Transforming Mill Farm Close - Proposed transfer of your home and the regeneration of the Mill Farm Close estate - Catalyst Housing
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Transforming
Mill Farm Close
Proposed transfer of your home and the
regeneration of the Mill Farm Close estate
Below is a summary of the proposals from Catalyst Communities Housing
Association (CCHA) following on from informal consultation with residents on
the Mill Farm Close estate.
The offer
Harrow Council wishes to transfer all homes on the Mill Farm Close estate to CCHA, which will mean that
CCHA will become your new landlord. This will enable the complete redevelopment of the estate with the
provision of new affordable homes to modern and spacious standards. It will also provide a better mix of
housing to include larger family homes for rent that meet the needs of overcrowded tenants. In addition,
residents of the estate will benefit from the creation of other opportunities such as employment, training
and youth activities.
CCHA owns and manages over 10,000 homes across West London and the Thames Valley area.
Management Services are provided from three regional offices – in Ealing, Reading and Oxford. CCHA is
part of the Catalyst Housing Group that provides over 17,000 homes in London and the South East.
These proposals have been put together by Harrow Council and CCHA in consultation with Mill Farm
Close residents as well as your independent resident advisers – First Call. The council is committed to
having open and detailed consultation with all secure tenants and leaseholders on the estate about this
proposal. In July you will be sent a formal document outlining the proposals in detail. Subject to residents’
views, Harrow Council intends to hold a secret ballot commencing in late August 2009 where you will be
invited to vote on the proposal.
The proposed redevelopment can only go ahead if more than half of Harrow Council’s secure
tenants, who vote, are in favour of the proposal.
Harrow Council believes that this transfer proposal is in the best interests of the residents of Mill Farm
Close – but it will be for you to make that decision!
1
Key benefits of the proposed transfer
The key benefits of the transfer would be:
• A proposed major regeneration programme for the Mill Farm Close estate that will see the demolition
and rebuilding of all the existing rented homes.
• The provision of some large family houses to meet current and future housing needs. All of the new
homes will be to Lifetime Homes standards and 10% of the rented housing will be fully wheelchair
accessible.
• Mill Farm Close would become a more attractive neighbourhood and will include play facilities, better
amenity space as well as private gardens for the houses and ground floor flats.
• An efficient and responsive service in the day-to-day management of the new homes, estate and
communal facilities.
• Protection of your key rights through a contract that is enforceable by law between Harrow Council,
CCHA and by a new assured tenancy agreement.
• Residents being directly involved in decisions about the redevelopment of the estate, and the
management and maintenance of the homes through the introduction of the Mill Farm Estate Forum.
Residents from the estate will also have the opportunity to be represented on the Group Residents’
Forum and stand for election to CCHA’S Board.
• Increased training and employment opportunities. CCHA has set aside a sum of £250,000 to develop
training and employment opportunities during the regeneration works, and will consult with the
Residents’ Steering Group about how this should be used. For example, this sum could provide (at
least) six modern apprenticeships in construction – offering local people a mix of in-college training
and on-site work experience as well as preparing them for a career in construction.
Proposed masterplan
Following on from the numerous
meetings held with residents, the
masterplan (see right) has now
been developed. It provides the
same number of homes for rent
but in a mix to reflect current and
future needs for larger family
homes. All of the homes will
meet Lifetime Homes standards
with 10% being fully wheelchair
accessible. There will also be
homes for sale, including the
larger family houses.
2
Residents have provided feedback on how their new homes should look, both internally and externally.
Following concerns about parking, the plans now allow for one-to-one parking as well as additional
parking spaces for visitors.
The proposal is that all the new homes will be completed within 5 years from the date of the transfer. The
development of the site will happen in three phases to minimise disruption to residents. Below are the
estimated dates that residents would move into their new homes if the transfer goes ahead.
