One of the qualifying criteria for affordable housing schemes in Eden District is that people will need to demonstrate a local connection to the area.
Local Connection Criteria (per Eden's Core Strategy policy CS7)
- A person or household who currently lives in the relevant locality and has done so for a continuous period of at least three years; and/or
- A person or household who works in the relevant locality and has done so for a continuous period of at least three years; and/or
- Who has moved away but has strong established and continuous links with the relevant locality by reason of birth or long term immediate family connections; and/or
- Who has an essential need through age or disability to live close to those who have lived in the relevant locality for at least three years.
The definition of "locality" refers to the parish and surrounding parishes in the first instance, and if after a reasonable period of active marketing a purchase cannot be found the definition would cascade out to include the district. If following a further reasonable period of marketing still no purchaser has been found the property may be sold on the open market, but the purchase would still have to be approved by the Council.
Priority will be given to applicants meeting the "Local Connection Criteria".