Affordable housing backing onto estate

sportbeth

I'm really hoping that I don't sound like the most dreadful snob here, so please read through then comment.

Yesterday hubby to be and I went out and fell in love with a new development. 200 houses in an area perfect for young families and commuters (We live near south east london). Station is 10 minute walk away and it's a quietish town.

On looking through the plans for the estate, there are some 50+ buildings marked as "Affordable housing" planned for the back end of this estate, furthest away from the main road. This presumably is intended for the third phase of the development, about 18 months away.

Bearing in mind that the developers are asking £320,000 for a 3 bedroomed semi, its a risky investment if the proposed affordable housing developments turn into the council estates of old.

Had I not been happily ensconced with a partner and the luxury of a second salary, believe me, affordable housing schemes like this would have been my best chance to get on the property ladder here, so please don't think I am being a snob about this.

Do you think that this area will be as planned, a development with allowances for the public sector workers and young families with lower incomes, or if the scheme doesn't take off, is there a danger that it will be open to all and sundry and therefore risk lowering the resell value of that property and speed of selling.

If you were in our shoes would you take a gamble or would you look for a smaller development? I know that it is only certain sized developments that have to accomodate affordable housing. £320k is a lot to invest if you don't know what the area will look like in 18 months time and what your neighbours would be like.

Also is it a gamble in general moving into a new estate of 250 + houses? It's a lot of people to stick in a small town.

AllatSea_3

I lived on a new development a while ago.

Like yours, the original plans showed "affordable housing" at the top of the development. When I asked what it was (I was naive and thought maybe it was like Tesco own-brand or something and I could buy one for less than the flat I was looking at!) I was told that it would be for nurses, police etc.

Now, the private houses were completed first and sold off first. I spent 6 months banging my car through the unfinished road and having to execute some very neat manouveres to squeeze into my garage, as the site fencing for the affordable housing then being built had been plonked right in the way. Some people had no access to the side of their property for several months while the affordable housing was completed.

That's the first thing to think about.

When the tenants were moved in, they appeared to all intents and purposes to be the stereotypical "Shameless" style council tenants. Multiple cars per property, parked where they felt like (blocking access to the parking area and garages for the private owners/tenants), children allowed to roam freely - they smashed the door of my property, together with the lighting for the central gardens - and no evidence that any of the residents went out to work (I worked flexi-time and also from home so unless they all just happened to do exactly the same hours as me ...). Shouting matches in the street late at night, the usual sort of trouble.

There were no nurses or police officers in the block. It was also noticable that the affordable housing was larger and better built than the private. I was very glad that I had pulled out of the sale and was only renting - so I could escape when the music started being played throughout the night and I was unable to get any sleep.

I hope that helps, but I also hope my experience was a one off and elsewhere things have gone better.

Al_Mac

When my parents queried affordable housing with a member of the sales team on their estate. They were told it wouldn't be that affordable;)

mummytofour

Well all new estates of over ( I think) 30 homes now HAVE to have affordable housing on them. Now I have a friend who has just moved to a great brand new affordable house, she is a tennant, however if she were buying the house its is valued at 270k!!!!!!! the Shared ownership homes in her road are valued at the same price, but with the owners buying a share, not sure how affordable that is!!!!

You have raised a very valid point that has been ticking over in my mind for a looooonnng time, what if all new estates of over 30 homes just end up like the council estates of old? hmm I wonder if the govs great idea about mixing private and social housing will work or just turn into one huge mess....

Lemoncurd

I'm afraid I had a similar experience to AllAtSea about 5 years ago.
Was a bit naive when buying my first house and 6-8 months later some huge three storey properties popped up directly opposite my house, each housing about 10 foul mouthed children (or so it seemed). Things then seemed to go downhill pretty rapidly. They used to be sitting on my doorstep and drive when I got home and try and intimidate me. There were what sounded like joyriders every night (+ regular burnt out cars along the road). My garage was kicked in. I moved pretty quickly.
On the upside property values have still almost doubled around there since then!

terrierlady

when a developer applies for planning on any site now a days if the total is over a certain number then the local authority decide thats part of the planning package to provide social/affordable housing .
sometimes the only way around it is to build the development in various stages, that way the developer can reduce the number of homes etc required.Sizes of property depend on local need as determined by the local authority not the developer, we usually try to disperse the homes around the development rather than make a cul-de-sac etc and please be aware not every person living in the homes will fit the bill of your imagination,
on some developments the homes are indistinguishable from anyone else's home sometimes they are better and yes some go to police and nurses etc.

rchddap1

We live in a so called 'affordable' housing area of a new estate. We own 40% of our property. We have 2 cars and 2 car spaces. One of the local houses is empty and other people (we suspect people from the 100% owned houses) are using the spare spots. Driving through the estate is something aking to dodgems, but that isn't because of the 'affordable housing' people it is because in general there isn't enough parking spaces for all the houses. There are cases where people have bought a 5 or 6 bedroomed house and are parking on the pavement / road at the entrance to the estate....despite having garages and drives.

There is a large green are, that was supposed to have a children's playground built, but the owners of the houses that look onto the green complained....and no playground.

