Could living near plant nurseries affect my housing priority?

[Aurora1990]

Hi I am currently bidding every Thursday on buckshomexhoice. We are family of six, 4 kids under 10 years old in two bedroom house. We have been living in this house for 11 years. The problem with this house is, I recently got a comment from one of my friends when she visited us and made me really think. The house is located so close between two plant nurseries. They do work all the time from producing soil to companies to plants and so on. She commented that this could be an environmental risk for my kids for childhood cancers. That is terrifying. Can you please give me any advise regarding this. We can’t rent elsewhere as we need a big house and we can’t afford it at the moment. We are just waiting to be housed by the council as we already have a priority band b and bidding but it’s taking so long. Could this be a ground to be moved to and A bcos of where the house is located. Thanks a lot. Any insight will help.

It’s been offered to somewhere else since. You are so noisy haha

Seriously you have three chances after that they remove you from the waiting list.

Most people manage to work and rent privately, if they don’t own a house. Tenancies can be as long as you need them to be, as long as you don’t annoy your landlord or they don’t sell up.

So what have the Council done with your Band B? It seems very unusual to bid on a house, win the bidding and then choose not not move there.

Surely the location not suiting you and your childcare arrangements were obvious before you bid?

Also, if you are trying to get to Band A, which seems unlikely, have you had a look to see if Bucks are only of the Counties that home people elsewhere? I work in the Midlands and it’s not uncommon for families to be housed there from other areas. I have come across quite a few through work.

And there we go. You are deliberately choosing to keep your children in an overcrowded home so you can get a council house. And actually, I do know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm also in Buckinghamshire and I do know very well that it's not cheap as I'm in one of the most expensive places in the country, which is actually more expensive than much of London. I know that it would certainly be difficult to afford a three bedroom home here on an average wage.

But I also know that if you go ten to fifteen minutes down the road in any direction, you will find yourself in areas which are very definitely affordable, even on minimum wage. Public transport is also excellent here, so you will be easily able to return to friends and family if you don't drive. The council would certainly increase your housing benefit to cover a sensible three bed in one of those areas, so it doesn't matter at all how much more it would cost as it would be paid for you if you can't afford it. The fact you remain in a two bed can only be because you are refusing to move to a more suitable property, there's no possible financial reason.

I work in council housing. No it isn’t grounds

Thank you. Does having family member in an area count as local connection?

This is what Devon Home Choice says :

we will prioritise bidders with a local connection for this property.
To have a local connection to an area (for example a village or parish) means you must either:

• - Live there
• - Work there, or
• - Have immediate family members who live there

What do you think immediate family member means ?

a person's parents, spouse (or domestic partner), siblings, and children. But the council said it is not while online it says having a family member in an area is local connection. So confusing.

To the persons who said I have kids to get a council have something is seriously wrong with you. It must hard to live with yourselves. What a sad people.

It depends on the family member and how long they have lived there. For example ours is parent, child, sibling or spouse (married or civil partner, not just living with). The family member must be currently living in area and has done for a continuous period of at least 5 years (times vary across councils, some are only 2)
You would need to provide birth certificates to show relationship (plus any name changes such as marriage certs) proof of their current address and proof of their address from 5 years ago (if still sat same address, if have moved then proof of each address in area for last 5 years)

Having a council house doesn't mean she's not working though.....
Also, childhood is short. Being there for your children is so important in those early years....and having one job is surely (or should be!) enough! Let alone two! Goodness me...
It's terrible that we're no longer able as a society (for the majority) to get by on one wage so that the other parent can be there for the kids, housework, admin etc.
I do not regret for one minute being a SAHM for a few years while my DC's were little. I did not want them to be raised by strangers at a nursery. They did go to nursery from age 3 to get them used to a school type setting but I didn't leave them there under that age. I appreciate some people do not have a choice. I'm not judging if people need/want to do that. But I am offended by your comment!
Raising children IS hard work. Harder than going to work in fact!

Perhaps it would be a good idea to show your children what having a close relationship with their mum can achieve (and not fobbing them off to be raised by strangers)! Money isn't everything. Having a present parent IS.