Housing Register applications
| Band | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed | 6 bed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| B | 111 | 33 | 85 | 107 | 49 | 25 | 410 |
| C | 418 | 248 | 298 | 85 | 16 | 7 | 1072 |
| D | 359 | 44 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 412 |
| Total | 892 | 326 | 390 | 194 | 65 | 33 | 1900 |
The number of households on the housing register has increased in the last year from 1,869 to 1,900. There have been corresponding increases for all property sizes.
| Property size | Proportion of total applicants | Proportion of high need applicants |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Bed | 47% | 28% |
| 2 Bed | 17% | 8% |
| 3 Bed | 21% | 20% |
| 4+ Bed | 15% | 44% |
Applicants requiring 1 and 2-bed properties account for 64% of households on the housing register. Applicants requiring 3 and 4-bed properties make up 36% of applicants.
For applicants with a high assessed need (placed in bands A or B), 64% need a 3 or 4-bed property and 36% need a 1 or 2-bed property.
| Property size | Proportion of applicants with a high assessed need |
|---|---|
| 1 Bed | 13% |
| 2 Bed | 10% |
| 3 Bed | 22% |
| 4+ Bed | 62% |
Most applicants needing smaller properties have a low priority for rehousing. Only a small percentage are in a high priority band. 62% of applicants needing a 4-bed or larger property are in a high priority band.
Properties let
| Property Type | Number let |
|---|---|
| General Needs | 170 |
| Sheltered | 61 |
| Supported flat | 1 |
| Total | 232 |
A total of 232 properties were let during the year. 170 were general needs properties. The other 62 were restricted to older people or people with a support need. These were all 1 and 2-bed properties.
| Property size | Number let |
|---|---|
| 1 Bed | 52 |
| 2 Bed | 73 |
| 3 Bed | 31 |
| 4 Bed | 3 |
| Studio | 11 |
| Total | 170 |
80% of general needs properties becoming available to let during the year were 1 and 2-bed properties (including studios). Only three 4-bed properties became available to let last year. This is consistent with previous years.
Availability of homes for rent
| Property size | All properties let | Number on the waiting list | Ratio of households to properties let |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bed | 99 | 892 | 9 |
| 2 Bed | 99 | 326 | 3.3 |
| 3 Bed | 31 | 390 | 12.6 |
| 4 bed | 3 | 194 | 64.7 |
Demand is higher for 1-bed properties than for other property sizes. Availability of these properties remains comparatively high.
The greatest supply of properties relative to demand are 2-beds. With almost 100 of these properties becoming available to let, this equates to 3 households for every 2-bed property let.
For 4-bed properties, only 3 properties became available for nearly 200 households. This is a ratio of 64 households for every 4-bed property let. For 3-bedroom properties, 31 properties became available for let. This is a ratio of 12 households per property becoming available.
There is a strong need for 4-bed properties designed to accommodate 7 to 8 people. Such properties can meet the needs of the most overcrowded households. For 3-beds, there is a high need for properties able to house 5 to 6 people. Three bed, 4 person properties will only meet a limited need.
Waiting times
| Property size | Average of Days | Average of Months | Average of Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Bed | 543 | 18 | 1.5 |
| 2 Bed | 865 | 28 | 2.3 |
| 3 Bed | 2039 | 67 | 5.6 |
| 4 bed | 2293 | 75 | 6.3 |
The average rehousing time for larger homes is between 5.6 and 6.3 years. This is 3 to 4 times longer than for smaller properties.
Wheelchair accessible and adaptable homes
| Property size | Number of households |
|---|---|
| 1 Bed | 4 |
| 2 Bed | 1 |
| 3 Bed | 0 |
| 4 Bed | 1 |
Currently there are only a small number of households on the special needs register. However, this data is constantly changing and being updated depending on need.
The greatest need for wheelchair homes is for 1-bed properties for social and affordable rent. A proportion of these should be provided as fully fitted wheelchair accessible homes.
There is a low but ongoing need for 2, 3 and 4 bed wheelchair properties. These should generally be provided as wheelchair adaptable units. But where a specific need has been identified, a fully wheelchair accessible home may be sought.
| Year | 1 bed | 2 bed |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 3 - Binfield | 1 - Binfield |
| 2019 to 2020 | 0 | 1 - Sandhurst |
| 2020 to 2021 | 0 | 1 - Warfield |
| 2021 to 2022 | 3 - Binfield | 0 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 0 | 0 |
There are currently 4 wheelchair units under construction across the borough. Three are 1-bed properties in Binfield and Bracknell which are expected to be delivered in 2023 to 2024. The other is a 3-bed house in Warfield, with a through-floor lift, that is expected to be delivered in 2024 to 2025.
