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Discounted Sale

The council’s affordable housing policy allows us to ask developers of large housing schemes to make a percentage of the homes they are building available as affordable housing. 

The affordable housing is typically provided as homes sold to housing associations for them to rent out or as homes available to eligible households for discounted sale.

Discounted Sale means that the properties are sold to eligible households for a percentage of their open market value. The discount available varies between parishes.  

Discounted Sale properties form part of the Affordable Housing Scheme. To read the Affordable Housing Scheme and Discounted Sale policy documents, please go to the Housing Policies and Strategies page.

Am I eligible?

Discounted Sale properties can only be sold to eligible households for the discounted price. This applies to the first sale and all subsequent re-sales. 

If you currently own the property you live in, you are not excluded from the discounted sale scheme. However, a discounted sale property must be the sole property you own.

If you own a residential property you must show evidence to the council that it has been sold subject to contract before completing the purchase of a discounted sale property. However, you may still apply for certification of eligibility to purchase and reserve a discounted sale property.

If you own more than one residential property you will not be eligible to purchase a discounted sale property. The council may make an exception, but this will depend on your circumstances, which you must make the council aware of when you submit an application.

Eligibility is proven if a household meets four criteria. 

If a household has sufficient available funds that would allow it to purchase the discounted sale property at its open market value then that household will not be certified to purchase a discounted sale property.

Available Funds = Mortgage in principle + savings + equity.

Households who will fully occupy the discounted sale property will be given priority. As a house is a substantial capital investment, one extra bedroom will be allowed. If a suitably sized household cannot be found, then households who will under-occupy will become eligible.

A local connection to a parish can take one of four forms:

-    Resident in the locality for at least five years
-    Previously resident in the locality for at least three of the last five years
-    Family association with an existing resident of at least five years residence in the locality. Family association is defined as spouse, civil partner, parent, children over 18 years of age and siblings. We will also allow family associations through marriage e.g. step parents, children over 18 years of age and siblings.
-    Permanent employment in the locality or acceptance of the offer of employment

When a discounted sale property becomes available, the local connection must be to the parish. However, the area that counts as a local connection gets wider the longer the property is available.

Households purchasing a discounted sale property should be able to demonstrate they are in need of housing. This could be leaving the family home, leaving a property after a relationship breakdown, leaving tied accommodation, or needing to move to the area to take up employment.

In the event that the Section 106 Planning Obligation contains different criteria, the criteria in the Planning Obligation will be applied.

Where are Discounted Sale properties available?

There are discounted sale properties throughout Allerdale with more being delivered through new developments. Properties have been built in :

Brigham, Cockermouth, Dearham, Great Broughton, Great Clifton, Seaton, Tallentire, Thursby, Wigton and Workington.

If you would like to be notified when discounted sale properties become available, please join our Discounted Sale register. More information is available below and you can download a registration form at the bottom of this page.

Discounted Sale Register

A registration scheme is in place to allow households who believe they meet the eligibility criteria to register their interest in discounted sale properties. Households on the register will be notified when a discounted sale property becomes available, and will be asked to apply if they are interested. 

This scheme will allow the council to understand where discounted sale properties are most needed and will help us negotiate affordable housing provision with developers. It will also help us provide a more direct service to households in need of a discounted sale property.

If anyone in your household is interested in a discounted sale property, please download and complete the registration form at the bottom of the page and send it to the address shown on page one of the form.

Please note that eligibility will be assessed at the point of application for a property and being on the register is not a guarantee that you will be certified as eligible to purchase a discounted sale property.

Further information

For more information about the council’s affordable housing policy, please see Policy S8 in the Council’s Local Plan (Part 1) which is available from the planning section of the website.

If you would like to join the Discounted Sale register, please download and complete the registration form .

If you would like to apply to be certified as eligible to purchase a Discounted Sale property, please download and complete the application form . Please note that applications will only be accepted once a new build property has been released by the developer, or a re-sale property is advertised for sale.

 

If you have any queries about the discounted sale scheme you can contact us by email .

 

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