Introduction

Adur Council is committed to ensuring that your rights as a resident are protected. We will work with you to make sure that you have the chance to be involved in deciding on the best way forward for your home and the rest of the Southwick Estate, whether that means bringing the current buildings up to a better standard or replacing some – or even all – of the existing buildings with new ones.

We have put together some commitments to give you reassurance and protection as we work through the consultation process. We will add to these commitments if necessary during the process. We will give more information about the impact of different options and for tenants or leaseholders separately.

How we will work with you

  • We have not made a decision about what should happen at the Southwick Estate, and want you as residents to help us make a choice.
  •  Consultation stages – We will talk with you about your ideas and concerns » throughout the process.
  • Deciding on a preferred option – We will only move forward with a viable option preferred by the most residents through the consultation process.
  • Independent support – We will pay for an independent resident advisor to give impartial advice to residents and support you while deciding on the preferred option.
  • Delivering the agreed objectives – We will agree objectives with you at the start of the process and work towards options that meet these.

Your finances

  • Your rent will not increase as a result of any option, unless you move to a larger home. Of course, your rent may still increase as usual with inflation, but this would happen regardless of whether any work is done.
  • If the preferred option involves rebuilding your home:
    • Compensation – We will pay you compensation to cover the costs and the disruption of moving.
    • Home improvements – If you have made improvements to your home, you may be able to claim for those costs.
    • If the preferred option involves refurbishing your home:
    • Leaseholders – You would only be responsible for a share of refurbishment costs related to the areas set out in your lease. For example, you would not be responsible for the costs of kitchens in the homes of council tenants.

Supporting you

  • Keeping you up-to-date – We will keep you informed throughout the project and will provide a clear, detailed timetable for the delivery of the preferred option at the end of the consultation process.
  • Support – Dedicated Council officers will be available to give extra support to anyone who needs it.
  • Disruption – We will keep disruption to a minimum throughout any work that takes place.
  • Minimising Moves – If you need to move into a new home, we will aim wherever possible to only move residents once, straight into their new homes. We will have further information on potential disturbance when the options are created.

If new homes are built

  • Tenancy – Your tenancy rights will be protected and your new home will be based on your housing needs.
  • Meeting your needs – If the selected option means you need to move to a new home, it will be within the Southwick Estate, and either a like-for-like replacement of your current home or, if you prefer it, a home which meets your housing need.
  • Quality and safety – Any new homes would be built to the latest standards – including fire safety – and be energy efficient.
  • Moving away – If your home is rebuilt and you would prefer to move away from the estate, we will support you to secure a permanent home from our existing properties when a suitable one becomes available.

Resident leaseholders

  • Staying at Southwick – If the preferred option involves rebuilding your home, you will be offered a new home on the Estate. If the new home has a greater value than your existing home, this could be classified as a shared ownership or shared equity home but you would not have to pay any rent costs. There may also be the option for the Council to buy your home if you would prefer not to stay.
  • Leaseholder compensation – If you choose not to stay, we will pay you the full market value of your home at the time you leave, plus an additional 10% home loss payment, plus disturbance payments to cover reasonable moving expenses.
  • Independent market valuation – We will fund an independent surveyor to advise you and negotiate with the Council’s surveyor on your behalf.

Non-resident leaseholders

  • Leaseholder compensation – If your property is rebuilt and you choose not to keep it, we will pay you a basic loss payment of 7.5% of its market value.
  • Independent market valuation – We will fund an independent surveyor to advise you and negotiate with the Council’s surveyor on your behalf.