Council House Building Programme: Wiltshire Council

Wiltshire Council has been actively delivering affordable housing through its Council House Build Programme (CHBP) since 2017/2018. The programme has provided 384 additional affordable homes using various delivery methods, including land-led building, S106 acquisitions, market purchases, and Modern Methods of construction (MMC). The third phase aims to deliver up to 1,000 more homes, addressing high local housing needs. The Council continues to innovate, incorporating zero-carbon homes, repurposing ex-ministry of defence (MOD) housing, and using grant funding to support affordable housing for rough sleepers, asylum seekers, and residents with additional needs. Future plans involve regeneration projects, extra care housing, and partnerships with developers to optimise housing delivery.

Wiltshire is a thriving county that enables and positively encourages healthy living in strong, inclusive, and prosperous communities. However, there is a high level of housing need, with approximately 3,800 applicants on the Council’s housing register for rented homes. 

The Council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) contains approximately 5,300 affordable homes, primarily located in the south. To address housing shortages, the Council launched the CHBP to increase affordable housing stock through a combination of land-led new builds, acquisitions, and regeneration projects.

Council House Building Programme

Since 2017/2018, to date the CHBP has brought into the HRA 384 Wiltshire Council owned and managed additional affordable homes, these being carried out over three phases with delivery methods being – land led traditional building, s106 land acquisition, open market purchases of private and ex-local authority housing, s106 development agreement acquisition, new build turnkey acquisition and land led MMC building. These homes have been offered on affordable and social rent, and shared ownership tenures. With a variety of needs uses – older persons (independent living and extra care), general needs, adapted and additional needs homes, rough sleepers also including single homeless persons, learning disabilities, asylum seekers from Afghanistan and Ukraine and temporary accommodation.     

The third phase of the CHBP which has been delivering homes since 2020/2021 is an ongoing programme of the delivery of up to 1,000 affordable homes. The programme is a multi-million HRA Capital funded programme, supported by Homes England AHP, whilst utilising the Councils RTB 141 receipts and Commuted Sum reserves as well Brownfield Land Release Fund grant funding and often other grant funding streams that become available from time to time.

Similar to previous stages of the CHBP delivery, the ongoing programme will continue with the delivery methods fore mentioned. The current programme continues to increase the level of the Councils HRA housing stock, both by means of land led new build construction and acquisition of both used and new homes. 

Within the current year, in contract with Rollalong, Magna and Fisher and Deane we have constructed 19 MMC new build homes on Council land. The homes which take a fabric first approach in design, all electric and are zero carbon in use. When completed offering a high specification and standard and offered on a social rent or shared ownership tenure for general needs use. The homes are constructed in a factory in Wimbourne, Dorset by Rollalong and brought to site in a series of modules. Within the factory, the modules have been fitted out with their finishes both internally and externally and upon arrival at site are craned onto pre-prepared groundworks. The final finishes of the homes are then completed, with the gables and roof which is constructed traditionally to bring the house to completion. Following completion of the drainage and groundworks, the homes are then readied for general needs occupation. Under similar arrangements with Rollalong and Magna, the Council has a further 83 MMC homes stored ready for delivery to three sites across the county. 

Presently the Council is engaging in market purchase activity, delivering homes by means of SHAP (Single Homeless Accommodation Programme) part funding and internal grant to purchase homes specifically for the rough sleers and the needs of Ukraine refugees fleeing the conflict. Similar purchases have also been aided by means of LAHF (Local Authority Housing Fund). These homes, range from one bed accommodation to four bed family housing or HMO’s and are largely purchased in Wiltshire market towns where amenities for the residents are close by, as well as being strategically located close to other HRA housing stock. 

The Council has also recently purchased ex-MOD homes from Annington Homes, following the decommissioning of the houses for military personnel use, the three and four bed accommodation was brought up to Wiltshire Council lettable specification before becoming occupied for general needs, asylum seeker and residents with additional needs affordable and social rented housing. 

A program of purchasing is also currently ongoing from the market for adults and young people with additional needs who require housing in one bed social rented accommodation.

