COUNCIL chiefs have stepped in to help people who bought “affordable” homes in one of Warrington’s most sought-after residential areas but now find they can’t sell them.
Three people who bought new, one bedroom apartments at Heatley Mere, Lymm at 75 per cent of the open market 
value have been trying to sell them for a year, without success.
A combination of high property values in Lymm and the strict criteria purchasers had to meet to qualify for affordable homes has prevented most from qualifying.
Now Warrington Borough council – which struck the original affordable homes deal with developers Countryside Properties several years ago – has agreed to change the rules to make the homes easier to sell.
Coun Les Hoyle, (pictured) chairman of the council’s development control committee, said: “These people have been trapped in the apartments. They managed to get on the first rung of the housing ladder but have been prevented from moving on.”
Altogether there are 10 one-bed apartments and 29 three-bed houses at Heatley Mere which were sold as “affordable homes.” The houses were sold at 50 per cent of open market value.
Until now, to qualify for one of the properties, a prospective purchaser must work or have the offer of work in Warrington and be unable to afford to buy a house on the open market. But high property values meant the council could not nominate people from its list of potential buyers because they could not obtain mortgages and, in any event, there were cheaper houses in other areas.
Elsewhere, owners of affordable homes were allowed to sell them without the restrictions if no qualifying buyers came forward within a prescribed time limit, but this did not apply at Lymm.
The new criteria covers people in housing need who live, work or have family connections with Warrington but cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market.
Owners can now also sell on the open market after three months of trying to sell them as affordable homes.
Coun Hoyle added: “The council will not lose out because we will claw back any profit above the ‘affordable’ price.”
Trapped in affordable homes
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
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Will the council also be offering support to other homeowners who are struggling to sell? These people paid well below market rates for their properties and accepted the conditions placed upon them with open eyes, they went ahead anyway expecting to be able to climb the housing ladder.
Bad luck, the market has turned downwards and they find themselves now unable to sell for as much as they paid. If they have to sell at a loss, so be it, for them to now expect to be treated any differently to anyone else with negative equity is hypocritical.