New moves are underway to ensure that local housing in Tendring goes to local people.

Paul Honeywood, Tendring District Council's (TDC) Cabinet Member for Housing, has announced proposed changes to the Council's housing allocations policy.

If agreed, it will give the local authority much greater flexibility over managing its own stock and over choosing who receives that accommodation.

Among the proposed changes is that only those who have lived within the District continuously for three years will be able to join the Housing Register, which is the list of those waiting for a home.

Cllr Honeywood also wants to see greater priority given to applicants who have been employed for at least 12 months.

The initiative has come about following changes to the law on housing allocations under the Localism Act 2011.

Draft proposals are currently out to consultation until March 30 but if the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government gives the necessary order Cllr Honeywood wants to be ready to take his ideas forward.

"If everything goes ahead as planned under the Localism Act we, along with all other local authorities, will no longer have to keep an open register," he said.

"That means that we can decide - and set our own rules - over who can go on the register, as well as being able to give preference to certain types of households such as those in employment.

"On top of that, social housing tenants wanting to transfer from outside Tendring can be treated separately to other applicants and therefore we will have the ability to manage our stock and allocate accommodation accordingly."

Cllr Honeywood added that he believes the potential changes will be welcomed by the community.

"I strongly feel that this is the way residents want us to go at this time to ensure that local people receive local housing, rather than it going to those from outside the District," he said.

"My aim is that once the order is made by the Secretary of State all out of area applicants will be removed from the housing register.

"Those who live in Tendring, but have lived here for less than three years at the time of the order, will have their applications reviewed and they will be placed in a lower priority."

Under the proposals the Council will also reward its own tenants who are in work and have an excellent tenancy record by helping them to move, say from a flat to a house - whether they have a need or not.

A certain quota of properties, possibly no more than 10 per cent, will be set aside for those tenants.

Applications from ex-service personnel will get a higher priority rating as long as that service person was living in Tendring for at least three years before joining up.

Cllr Honeywood said that once a new draft code of guidance has been issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government his proposals will be checked against them.

"It is certainly not expected that what I am suggesting will go against the code but we will need to ensure that we take it fully into account," he added.

19/1/12