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Local Connection

The B-with-us Allocations Policy contains local connection criteria which applicants must meet to be eligible for B-with-us properties.

Applicants may have a local connection to Calderdale, OR a local connection to Pennine Lancashire, OR a local connection to BOTH Calderdale AND Pennine Lancashire.

Applicants will only be eligible for properties located in the area(s) to which they have a local connection - i.e. applicants with a local connection to Calderdale will only be eligible to bid on properties located in Calderdale; applicants with a local connection to Pennine Lancashire will only be eligible to bid on properties located in Pennine Lancashire; applicants with a local connection to both Calderdale and Pennine Lancashire will be eligible to bid on properties located in both Calderdale and Pennine Lancashire.

Applicants will have a local connection if they:

  • Have been continuously resident in a relevant area for six of the last twelve months, or
  • Have been resident in a relevant area for three of the last five years, or
  • Have a family member who is resident in a relevant area and has been for a minimum of five years – family members include parents, siblings, children, adult children, grandparents, other special persons (the applicant must have an ongoing relationship and be in contact with the person providing the local connection), or
  • Have been employed in a relevant area for the last six months and the work is not seasonal or temporary and the applicant must be working at the point an offer of a tenancy is made

“Relevant area” refers to the Calderdale and Pennine Lancashire areas.

Pennine Lancashire covers Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, and Rossendale.

The following applicants will be exempt from requiring a local connection (evidence will be required):

  • Statutory homeless applicants
  • Applicants who are victims of domestic abuse, threats of domestic abuse or those escaping domestic abuse
  • Applicants who are in a reasonable preference category under section 166A of the Housing Act 1996, and a prevention or relief duty is owed by one of the local authority partners
  • Applicants who need to move to take up an offer of permanent employment in any of the six local authority areas - proof of the offer of employment will be required and applicants will need to demonstrate that they are unable to accept the offer of employment without moving into one of the six local authority areas (see appendix one for more information)
  • Applicants who have a continuing care responsibility for someone who is resident in the six local authority areas
  • Applicants who have or are due to undertake training or higher education in any of the six local authority areas with a duration of at least six months
  • Applicants who are looked after, accommodated, or fostered by Lancashire or Blackburn children service authorities in any of the five local authority areas or by Calderdale Childrens Service
  • Applicants who were looked after, accommodated, or fostered by any other children service authority in any of the six local authority areas, providing they were resident in any of the Lancashire County Council district plus Blackburn with Darwen, or Calderdale for a continuous period of 16 weeks or more
  • Applicants who were accommodated under Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and granted leave to remain in any of the six Local Authority areas
  • Applicants who are serving members of the UK Armed Forces or the Reserve UK Armed Forces
  • Applicants who are former members of the UK Armed Forces or the Reserve UK Armed Forces who have served within the last five years
  • Applicants who are a bereaved spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the UK Armed Forces who is leaving military accommodation, where the death of their spouse can be partially or wholly attributed to the Armed Forces
  • Applicants who are divorced or separated spouses of members of the UK Armed Forces or the Reserve Armed Forces, where their lack of local connection can be attributed to the Armed Forces
  • Is an eligible child, a relevant child or a former relevant child. Proof would be required to establish eligible child, relevant child or former relevant child status.

“Eligible child” has the meaning given by paragraph 19B of Schedule 2 to the Children Act 1989; “relevant child” has the meaning given by section 23A(2) of that Act; “former relevant child” means a person aged under 25 who falls within the meaning given by section 23C(1) of that Act.