Blackpool Council & Housing Corporation Milestone

Blackpool Council becomes the North's first local authority to sign housing protocol agreement with the Housing Corporation

Housing Corporation News Release

Blackpool Council becomes the North's first local authority to sign housing protocol agreement with the Housing Corporation

Blackpool Council has become the first local authority in the North of England to sign a housing protocol agreement with the Housing Corporation. This important milestone will bring together the resources and skills of both national and local organisations to deliver affordable housing across Blackpool.

The Housing Corporation is the Government agency responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating over 1,500 housing association across Britain. Its biggest ever investment programme of £3.9 billion, for 2006-08, will fund 84,000 homes. 49,000 of these will be for affordable rent and 35,000 will be for affordable sale through the Government's new HomeBuy initiative, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.

Based on a national protocol agreed between the Local Government Association and the Corporation, the housing protocols set out how the Corporation and local authorities will work together to deliver a common vision of affordable homes within strong communities, reflecting local priorities.

Jon Rouse, Housing Corporation Chief Executive said, "I am delighted that Blackpool Council has become the first local authority in the North to officially sign up to our protocol agreement.

"Local government has a pivotal role to play in the delivery of affordable housing at a local level. The Housing Corporation recognises the importance of this key leadership role and is committed to working in partnership to help meet local housing need.

"This protocol with Blackpool Council, and the others we are signing across the country, will play an important role in the delivery of more and better affordable housing in places where people want to live now and in the future."

The protocol has been developed over the last three months and will look at working more closely with a range of local key stakeholders including developers, planners, landlords of both social and private homes and supported housing providers.

Cllr Eddie Collett, Cabinet Member for Tourism and Regeneration at Blackpool Council said, “I am delighted that we are the first Council in the North to sign this important protocol. It demonstrates the priority we place on making more affordable housing a reality for Blackpool, and in areas where local people want to live.

“Working with the Housing Corporation demonstrates our commitment and also enables the Council to drive forward our housing agenda.”

Priority actions will include making the best use of land in delivering new housing, regeneration and renewal, and increased working to promote the Respect agenda.

Cllr Sue Wright, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing said, “This protocol will be a very valuable tool in enabling Blackpool to move forward in developing positive outcomes for the local community. Promoting and maintaining decent homes is a key objective for this Council and in partnership with the Corporation we can now ensure we create supported housing to meet the needs of our local community."

As part of this process Blackpool Council and the Corporation will work closely with housing associations and residents to review the quality of housing services provided. An exciting area of this agenda will be to look at ways of more directly involving residents and housing associations in the development and management of neighbourhoods and community facilities ensuring an integrated approach to housing and sustainable communities.

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