Community engagement and localism

Magna leads the way in residential involvement

Magna West Somerset Housing Association (MWS) has achieved the highest ever score in a national scheme aimed at recognising resident involvement.

The Williton-based association, which has 2,200 homes across Somerset and Devon, gained the top score in the landlord accreditation scheme run by the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS).

MWS was praised for its high level of customer awareness and involvement in a scheme that involves major social landlords across the country.

Barbara Mullan, community services manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted. From the start, achieving this accreditation was about striving towards an excellent, resident-focused service. We are so proud of the result, which shows we are well on the right road.”

MWS gives residents the opportunity to be involved in a number of ways, including service review and focus groups, an active and influential tenants’ panel, satisfaction surveys on a variety of subjects, neighbourhood inspections, mystery shopping, and a new-build design panel.

Norma Stevens is chair of the MWS Tenants’ Panel. She said: “As a tenant, I am very pleased MWS has been awarded the prestigious TPAS Landlord Accreditation in Resident Involvement.

“MWS managers and staff always try to include as many residents as possible on the different groups they have set up, and encourage them to take part, and have their say in the services they provide for us.”

Graham Colls, chief executive of Magna Housing Group, said: “MWS is leading the way for housing associations across the country. It’s a terrific result and a great credit to residents and staff.”

TPAS consultancy manager Oonah Lacey, who worked closely with MWS, said staff and residents were a pleasure to work with.

She complimented them on high levels of customer awareness and involvement, reflecting a quality service that had been praised through mock inspections and service reviews by internal groups and external consultants.

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North Curry Affordable Housing/Rural Housing Enablers

A number of housing needs surveys had already been carried out in North Curry in Somerset and had identified that affordable local housing was a top priority for the area. Unfortunately the search for a suitable site for affordable homes was proving to be a problem.

Following discussion, Falcon Rural Housing and West of England Developments attended a meeting of the parish council at North Curry and asked what housing was needed in the village. Local priorities included affordable housing for local people (3 houses, 2 flats and 2 bungalows), a small car park near the centre of the village and small workshops for local businesses.

Between West of England Developments and Falcon a proposal was put forward to recover the value of a local site from being allowed to extend the site to allow open market housing to be built. In effect, rather than having the low cost housing for the village, 'out on a limb', permission was granted for some open market houses on the site. In addition a barn on the site was given to the village to be converted into small officers/workshops. Next to this was a space for the small car park.

As well as demonstrating the true meaning of partnership working, North Curry Parish Council, Falcon Rural Housing and West of England Developments, have shown that flexible interpretation of planning guidelines allows appropriate development to take place.

Acknowledgment: Falcon Rural Housing and West of England Developments.

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Magna tenants help shape their future

Housing association tenants have been helping to shape the future at a special conference in Taunton.

They came up with new ideas to improve services provided by Magna West Somerset Housing Association (MWS), which has homes in West Somerset, Sedgemoor, Taunton Deane, North Devon and mid-Devon.

Around 50 people attended the tenants' conference at the Holiday Inn. There was a presentation given by Debbie Hay, an independent consultant, about changes in the way housing associations are expected to meet national and local standards. The national standards have been set out by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the social housing regulator.
Housing providers are also expected to have local standards, which are called local offers. The delegates split into groups to put their ideas forward.
Norma Stevens, MWS Tenants' Panel chairman, said she was pleased with the response from residents and believed the conference would make a real difference to the services they receive.
"There was a good turnout of people who made their views known," she added. "Ideas included giving regular feedback to tenants during investigations about anti-social behaviour and having service standards for the neighbourhood caretaking service. We hope MWS will incorporate some of our ideas into their local offers."

Acknowledgments: Magna West Somerset Housing Association

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Partners celebrate rural regeneration as livestock market is transformed

Supporters of a £1.2 million affordable housing scheme gathered to mark the progress on the development of 10 new homes, part of a unique rural regeneration scheme on Exmoor.

The development at Cutcombe Rise, Wheddon Cross, includes a new livestock market, business units and 25 new homes. These include the 10 which will be rented to local people by Magna West Somerset Housing Association (MWS), 13 open market properties for sale through Taunton-based Summerfield Homes and two self-build houses.

The development is a partnership between Exmoor National Park, Exmoor Farmers Livestock Auctions, West Somerset Council, Somerset County Council, Cutcombe Parish Council, MWS and Summerfield Developments (South West) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

The affordable homes will be available from spring 2011 onwards.

The scheme is supported with a £750,000 investment from the HCA, which has worked with partners to provide a mix of affordable housing and buy land connected to the outdated market site.

MWS chairman Piers Feilden said: "We are pleased to be providing affordable housing in the heart of Exmoor. There is a very real need for local people in this area and Magna is delighted to be working with partners to fulfil this need."

