Housing Strategy & Plans Homepage

The Council’s Strategic Housing Service aims to ensure that housing needs and aspirations are met by enabling access by all to a home that is well maintained, warm and affordable in a peaceful and secure environment.

The Strategic Housing Service is responsible for ensuring that the Council has in place long term plans for housing across the Borough. The housing challenges faced by Barnsley are set out in the three strategy documents listed below:

• Barnsley MBC Housing Strategy 2003-2008
• South Yorkshire (Sub-Regional) Housing Strategy 2008 -2018
• Yorkshire and Humber Regional Housing Strategy 2005- 2021

This set of housing strategy documents form the context within which policies are developed and implemented to address specific housing issues in the Borough.

Housing markets are no respecters of local authority boundaries. In recognition of this, resources to tackle a variety of housing issues have in recent years been distributed on a sub-regional basis. This shift in strategic focus to sub-region means that the South Yorkshire (Sub-Regional) Housing Strategy 2008 -2018 is now the core framework within which housing policies to meet Barnsley’s particular requirements are developed. During 2007 and 2008 we will be developing a series of local housing action plans (covering specific areas of the Borough) to ensure that the sub-regional strategy has a local flavour and results in action on the ground that improves both housing and local communities.

We have three key strategic objectives for housing

(1) Balancing housing markets

We are confronted by a combination of weak or failing housing markets in some parts of the Borough whilst elsewhere (but especially in the rural west of the Borough) markets are overheating with the result that housing for many is now unaffordable.

Housing Regeneration activity is ongoing to strengthen some of the weaker markets, (perhaps most obviously through the ongoing Housing Market Renewal Programme in the Dearne Valley). Over recent years the regeneration of housing in Grimethorpe and Kendray has been a central plank in the strengthening of those communities and plans are now being developed to improve housing and the local environment on the New Lodge estate in Barnsley.

In many other parts of the Borough housing demand exceeds the supply of housing which has led to increasing problems of affordability for many. There is a need to increase the supply of new homes, including affordable housing to rent or buy. The supply of new affordable housing has for many years been provided through housing association housing developments but more is required. To this end the Council introduced it’s Affordable Housing Policy (in January 2007) which enables the provision of affordable housing through private housing developments. By increasing the provision of affordable housing more people will be able to obtain a home of their own and for some, take the first steps into home-ownership.

(2) Ensuring quality in housing provision

The Decent Homes programme (which is managed by Berneslai Homes on behalf of the Council) continues to improve the quality of council houses throughout the Borough. Housing Associations have there own arrangements for ensuring that their properties meet the Decent Homes standard.

In the private sector there are pockets of poor quality, often older housing which does not meet modern standards; the Council can provide some assistance to residents in owner-occupation and private sector landlords to improve their homes.

Growing concerns in recent years about environmental sustainability and global warming have resulted in an increased focus on the energy efficiency of housing. The Council participates in and helps to fund a number of schemes that provide assistance to householders to enable them to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

In regard to new housing we work closely with colleagues in Planning Services to ensure that housing developments are built in the correct places and to good design standards.

(3) Fair access to housing

It is important that the more vulnerable and often marginalised members of our communities also have access to good quality housing, sometimes of a more specialist nature, that promotes their independence.

The housing needs of older people are perhaps the most obvious example of the requirement for more specialist housing provision. An Extracare housing complex for older people was opened in Kendray in 2006 and a second is currently under construction in Royston. Berneslai Homes and housing associations also provide a range a specialist accommodation for older people within the Borough.

Disability can often give rise to a particular set of housing needs. The Council may be able to provide assistance to convert existing homes in the private sector through its Disabled Facilities Grant programme. Berneslai Homes run a similar scheme for council tenants, whilst  housing associations tenants should contact their landlord for further information.

There are of course other vulnerable members of the community who need assistance to secure good quality housing and associated support services. We work closely with colleagues in Supporting People (Adult Social Services) and the Housing Association movement to ensure that their housing needs are identified and met in such a way as to maximize independent living.