New affordable rented homes
| Year | Affordable homes for rent | One bed | Two bed | Three bed | Four bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 45 | 18 | 24 | 3 | 0 |
| 2019 to 2020 | 106 | 41 | 53 | 12 | 0 |
| 2020 to 2021 | 53 | 17 | 32 | 4 | 0 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 80 | 23 | 48 | 8 | 1 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 33 | 10 | 17 | 6 | 0 |
A total of 317 affordable rented homes have been completed in the last 5 years. Almost 90% of these were 1 and 2-beds. Three and 4-bed homes only account for about 10% of affordable rented completions.
Most rented homes constructed over this period have been let at affordable rents. Only a very small number have been let at social rents, which are more affordable.
The demand for affordable homes for rent is spread evenly across the borough. Development of larger 3 and 4-bed family homes should be prioritised on greenfield and suburban sites. These sites have more scope for providing houses, compared to town centre sites.
New intermediate homes
| Year | Intermediate homes | One bed | Two bed | Three bed | Four bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | 43 | 10 | 19 | 14 | 0 |
| 2019 to 2020 | 50 | 31 | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 to 2021 | 54 | 15 | 28 | 11 | 0 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 37 | 5 | 19 | 13 | 0 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 19 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
203 new intermediate, shared ownership homes have been completed in the last 5 years. 30% were 1-bed, 46% were 2-beds and 23% were 3-beds.
The greatest need for shared ownership housing is in the Bracknell town area. On greenfield and suburban sites, the priority for shared ownership housing is for 2, 3 and a small number of 4-bedroom houses. There is low demand for 1 and 2-bedroom flats in these locations.
Registered providers have indicated the following requirements for shared ownership homes:
- 1 and 2-bed flats, close to Bracknell or other urban settlements in Bracknell Forest
- a high demand for 2 and 3-bed houses
- flats with outside space – access to garden or good size private balconies (at least 5 metre square, with minimum depth of 1.5 metres)
Affordable housing mix
The tables below show indicative targets for different sized properties for affordable housing. These were modelled in the housing needs assessment produced for us by Iceni in 2021.
| Tenure | 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | 3 bedroom | 4 bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affordable Rent | 30-35% | 30-35% | 20-25% | 10-15% |
| Affordable Home Ownership | 25% | 40% | 25% | 10% |
30-40% of the need for affordable rented homes over the Local Plan period (up to 2037) is for 3 and 4-bedroom properties. 65% of need for affordable home ownership is for 1 and 2-bedroom homes.
Analysis of demand on the housing register and the available supply of properties shows a severe shortage of larger family homes. This is particularly acute for 4-bed properties due to the lack of new supply in recent years.
Current demand for 4-bed shared ownership properties appears to be low. The priority for new larger homes is for social and affordable rented housing, rather than affordable home ownership.
The housing mix targets for affordable housing have therefore been updated as shown below.
| Tenure | 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | 3 bedroom | 4 bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affordable Rent | 30% | 30% | 25% | 15% |
| Affordable Home Ownership | 30% | 50% | 15% | 5% |
To achieve the targets for larger homes, 3 and 4-bed properties should be increased, particularly on greenfield sites. These sites favour the development of family houses, including 2-bed houses, rather than flats.
By contrast, there is limited scope for developing larger homes in Bracknell town centre. Here, development is more likely to be flats rather than houses.
| Tenure | 1 bedroom | 2 bedroom | 3 bedroom | 4 bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affordable Rent | 20-25% | 20-25% | 30-35% | 15-20% |
| Affordable Home Ownership | 25% | 50% | 20% | 5% |
Affordability
| Property size | LHA rate* | Typical social rent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bed flat | £182.96 | £125 plus service charge |
| 2 bed flat | £218.63 | £145 plus service charge |
| 3 bed house | £264.66 | £165 |
| 4 bed house | £356.71 | £185 |
*Local Housing Allowance based on Reading BRMA.
Affordable rents are set at 80% of the local market rent inclusive of service charges. Where this exceeds the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate for the area and property size, rents should be capped at this level. This means that, in many cases, affordable rents are charged at the LHA rate.
Market and affordable rents are becoming unaffordable for many low-income households. Table 9.1 shows that affordable rent levels based on latest LHA rates are now significantly higher than social rents. This is especially true for larger property sizes where the disparity in rent levels is greatest, and the rents are least affordable.
In future, the priority is to increase the number of 3 and 4-bedroom properties at social rent levels rather than at affordable rents. This will make sure that rents remain affordable for low-income households.