Decision details

Date of Decision:

19^th August 2025

Title:

First Homes Fee Charging Schedule

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Andrew Bramidge

Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment

Details of Specific Delegation

or

Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

Cabinet approval, meeting held on 25^th April 2022 (para 138, Resolution 4):

That Cabinet approves delegation to the Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Jobs & the Local Economy, to amend the First Homes eligibility criteria and fee charging systems as required by monitoring and review.

Decision:

To increase the First Homes fee, which is charged to

Housing Developers from £1,077 per unit to £1,329 per

unit.

The Local Eligibility Criteria for First Homes will remain in place as outlined in the Interim Policy Statement.

Reasons for the Decision:

The increase in the First Homes Fee is to cover increased staff costs for dealing for the administration of the scheme.  The First Homes fee pays for mandatory Council administration support in dealing with the initial sale of a First Home and 2 x subsequent resales.  After this the Council’s administration costs are borne by the Vendor/Purchaser.

The Local Eligibility Criteria was adopted by the Council to give priority to applicants with a connection to Rotherham to purchase a First Home. The criteria applies for the initial 3 months that a First Home is marketed by the developer and every resale thereafter.  It is conditioned by way of a restriction on the title deeds of the property.  Evidence from the sales data for First Homes shows that of the 45 units that have been sold/ reserved, 35 of them (77%) have been sold in the initial 3-month period to people who meet one or more conditions of the Local Eligibility Criteria.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

Do nothing.

This option will leave the First Homes Fee Charging Schedule unchanged and retain the Local Eligibility Criteria.

This option will mean that the Council’s administrative costs are not fully re-covered from developers.  However, applicants with a strong connection to Rotherham will continue to have priority to purchase First Homes when they become available.

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

None.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None.

Conflicts of interest declared by the Decision Maker if they sit as a Cabinet appointed representative to an outside body which relates to the decision:

None.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None.

Reports or parts of reports relevant to the decision being taken:

Interim (Planning) Policy Statement – First Homes.