HCA area manager Steve Jackson said: "People living in and around Exmoor will know that there are few opportunities to provide new affordable housing in the National Park, and that there is a great need for it.

"That is one reason why this is such an important scheme for the area, but its impact goes beyond housing. By unlocking the redevelopment of Cutcombe Market, this project is also sustaining rural jobs connected with the area and that can only be good news."

Richard Nicol, divisional director for Summerfield Developments, said: "To be able to build new homes at Cutcombe is a rare opportunity, which we are very pleased to be involved with.

"We have designed these homes with an 'environmental twist' which includes air source heat pumps and solar collectors together with high levels of insulation. This should not only help to make the homes very efficient, but also provide savings in the running of the homes."

Acknowledgments: Magna West Somerset Housing Association, Exmoor National Park, Exmoor Farmers Livestock Auctions, West Somerset Council, Somerset County Council, Cutcombe Parish Council, and Summerfield Developments (South West) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

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Everyone has the right to play

Creative activities for older people are being introduced in Bridport, Dorset, thanks to funding from Magna Housing Association.

Angelica Kennard, an activity co-ordinator with Right to Play, leads groups of people in singing and music making and then craft sessions around the table in the community room at Vernon's Court, one of Magna's sheltered housing complexes.

The sessions are 'announced' outside by a colourful tepee made by 40 people aged 80-plus who took part in workshops at day centres, residential homes and community rooms during Dorset Art Weeks.

Angelica started the Vernon's Court activities in May 2010 with a small group of residents. Magna has given her £1,200 in funding to support the sessions and she now hopes to extend the scheme to involve people who live in the wider area.

Angelica and her colleagues, Jane Saunders and Kathy Kelly, started Right to Play because they identified a need in the older community for stimulating creative sessions in which people who would otherwise become isolated could make friends, meet others, be creative and play.

"It is a proven fact that stimulated, sociable people suffer less from physical ailments and depression. These sessions at Vernon's Court are great fun and keep us all lively!" Angelica said.

Angelica obtained funding from Magna after completing a Community Initiative Fund application form to set up a programme of sessions just for the housing association's residents.

Doreen Palmer, a residents' forum member, and Ken Bodycombe, Magna's community development manager, attended one of the sessions and reported back to the forum whose members approved funding to enable Angelica to run 10 sessions.

Said Ken: "The funding was approved to encourage people who live in sheltered housing and who are not very mobile to take part in a professional, structured exercise programme.

"It's good for people to get together to make music and generally enjoy themselves. This also encourages the building of a strong community spirit."
Magna is now helping Angelica in her bid to secure more funding from other sources.

Acknowledgments: Magna Housing Association

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Church Acre Codford Warminster Wiltshire

This project was undertaken with the full support of the Parish Council and the local authority. The Association had already completed a project some years previously within the parish and when the Parish Council wanted more housing for local people they approached us to provide them.

The Housing needs survey undertaken with the help and support of the Parish Council showed that there was a great deal of housing need from local people and it was decided that 10 homes comprising 8 x 2 bed 3 person and 2 x 4 bed person homes were needed. This decision was made based on building 1 house for every 3 or 4 people in need.

The Parish Council then set about identifying a suitable site and a local landowner, who was also a Parish Councillor came forward with an offer of a site of just under 1 acre which as it abutted the policy limit was classed as an exceptions site. Once planning approval had been secured the site was purchased and the landowner continued to take an active part in the project, even allowing some additional landscaping to be planted on his retained land.

The vast majority of people in the village were supportive of the proposals on the site and whilst some immediate neighbours did indeed object the overwhelming support from the Parish Council and others in the village ensured that the planning application was approved.

The homes were designed to achieve Eco Homes Very Good and apart from water consumption, would if assessed against the Sustainable Homes Code achieve level 4.

They feature, high levels of insulation and air tightness, sound proofing, air source heat pumps, low energy light fittings, PIR external light fittings low flow spray taps and showers over low capacity baths, dual flush WC's and water butts. The homes also achieve Secured by Design accreditation and many elements of Lifetime Homes. A number of the homes were also designed to incorporate adaptable roof spaces.

The procurement method for these homes was a full partnering arrangement using a PPC 2000 Contract. This involved ourselves, the architect, the quantity Surveyor the CDM coordinator and the main contractor.

Grant funding was secured from the Housing Corporation via the New Futures Partnership and the homes constructed within schedule and on budget.

The homes were advertised through the choice based lettings scheme running in the District and all homes were let to people with local connections.

This project demonstrates that high quality sustainable homes can be built in rural locations with the full support of the parish council and local authority, where community engagement is seen as being a vital element of the project and the ongoing management and maintenance of the homes is of paramount importance to the local community which they serve.

The Parish Council were so pleased with the result that we are now building our third project in the village.

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