£1.4m project will turn Boscombe bedsits into family homes (From Thisisdorset)
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£1.4m project will turn Boscombe bedsits into family homes
10:00am Monday 22nd October 2012 in Latest By Paula Roberts
£1.4m project will turn Boscombe bedsits into family homes
BOURNEMOUTH Council is to plough ahead with plans to buy houses of multiple occupancy in Boscombe and turn them into self-contained flats.
The scheme, part of the Homes for Boscombe strategy, aims to reduce the number of bedsits by converting them into individual flats which will provide high-quality permanent accommodation for families and couples in the area.
The cabinet agreed this week to acquire and convert a small number of identified properties using funds from the Housing Revenue Account and future “right to buy” receipts.
The total cost of the scheme will be £1.408m, made up of £825,000 to purchase the properties, £450,000 refurbishment costs and £133,000 for design, planning, project management and other costs.
A report to members said the council’s corporate plan had identified the provision of more affordable housing and the general regeneration of Boscombe as a priority.
The officer said there is a real need to provide accommodation for families on the housing register. He said demands come from: n Existing tenants such as couples occupying inappropriate properties which could be released for families or those in overcrowded accommodation.
n Couples or families currently living in private or temporary accommodation which is unsuitable for their needs.
The development mix will be dependent on the size and layout of the properties acquired but is likely to be two bedroom flats with a smaller number of one bedroom units.
Cllr Chris Wakefield, of Boscombe West, said: “It is quite innovative that we are looking to purchase HMOs and change them back into family accommodation.
“It will have a positive effect on that neighbourhood by redressing the balance with regards to the number of single people in that area and introducing a more static group of people.”
Comments(15)
MissAnne
says...
10:44am Mon 22 Oct 12
WestHoweWarrior
says...
10:47am Mon 22 Oct 12
MissAnne wrote:I wonder which well known landlord will benefit financially from this proposal !!!!!
I think rudolph has a very valid point. Boscombe is full of so many down and outs and unsavoury types. It could be so much better if these units were moved further afield and less concentrated in one area. Perhaps the countryside is a better place for them, away from temptation etc
polblagger
says...
10:56am Mon 22 Oct 12
Who is valuing these properties?
Does Dave Wells own any of these properties?
How is a 2 bedroom flat a 'family' home?
Which councillors close friends will be doing the design and building work?
This sounds like a good idea in principle but anyone who knows how BBC works will see this as yet another 'jobs for the boys' redistribution of funds within the old boys network.
Bob49
says...
11:24am Mon 22 Oct 12
Whilst the council continues with it's policy of paying housing benefit based on some farcical, "it is a studio flat so we will pay £450 a month" landlords will continue to seek out tenants who will (or have no choice but to) accept squalid housing.
They tend to be those with a drink and/or drug problem.
Once the council start paying a true market value is what somebody employed would pay then these ratholes will disappear very quickly - and with them the constant churn of new tenants with their associated problems.
Sadly I fear this latest 'wheeze' is no more than a response to legal housing obligations regarding those who have recently moved into the area, than it is any realistic attempt to change Boscombe.
B.F.G
says...
11:26am Mon 22 Oct 12
Redgolfer00
says...
11:44am Mon 22 Oct 12
B.F.G wrote:If it is his properties he will not have a choice to sell or not, if the council have the ''balls''.
DWP do not sell houses, so lets quell that little rumour before it gets out of hand.
bosco1
says...
11:48am Mon 22 Oct 12
B.F.G
says...
12:43pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Redgolfer00 wrote:They wouldn't need to compulsory purchase his properties, DWP are complying with the regeneration inspections.
B.F.G wrote:If it is his properties he will not have a choice to sell or not, if the council have the ''balls''.
DWP do not sell houses, so lets quell that little rumour before it gets out of hand.
It's the untraceable or uncooperative landlords that they are going after.
muscliffman
says...
12:45pm Mon 22 Oct 12
bosco1 wrote:Are you seriously suggesting that some people at the Town Hall and their 'good friends' are planning to do rather nicely from the latest public funds handed out in Boscombe are you?
Well the Council knows how to spend money, £825K would buy just 7 properties at £117K Each in this day and age what do you get for that.? Secondly a spend of £450K to refurbish again a staggering £64K per property,and not to mention the fees etc.Whos getting something out of this deal I ask.!!?
Perish the thought, next you will be saying they already are and that Boscombe also has a drug problem.
BmthNewshound
says...
1:29pm Mon 22 Oct 12
.
Like other commentators I wonder how much this has to do with regeneration and how much it has to do with lining the pockets of members of the Beesley Fan Club.
bosco1
says...
1:31pm Mon 22 Oct 12
muscliffman wrote:As If I would think that !! Im still pondering how I could spend £64K on refurbishing my flat, seems like I could refurb the whole block with that type of money.!!
bosco1 wrote: Well the Council knows how to spend money, £825K would buy just 7 properties at £117K Each in this day and age what do you get for that.? Secondly a spend of £450K to refurbish again a staggering £64K per property,and not to mention the fees etc.Whos getting something out of this deal I ask.!!?Are you seriously suggesting that some people at the Town Hall and their 'good friends' are planning to do rather nicely from the latest public funds handed out in Boscombe are you? Perish the thought, next you will be saying they already are and that Boscombe also has a drug problem.
Lord Spring
says...
5:17pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Redgolfer00 wrote:They will sell if the price is right , probably be glad to off load the potential
B.F.G wrote: DWP do not sell houses, so lets quell that little rumour before it gets out of hand.If it is his properties he will not have a choice to sell or not, if the council have the ''balls''.
high maintenance cost ones.
I did hear of instance where they offloaded a plot of land which was resold at later date at much higher price to local builders merchant.
Also bear in mind the price paid some 20 years ago and todays value, they will be onto a winner to finace their new builds.
jinglebell
says...
6:23pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Each of these, mostly Victorian houses, could provide large family flats for between 2 and 3 families with gardens - so that's 6 and 9 families provided for.
More importantly, it changes the demographics of the area as well as the physical appearance of the area. This is more likely then to encourage other families into Boscombe, who can afford to buy an HMO to convert to their family home.
Like a couple of Polish families told me recently, if the Council invested in Boscombe by converting HMO's back into large family flats, they would buy in Boscombe too - they feelings were that action like that would mean the Council are serious about improving Boscombe.
This proposals by the Council, at the moment, however, is for HMO conversion to 1 and 2 bedroomed flats, which does nothing to aid families or the area. There are currently in the region of 150 one and 2 bedroomed flats which have been given planning permission for Boscombe.
It is to be hoped that the Council will rethink this and provide family homes for families - from what I understand from the article, its all just at the initial proposal/idea stage, so it can still hopefully change. .
Bob49
says...
7:54pm Mon 22 Oct 12
How many bedsits are there in Boscombe and what percentage of those will this work be ?
If these new conversions are 'affordable' then will the council continue paying housing benefit at a higher rate to those that are not 'affordable', which are most likely far below the standard of these conversions ?
rudolph_hucker says...
10:13am Mon 22 Oct 12