“Have any local authorities given financial support to HAs for extending or converting specific properties to allow large families to remain in their current home? If so, details of how this worked would be very helpful.”

Steven Knowles
Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council

“Our LSP is interested in undertaking some research into the impact of the credit crunch in the district - specifically looking at what the potential impact is locally, and what they could put in place to address the likely issues. Has anyone conducted any similar research at a district level? How useful was it? Who carried it out for you?”

Mel Brain
West Berkshire Council

“Stoke on Trent City Council are currently looking at effective neighbourhood management strategies and are trying to find out what authorities currently have a good strategy in place already. Can you advise me either which authorities to contact or where to find this information.”

Maxine Cleeton
Stoke on Trent City Council

“Are there any local authorities that receive funding from Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) towards their Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) spend? Also is there any research work out there that shows any links between carrying out DFG work and potential savings to PCTs through reduction in hospitalisation etc?”

Rob Purser
Mansfield District Council

“The delivery of our allocations function is currently contracted out to our LSVT RSL under a SLA. We are looking to undertake a review of this agreement and have been informed that there are transfer RSLs who specialise in this area of service delivery through multiple agreements with various Local Authorities for the delivery of their allocations functions. We wish to identify such a RSL who could act as a 'critical friend' in this review process. Please can you let me know if you are aware of one who would be suitable?”

David Randall
Derwentside District Council

“We are planning to write a new housing strategy this year and have an open day event coming up in April which will be attended by both tenants and non tenants and which will be based around residents calling in for a short while and browsing round the stalls. We would like to use the event to find out what local people think about the priorities for housing in the district and are thinking that we could distribute a short questionnaire on the day. Do any organisations have experience of undertaking such a consultation at such an event? If so, what was involved? Was the process effective? Did it produce any useful data for use in the strategy document?”

Belinda Ford
Wycombe District Council

“We are trying to avoid having the situation where service charges are too high to make shared ownership units developed under a section 106 agreement be affordable. This could deter RSLs from taking on the affordable units (thus providing the developer with a potential opportunity to get them back as market units). We would be grateful to find out how this problem has been addressed elsewhere. Due to pressure from the developer we have an extremely short deadline on this so would be grateful to hear from SEN members as soon as possible.”

Steven Knowles
Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council

“I would like to hear from any members who are considering their information needs on private sector stock conditions, and are considering NOT doing a sample survey along traditional lines. We have used the BRE stock modelling method, as a way of scoping the work needed, and have now formed the view that a borough wide stratified sample condition survey costing some £60,000 could be a waste of resources, for little additional information. I would be interested to hear from any members who have made this type of decision or are actively considering it.”

John Lucas
Bedford Borough Council

“The latest SEN advice with regard to performance indicators contains advice on Private Sector Housing numbered 40 - 54. Performance indicator 40 relates to "private sector homes that are unfit or in need of major repair", since 6 April 2006 the concept of unfitness has been replaced by HHSRS category 1 standard, consequently no statistics on unfitness are now gathered. For this reason, last year BVPI 62 figures were not collected, has this changed; performance indicator 41 refers. For the same reason performance indicators 47 and 48 cannot be answered. Performance indicator 49 poses a different problem in that, since 6 April 2006 high risk or prescribed HMOs are subject to mandatory licensing. In most local authorities, mandatory licensing has superseded registration schemes and those registered high risk HMOs which were also prescribed HMOs were passported into mandatory licensing. Prescribed HMOs, (High Risk HMOs by definition) are no longer subject to registration but are now subject to mandatory licensing; or does this refer to a different type of registration? We do, of course, keep a register of all licensed prescribed HMOs, but this information is not requested. If you could clarify as to what information we should provide in these circumstances, I would be most grateful.”

Richard Turner
Greenwich London Borough

“We would like to know if there is anyone who has had experience of creating and maintaining a dynamic supply and demand model for housing. By this we mean a model in which local data on housing supply (stock losses and gains, change of tenure, etc) is projected for future years and set against demand projections ( need for market, social rented and intermediate housing) for future years to give a notional surplus/deficit. The model would ideally be set up so that different scenarios could be posed and the impact of these scenarios on the overall supply/demand balance could be estimated. We have done some work on an overview model but are now looking to refine it. We would be interested therefore to learn from anyone with experience of building and developing such a model. We are looking to learn from both positive and negative experiences”

Nathan Pierce
Southwark London Borough

“Please send in your views on this consultation: http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/housing_renting.htm”

The Strategy Excellence Network
HQN

“Has anyone produced an information sharing protocol which might be adapted by a local authority homeless service with respect to temporary / supported housing providers, and the agencies they work with? (I notice that HC have commissioned something for their sector, did anyone go to the workshop, or to the Nicholas Pleace one? I would be interested in hearing what was said, if anyone did)”

Sheila Spencer
HQN

“The budget announced that the rate of VAT for certain housing alterations for elderly people will be cut form 17.5% to 5% - the lowest rate available under EU VAT agreements - and is expected to come into effect on 1st July 2007 following discussion with representative groups. Can anyone provide any further information about this?”

Paul Raybould
St Albans District Council

“I would like to know if any HQN member working in the affordable housing arena have a view about the imposition of a build development price in the section 106 agreement , that attempts to restrict the price at which the affordable housing is transferred to an affordable housing provider /RSL. In Bedford we have on most 106 sites secured free and serviced land as part of our planning policies ,and restricted the transfer of affordable units to a build price of £1240m 2 This approach is now coming under challenge and I would be grateful if you could advise of any similar approaches to controlling the affordable housing transfer price that have been successful”

John Lucas
Bedford Borough Council

“Does anyone know of any good practice or new and innovative ideas with regard to Private Sector Housing Stock Condition Surveys?”

Lisa Farrington
Wirral Met Borough Council