Block Phase Estimated move-in date
1 – 14 Mill Farm Close 2 January 2013
15 – 32 Mill Farm Close 2 January 2013
33 – 46 Mill Farm Close 1 September 2011
47 – 60 Mill Farm Close 1 September 2011
61 – 78 Mill Farm Close 1 September 2011
79 – 96 Mill Farm Close 1 September 2011
97 – 110 Mill Farm Close 2 January 2013
Phase 1 Phase 1 Phase 1
The proposed plans are displayed in the new mobile office next to the Green if you would like to take a
closer look.
3
Moving into your new home
CCHA have developed detailed proposals, in consultation with residents, about how you will move into
your new homes and what compensation would be offered to help with the cost of moving.
CCHA propose that:
• Protection of your key rights through a contract that is enforceable by law between Harrow Council,
CCHA and by a new assured tenancy agreement.
• To minimise disruption, tenants will only be expected to move once to their new home.
• Tenants will be offered a home that meets their current housing need – except where the household is
currently under-occupied. In this case, we will offer one bedroom in excess of the household’s needs.
• Tenants will be entitled to Home Loss and disturbance payments. This will cover a range of expenses
including removal expenses, reconnection charges for domestic appliances and telephone lines,
redirection of mail, costs of altering or purchasing new flooring etc.
Rents
The government has introduced a policy for rents which applies to all councils and housing associations.
Under the policy, properties of a similar size in a similar area will have a similar rent regardless of whether
the landlord is a local authority or a housing association.
Using this formula, a ‘target rent’ is calculated for each social housing property. The target rent is the
level of rent that the government believes a council or housing association should charge for a particular
property. Under the government’s guidelines if councils or housing associations charge less than the
target rent, the rent should then be increased to meet the target figure as soon as reasonably possible.
Target rents increase each year by inflation plus 0.5%.
These guidelines also provide a formula to minimise the rent increase that can be applied in any one
year. The current formula limits annual rent increases to inflation plus 0.5% plus £2 per week. This should
eventually lead to the rent for similar size properties in the same area to become similar no matter who the
social landlord is.
Existing homes – after the transfer to CCHA
There will be a period when tenants will be occupying their existing home until they move into their new
home. During this period CCHA will set and increase rents in exactly the same way as Harrow Council
would have done had it remained the landlord.
So on transferring to CCHA, tenants will pay the same rent as they were paying to Harrow Council. This will
increase each April in line with the rent increase formula that the council uses. Increases will be limited to
RPI plus 0.5% plus £2 per week.
Rents on the new homes
Rents on the new homes will be will be set at 5% above the government ‘target’ rent and will be higher
than those on the existing homes. However, CCHA recognises that increasing rents to the full amount in
one go could present difficulties for some households, particularly those who are not in receipt of Housing
Benefit. In recognition of this CCHA will – for existing tenants of the estate at the date of transfer – phase
the increase in over a number of years.
The rents that will be payable on the new homes when tenants of Mill Farm Close first move in will be set at
mid-way point – between the equivalent of London Borough of Harrow’s rent (for the same size dwellings
on the Mill Farm estate) and the proposed CCHA rent.
4
Examples of rents at 2009/10 levels are shown in the table below.
London Borough Rents to be paid
CCHA’s target Approximate date
Size/type of of Harrow’s rents on Mill Farm
rents for Mill Farm when target rent
property for Mill Farm Close homes at
Close at 2009/10 will be met
Close at 2009/10 2009/10
1 bedroom flat £71.66 £91.09 £81.38 2016/17
2 bedroom flat £79.10 £106.38 £92.74 2018/19
3 bedroom flat £84.72 £121.46 £103.09 2021/22
3 bedroom house n/a £127.16 £111.29 2021/22
4 bedroom house n/a £133.85 £119.587 2025/26
5 bedroom house n/a £140.53 £127.78 2023/24
Actual rents will be dependent on the date of when each resident moves in.
Protecting your rights
If the transfer goes ahead, you will become a CCHA tenant and have a new tenancy agreement. Most of
your existing rights will be protected in the new agreement.
The table below compares the rights you now have as secure tenant of Harrow Council with rights you will
have as a CCHA tenant.
