A NEW system for allocating council homes will restore the dignity of applicants, a housing chief has claimed.

Castle Point Council is set to adopt a choice-based letting scheme from March 2011, which will see the borough’s housing list scrapped.

Instead, all residents will be able to apply for homes from an online brochure, with the more needy given higher priority.

Wendy Goodwin, Castle Point Councillor for housing, is backing the new system.

She said: “It’s more dignified than a housing list.

“At the moment people end up taking homes that aren’t really suitable for them, because they’re worried if they don’t they’ll go to the bottom of the list.”

The scheme will see residents ranked in bands from A to D in terms of priority.

Rankings will take into account several factors, including dependent children, whether the applicant currently has a home and how long they have lived in the borough.

A full range of the available properties will be published on the council’s website.

Residents without internet will be able to apply for a fortnightly newsletter and there will also be brochures in the borough’s libraries. The system is already used by a number of other Essex councils, including Thurrock and Southend.

Mrs Goodwin added: “It’s also more transparent. There’s often a belief among residents that people get a house because they’ve got links with the council or access to inside information.

“This way all the homes we have on offer are clearly there for people to see.”

However, there are concerns the scheme will be overloaded due the high number of people waiting for a home in the borough.

Castle Point Council has a housing stock of 1,500 homes, while there are approximately 1,400 people waiting for a council home.

Joe Cooke, trustee of Castle Point’s Citizens Advice Bureau, said.“It’s a sensible and more dignified scheme, and it’s much better than the council saying this is what is on offer, take it or else.

“The only problem is, there just aren’t enough council homes in the borough. Perhaps the council should be looking to buy up private homes from people who can’t afford their mortgage?”