There was one problem 'renter', but after complaints to the local housing authority they were evicted...and everything is fine now. There isn't any loud music late at night. There isn't people hanging around on street corners throwing stones at cars, or destroying other people's property.

However, it very much depends on the people that move into the houses.

sportbeth

Thanks for all your responses. I suppose it is an interesting debate. For one thing I am not being anti-affordable housing as I do understand that civil servants and the like who cannot get on the housing ladder will be hard-working decent families just like us.

Hubby to be is just nervous as he's seen before that if the housing associations don't fill them with the type of people you think would be on the waiting list for properties like this, they then start to move in the nightmare families with no job, no prospects and nightmare kids setting fires to cars in the front garden.

I would love to know how labour think this is going to work, because we can't be the only people who are looking at developments like these now and thinking "Thanks but no thanks" just because we don't know who's going to be living round the corner.

The mad thing is though that the most expensive houses are on the front entrance to the estate, they cost £700,000!!! Surely that's the biggest gamble of all if the estate goes wrong!

silvercar

I would love to know how labour think this is going to work, because we can't be the only people who are looking at developments like these now and thinking "Thanks but no thanks" just because we don't know who's going to be living round the corner.

The government won't mind if the houses sell for a lower price than they would on a totally private estate.

The mad thing is though that the most expensive houses are on the front entrance to the estate, they cost £700,000!!! Surely that's the biggest gamble of all if the estate goes wrong!

Bet that is the furthest point from the affordable housing!

If there are problems on the estate either from tennants or parking issues these houses will be least affected.

Also, it makes the estate look impressive if there are expensive houses at its entrance.

sarahlouise210

I honestly think that if I was lucky enought o be able to spend £320,00 on a house I would not risk the situation you are contemplating. As it is I do not..so have to put up with a main road..lorrys. buses looking in my window ..affordable housing ! In your shoes I would buy an older established house where affordable housing was not a legal requirement.

lush_walrus

As others have said, it is now government policy for new development to provide affordable housing along side private sector housing. It can be found in all UDP policies and is unavoidable in a new development.

I will almost certainly not only be those who have an income who will be living on the estate, but will have a lower standard housing dedicated to housing association etc. Who will be housed will not yet be specified, not to scare you but a development I know has housing on it worth in excess of £1million at one end and has people housed from Broadwater Farm at the other end, which now that they are all moved in has created quite a few problems!

But with new housing this will always be the case as the government supports mixed delveopments to stop the creation of ghettos. Realistically due to this policy there will always be a risk that any house will neighbour a family from hell (not that I am saying that all families on housing benefit etc behave in this way) as even in areas traditionally private, any property can be rented to a family on housing benefits.

THe most important thing to do is to check that the development is up to standard in general, its easy to not see the truth of a new development due to the newness of the estate. Check things with the planning department as what else is going on the development, do not take the developers word for anything, they may well tell you that there are plans for a single storey warehouse, but a quick check with the planners and you will find the true scale etc. Check that there is going to be transport from the estate and that there isnt going to be a major bypass set up to go through the estate. Most developers have to offer something back to the area to get the development through planning, its not a bung but is called planning gain. Which esentially means that in order to get permission, the existing area should gain something from it, it could be money for a new road, or could be that all traffic is re-directed past your house, so check! Also make sure that it isnt on contaminated land a lot of new developments are now built on land which was previously unfit for human use, so its worth a check as although the contamination will need to be removed as such, there actually is no such thing! Dig deep enough and the contamination is still there. Flood planes are also one to watch, unbeleivably regardless of all of the publicity surrounding flood planes the government are encoraging this land to be used, in order to protect countryside. The developers are instructed to rectify the situation which has created previous flooding, ie putting in stops along a brook or river further up, but if its not done properly then your house will still flood. Your solicitor will do searches, but by then you will be paying to find out that information, look for yourself and see what you find.

Check that you are getting value for money, planning guidlines have changed to specify smaller room sizes will be passed through applications than previously and developers have taken full advantage of those changes. Therefore, many new builds in fact have very small rooms, so don't be fooled check that it isnt all prettyness that you are falling in love with and the property really is worth the money. The best way to check is to go around the local agents and ask for properties in that price range. As when you come to sell and the property isnt brand new anymore, this is exactly what buyers will do, and if your house turns out to be smaller than others in that price range, the price will need to be lower and you may loose money. Check the size of the plot, how overlooked you are etc and whether things like that worry you. Of course things like this don't worry everyone, but for some people once they notice that 15 houses look onto their garden, it becomes a problem. New developments again are encouraged to be built to a high density, to help solve the apparent housing shortage, so think about what it will be like to live there and have a party, or even a friend or two visit is there space outside your house to park, or will it create problems. How wide is the estate road that runs past your house, what if the people across the road choose to park on the road, can you do the same. Its very deceiving when properties are new, or you are buyng off of plan so check, as again developers are now encouraged to provide minimum external space.

Know who the developer is, and check the standard of other developers they have been involved with which are not brand new. Poor standards of construction are more likely to show as time passes, rather than while they are new.