Decision details

To authorise the use of council-owned 3 bedroom flats and maisonettes to assist the council in the rehousing of Syrian refugees. The use of these homes will contribute to, rather than be in addition to, the annual limit of up to 20 properties/year that could be allocated to Syrian Refuges, as authorised in the Cabinet Member – Housing decision dated 7^th December 2015.

On 7^th December 2015, the Cabinet Member – Housing authorised the use of up to 15 x 2 bedroom flats and up to 5 x 1 bedroom sheltered housing flats/year for the rehousing of Syrian refugees. At the time of this decision the Home Office’s Syrian Refugee programme was expected to last for five years, to December 2020. The Home Office has now advised that the programme will be brought forward to March 2020, meaning that the final allocation of homes will be made to Syrian refugees by December 2019.

Alongside this, we have received a request from Gloucestershire County Council’s Acting Chief Fire Officer for CBC to consider the use of 3 bedroomed accommodation in order that some larger Syrian refugee families can be assisted locally.

On average, around 6 x 3 bedroom flats/maisonettes become available from the council’s housing stock every year. Although the supply of this type of accommodation is relatively low, the nature of the properties are such that demand is also relatively low – typically, 3 bedroom flats and maisonettes are let to households in the silver band of our Choice Based Lettings Allocations Scheme, as larger households in the higher needs bands will generally be accommodated in houses as they become available.

A careful balancing act is required between the Council’s desire to assist Syrian refugees and the need to meet the housing needs of local communities. In view of the relatively low local demand for these larger flats/maisonettes we consider that it is appropriate to open up the potential for any new 3 bedroom flats/maisonettes becoming available from our existing stock to be allocated to Syrian refugees, subject to the necessary checks and balances to manage any risks, as detailed in the Cabinet Member decision dated 7^th December 2015. 

This commitment to make available the potential use of 3 bedroom flats/maisonettes will not be in addition to our earlier commitment made on 7^th December 2015 to accommodate up to 20 Syrian Refugees each year; it is simply our intention to widen the choice of properties that could be made available to Syrian refugee families for the remaining period of the Home Office’s Refugee Programme.

To decline the request made by Gloucestershire County Council’s Acting Chief Fire Officer for us to consider the use of larger accommodation for Syrian refugee families.

We have decided to accept this request for the reasons given above.

However we have decided to limit the widening of our offer to 3 bedroom flats/maisonettes. Larger homes that attract significantly greater demand, i.e. 3 and 4 bedroom houses, will therefore continue to be made available to meet local housing need.

This decision has been undertaken in consultation with, and the support of, Cheltenham Borough Homes.