this donation which will help us to achieve our goal.”
Mrs Stringer said the committee was continuing to plan fund-raising events as more donations were still needed.
The hall committee has so far raised about £20,000 in the past two years toward its target of £150,000 for the improvements which are needed.
Anybody who would like to help the hall committee should contact Mrs Stringer on 01398 371224.
Photo submitted.

Dulverton residents invited to drop-in to raise community concerns

A DROP-in session is being held in Dulverton to allow local residents to meet representatives of a range of community service organisations and raise any issues of concern
It takes place in Dulverton Town Hall (pictured) between 10.30 am and 12 noon on Wednesday, November 21.
Police, West Somerset Council, Magna West Somerset Housing Association, the county youth service, and Dulverton Town Council will be among the organisations represented.
Residents will be able to discuss any community safety issues or other matters that they would like to raise.
District council community safety officer Pete Hughes said: “West Somerset has low levels of crime but that is no reason to rest on our laurels.
“The council and its partner agencies are working hard to ensure that levels remain low, and a part of this work involves going out into the community and understanding their concerns.
“This is a good opportunity to listen to local residents and, in many cases we can offer reassurance or give further advice on the day.
“However, it also gives us an insight into how the community perceives crime and disorder, and how we may be able to act on their information in future.”
Anybody is welcome at the drop-in session and light refreshments will be available.
People who cannot make the event are being advised to contact the appropriate agency if they have specific concerns.
More drop-in sessions will be held in Dulverton on future dates to provide the community with further opportunities to meet representatives from the agencies.