Temporary accomodation provision

Similar to other Local Authorities, there is a need for temporary accommodation in the county, the need is partly being met by means of purchasing from the market and also building a new development of purpose built MMC homes on an ex-Wiltshire Council garage site. Which has proved challenging largely due to its long and narrow access requiring to be widened by means of private land purchase either side of the accessway. 

The homes being built are being developed by Agile Homes with the use of Prison Labour Offsite and when completed will be brought to site and constructed on groundworks prepared by Renelec. The one and two bed accommodation offered for affordable rent will be zero carbon in use, with heating and hot water provided by means of ASHP. Prisoner build BLRF (Brownfield Land Release Fund) has recently successfully been applied for. This part funding has aided the site derisking, improving the viability of the scheme and enabling these much needed affordable homes to be constructed at pace. 

S106 affordable housing delivery

There is an ongoing successful programme of s106 affordable housing delivery, with partnership contracts in multiple locations with Redcliffe Homes and Newland Homes, with ongoing discussions with multiple developers and agents at locations throughout the county. 

Wiltshire Council are often approached by existing developers whom we are in contract with already and new developers who have secured affordable housing delivery by means of s106 agreements. The homes are bid on competitively and if a bid is successful the council works in partnership with the developer to secure land and golden brick contracts, with a following development agreement. The land is therefore secured early within the build stage and in partnership with an appointed Employers Agent/Clerk of Works we then have the homes constructed by the developer on site by means of the development agreement. The Council have found this to be an effective and efficient way of delivering affordable homes in bulk in locations of high housing need. As building regulations have evolved since the Council has been acquiring homes in this way, the building standards have greatly improved now with the introduction of all electric homes which the Council are now in possession of at multiple locations. The homes are commonly general needs, however a limited number are provided for learning disability or an M4(2) adapted homes. 

Development agreements can also be achieved on additional homes that may not have originally been offered for affordable housing. Previously the Council has engaged with Vistry and Rivendale Developments to acquire new build affordable housing in a similar contractual arrangement to that of a s106 development, by means of land and golden brick and development agreement. S106 obligations are such that the rented accommodation is affordable, supported by the shared ownership tenure, whilst additionality is negotiable based on agreement between the Council and the developer and therefore could also be offered for social rent. 

Wiltshire has an ageing demographic with a high affordable housing need, as such this is largely catered for by means of the Councils existing 605 sheltered homes across 27 locations in the county. These are especially suited for older residents, however, it is apparent that some of the schemes are becoming dated and require development to manage identified shortcomings. As such projects are underway to develop new build affordable housing for our elderly residents, which include regeneration, redevelopment and new build. The flagship of which will follow in the footsteps of two previous development schemes constructed earlier in the programme and will provide when complete 60 new all electric affordable apartments for the elderly in a town centre location. 

The land being used for this development is surplus council owned land where a wider council asset had reached end of life, with good use being made from the site, rather than disposal to the market.  Design and Build contracts have recently been secured with EG Carter who are to initially to progress the site to planning and subject to planning, construct the apartments by 2028. At this particular location, extra care will be provided on site, whilst other development sites will provide the high level of accommodation, but with independent living. 

Looking to the future, progressing with our approach to affordable housing delivery by exploring various delivery methods, which gives us a wide view to adjust and be agile to the challenging housing arena and optimise funding opportunities. 

Further by delivering homes in this way it is possible to establish a view on comparable costs to ensure cost effective delivery is being optimised. 

However this being weighed up against what can be counted as true 'additionality', for example over and above s106 delivery. Whilst keeping control of our pipeline which can only fully be had on land led sites.

In partnership with Kendall Kingscott we have developed a number of standard house types, from one bed to five bed accommodation that is planned to be constructed as zero carbon in use, in either MMC or traditional form on future land led sites. We continue to actively engage in the marketplace for new opportunities in the county, both for acquisitions and land led and continue discussing with other public bodies such as the NHS on land opportunities. 

Andy Mead, Residential Development Manager

[email protected]