A to Z:

Housing strategy

Our Housing Strategy aims to ensure the Council provides a comprehensive housing service, which improves the quality of life by seeking solutions to all aspects of housing need and through the creation and maintenance of stable communities across Central Beds. A large policy framework at National, Regional and Sub-regional directs the Council’s strategic function, and local government levels in both housing and planning.

Housing Strategy

All local councils in England are required to produce a plan for the future of housing in their area. A new Housing Strategy is currently being developed for Central Bedfordshire and will be available in 2010.

Our Priorities are to:

  • Maximise the provision of new affordable housing across the district
  • Minimise and ultimately remove the use of B&B for emergency accommodation for homeless clients
  • Reduce the incidence of homelessness across the district
     
  • Address the needs of the community, in particular key workers
  • Improve the quality of all private sector homes, in particular those of vulnerable homeowners

For previous Housing Strategies, please contact the Strategic Housing Team.  


National Policy:

  • The Sustainable Communities Plan
  • Housing Act 1996
  • Housing Act 2004 
  • Homelessness Act 2002
  • Planning Policy Statement 3
  • Strong and Prosperous Communities - Local Government White Paper
  • Homes for the Future - Housing Green Paper

Regional Policy:

Central Bedfordshire falls within the Eastern Region and is directed by policies and initiatives from:

Strategies Include:

Sub-regional Housing Strategy
Local Authorities have been grouped together by the Regional Housing Boards to form Housing Sub-regions. Central Bedfordshire Council has been grouped with Bedford Council, Luton Borough Council and forms the Bedfordshire Sub-region.

All sub-regions are charged with producing Sub-Regional Housing Strategies that reflect and explain the housing needs of their communities.

  • Bedfordshire Sub-Regional Housing Group - Housing Strategy 2005-2010

The Strategic Housing Role encompasses the following: 

  • Assess and plan for current and future housing needs of the local population
     
  • Make the best use of existing housing stock
     
  • Plan and facilitate new supply
  • Plan and commission housing support services which link homes to support and other services that people need to live in them
  • Have working partnerships that secure effective housing and neighbourhood management.