At a Horsham District Council Planning Committee South meeting on Tuesday 19 May, councillors approved planning permission for the development of new permanent affordable homes in Roman Way, Billingshurst.
These homes will be the first to be delivered by the Council’s new wholly owned affordable housing company: Horsham District Homes.
Commenting on the approval of the new homes, Councillor Tricia Youtan, Cabinet Member for Community Matters and Wellbeing, said;
"I am extremely pleased that we are now in a position to start the development of these desperately needed affordable permanent rented homes for local people.
In the Horsham District our existing housing policies have already given us the highest level of affordable house building in the County. We shall continue with that approach, but going forward with a Council owned company enables us to add further to that number and help even more local people who are on our housing register into permanent affordable accommodation.”
The new housing company, Horsham District Homes, was created in 2019 with the objectives of:
- Giving a boost to the existing delivery of affordable housing in the District
- Making the best use of commuted sums, and
- Providing a financial return to the Council for further reinvestment in housing and in District facilities.
Horsham District Council has helped deliver more affordable homes to local people in the past three years than any other council in Sussex with over 700 built through existing council policies. The creation of Horsham District Homes can now enable the Council to build upon this number.
Following a model seen in other councils, such a company is separate from the Council but owned by it. It is led by Council appointed directors but other staff resources – such as legal, financial and administrative support – come from within the Council.