Rights With Harrow Council With CCHA
Yes (called the
The Right to Buy your home with a discount Yes
Preserved Right to Buy)
The Right to Succession Yes Yes
The Right to Transfer and Exchange Yes Yes
The Right to Sub Let or take in lodgers Yes Yes
The Right to Repair Yes Yes
The Right to carry out Improvements and
Yes Yes
receive compensation
The Right to be Consulted Yes Yes
The Right to Information Yes Yes
The Right to Manage Yes No
The Right not to have your tenancy agreement
changed except for rent and service charges No Yes
without your individual consent
The Right to Acquire No Yes
5Housing services
CCHA have installed a site office and are holding surgeries every other Monday afternoon, starting from
Monday 18 May, to answer any queries or concerns that you may have regarding the proposed transfer
and regeneration of Mill Farm Close. The office will be located next to 79 to 96 Mill Farm Close and Les
Warren, Catalyst’s Community Regeneration Advisor, will be available at the office from 1pm to 4pm.
In the offer document, CCHA have made the commitments and confirmations listed below.
1. Carrying out the following works in the first 100 days after the transfer:
• an overhaul and repairs to the door entry systems
• a deep clean of all the communal areas
• the provision of a humidistat to kitchens where households are experiencing problems with
condensation
• repairs to any leaking or over-flowing gutters or rainwater downpipes
• an overhaul of windows that includes the fitting of draft stripping where required.
2. Providing a repairs appointment system that gives residents the ability to choose a time that is most
convenient for them.
3. Having a firm but fair approach to anti-social behaviour as well as a comprehensive complaints policy
and procedure for dealing with residents’ grievances.
4. Ensuring that all external areas and common parts to the blocks of flats are maintained to a high
standard during and after the regeneration works have completed. A monthly meeting will be held
with representatives of the Residents’ Steering Group to review the construction work, grounds
maintenance and any issue that is concern to residents.
5. Post ballot, CCHA will allocating an experienced Neighbourhood Manager to manage the homes on
the Mill Farm Close estate. You will be able to meet them on a one-on-one basis if you have problems
relating to any aspect of the management or maintenance of your current or new home.
6. Encouraging residents to become involved in the management of their homes and neighbourhoods
– further details on this are given in the offer document. You will have the opportunity and ability to
influence how your homes are managed.
Leaseholders
Harrow Council, CCHA and First Call have held several meetings with leaseholders regarding the
proposed stock transfer. Harrow Council will be sending a separate formal consultation document to
leaseholders and will be holding a separate ballot for them.
Under the proposals, CCHA will buy your existing home at the full market value. All leaseholders will be
entitled to a Home Loss payment of 10% of the value of their property, as well as a disturbance allowance
to compensate them for selling and replacing the home they own on the Mill Close Farm estate.
In addition, resident leaseholders will be offered the option to buy an equity share lease on one of the new
private homes to be built on the estate. The minimum ‘share’ you can buy of a new property is the value of
your current home. No rent will be payable on the remaining share.
6Drop-in
session
Do you have any question or
concerns regarding the proposals
for the regeneration of the
Mill Farm Close estate?
Then come along to the drop-in
session we will be holding in June.
Representatives from Harrow Council, CCHA and First Call
(with Tamil Translators) will be on hand to answer your
questions and address with your concerns.
Wednesday 17 June
2pm to 7pm
Site office on the Mill
Farm Close estate
Refreshments and ice creams will be provided!
7Contacting us
CCHA:
Murray Crawford, Regeneration Manager,
020 8832 3224, 07812 108 307
or murray.crawford@chg.org.uk
Harrow Council:
Call Alison Pegg on 020 8424 1933
or Alison.pegg@harrow.gov.uk
First Call:
0800 5999419
or millfarm@first-call-housing.com
Resident Steering Group:
Jackie Fineman, Chair of Residents’ Steering Group,
on 020 8429 2082 (after 2pm)
Website: www.millfarmclose.org.uk
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