People renting housing association homes who have to move due to regeneration proposals could be helped to find a new home sooner, under proposals that Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet will consider next month.

As SNG and VIVID continue to develop their regeneration plans for areas including Buckskin, South Ham and Winklebury, the proposals going to the next meeting of the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 8 September would give assured tenants greater certainty about their housing options and more time to plan for a move.

People on the council's housing register can apply to rent a home owned by a housing association for below-market rent. Applicants are placed into one of three bands according to their housing need, with band one giving the highest priority for available homes.

The proposed changes would mean social housing tenants could be placed in band one on the register as soon as their housing association confirms the property they live in is to be demolished as part of a regeneration scheme.

Currently, this can only happen once a planning application for a regeneration scheme has been approved.

The changes would also mean affected tenants could join the housing register regardless of their household income and apply for a broader range of property sizes and types.

The proposals are designed to maintain a fair balance between the needs of the social housing tenants affected by regeneration schemes and other people on the housing register, including individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing Cllr Laura James said: “One of the clearest messages we've heard from people living in regeneration areas is that they do not want to be left in limbo, with uncertainty hanging over them for months or years while they wait to understand what the future holds.

"When regeneration is well planned and done properly, it can improve the quality of social housing and bring the investment our communities deserve. But housing associations must put residents at the heart of their plans by providing clear information, listening to their concerns and giving them certainty about how proposals will affect them.

"We're acutely aware that regeneration schemes can mean some people need to leave their homes. That's why we want to get on the front foot with this bold new approach that would give affected social housing tenants the right housing priority earlier so they have more time to plan for the future.

"Our proposals would mean that, instead of waiting until a planning application has been approved, they could start exploring their housing options much sooner.

"For social housing tenants who may be worried about what comes next, that change could give them more time to find a new home, more choice and greater peace of mind while regeneration plans progress."

More information about the council’s housing register is at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/HousingAllocations