West Gorton demolitions: questions and answers

If you are a council tenant, our rehousing guarantee gives you the right to stay in West Gorton if you want to.

The new council homes will be ready from March 2012. To decide who is offered homes first, we will look at how long people have been tenants in West Gorton. The longer you have lived here, the better your chance of having first choice of homes that are suitable for you and your household.

When will I be able to choose my new home?

We are meeting tenants throughout May 2011, and are showing details of the new homes at special open days.

You can see where the new homes are being built, what they'll look like and how big they are. We will meet you individually to choose your new home, and to pick things like kitchen units and worktops.

Will I get the same size home as I have now?

If you live in house you'll be offered a house with the same number of bedrooms. If you live in a flat you'll be offered a two-bed apartment. If you live in a maisonette you will be offered a home that's suitable for the size of your household.

But you need to know that the Government is planning to change Housing Benefit rules for people of working age. From 2013 the amount of benefit you get will be based on the size of home you live in. So if you choose a new home with more bedrooms than you need, you may not get all your rent paid - even if they are on full Housing Benefit now.

I live in a maisonette. Can I get a house?

Single people and couples will qualify for a two-bed apartment. Families in maisonettes will qualify for a house. Over the years we have generally rented upper-floor maisonettes to people without families.

I live a house. Will I get a new house?

Yes. People who have been tenants the longest in West Gorton will get first choice of the new houses. Some people who haven't lived here very long may have to move away temporarily if we haven't got enough houses for everyone who wants one.

How many new homes are being built?

There will be 171 new homes: 124 apartments, 41 houses, and six bungalows.

• All 124 apartments have two bedrooms
• Nine houses have two bedrooms
• 22 houses have three bedrooms
• Seven houses have four bedrooms
• Three houses have five bedrooms
• Five bungalows have two bedrooms
• One bungalow has three bedrooms

Will there be any apartments for older people?

Yes. One block of 24 apartments at the top of Wenlock Way will be reserved for people over 50.

What happens if there aren't enough homes of the right type for everyone who needs one?

We will try to offer everyone who wants one a suitable home in West Gorton. But if there are not enough homes of a certain type to match the demand, there are several options. You could:

• move somewhere elsewhere in the city, with a guarantee that you can move back to West Gorton when a suitable home becomes available
• move to one of the ex-council houses in West Gorton now owned and managed by Guinness Northern Counties
• move to a Guinness Northern Counties home on Anthony Close.

Depending on the number of other people still waiting for a new home, you may be able to stay where you are until a suitable property becomes available. But we will only do this if it means people are not left isolated and unsafe, and if it doesn't affect the wider regeneration plans.

Can I move one of the new houses being built by Guinness Northern Counties?

Yes. Guinness Northern Counties are building 33 new homes, similar to the new council houses. There are two houses with two bedrooms, 27 with three bedrooms, and four with four bedrooms.

Will the rent and tenancy conditions for these homes be the same as I have with the Council?

Housing associations have a different type of tenancy - but we will explain the details to you before you decide to take one of these homes. The rents for these new homes will be the same as for the new Council properties.

When will the new homes be ready?

All the new homes (Council and Guinness Northern Counties) will be ready to move into by the end of March 2012. The first ones should be finished by autumn 2011.

I live in a house but might consider moving to an apartment. Will it be cheaper?

The rent for a 2-bed apartment will be around £6 a week cheaper than a house. Things like heating bills will be lower too.

Can I choose a new home next to a friend?

People who have lived here the longest will get first choice of homes. The only way you could choose to live next to a friend is if you have both been tenants for the same time and qualify for the same size and type of property.

But if one person has lived here longer than the other, the tenant who has lived here the longest could agree to reduce the number of years that are counted, so that they would have the same length of tenancy as their friend. You would then be next to each other in the queue, and could see if two neighbouring homes are still available.

Will I be able to choose my kitchen units and floor coverings?

Yes. You can choose your units, wall tiling, floor coverings, cupboard handles and worktops from a selected range.

Can I live in an apartment with my children?

Yes. But all apartments only have two bedrooms, so it depends on how many children you have, their ages and sexes.

Can I take my pet dog to my new apartment?

Yes. If you have a dog now you can take it with you to a ground floor apartment - but when that dog dies you can't get another.

Will people who don't behave be offered new homes?

If people behave in a criminal or antisocial manner, and the Council takes legal action against them, they may lose the right to be rehoused into one of the new homes.

People who don't pay their rent, or don't look after their garden, could lose their right to a new home too.

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