NEW social rented flats nearing completion in Wellington town centre are to be named after the former public house from which they are being converted.

Falcon Rural Housing Ltd expects the four properties on the upper floors of the old Kings Arms pub to become available for rent in the autumn.

It has named the development ‘Kings Arms Court’, as the pub was the longest-established use of the building.

A pub, or hostelry, of one form or another has historically been in business on the site since the early 1600s with names varying from the ‘Kings Arms Commercial Hotel’ to the ‘Kings Arms Inn’.

The one and two-bedroom flats will provide much-needed affordable housing for people with a strong local connection and housing need.

Anybody who wants to be considered for one of the homes must be registered with the Homefinder Somerset service in order to express an interest when the properties are advertised.

Because applications can take up to 42 days to be processed, anybody who is not already registered is encouraged to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

Falcon said prospective applicants would also be required to have at least a three-year ‘local connection’ to Wellington.

A spokesperson said: “Falcon Rural Housing exists to provide good quality, genuinely affordable, rented housing for those people with strong local connections to their communities.”

They said homes provided by the association should, in the first instance, be occupied by a people and their dependents or family with a proven housing need who cannot afford to rent or buy at market rates in the locality.

Tenants also needed to meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • The applicant or one of the household has a minimum period of three years’ permanent and continuous residence in Wellington
  • If they are not currently resident, they have a local connection with the town including a period of permanent residence of five years or more within the past 20 years
  • A strong local connection to the town in the form of a close family member living in the town for five years or more, such as a mother, father, son or daughter, and in some cases siblings if they need to live close to give or receive support because of a proven age or medical reason, with documentary evidence of the support provided
  • They need to live close to their place of work in the town, which applies only to permanent employment of more than 20 hours per week and must also have held the position for more than two years or have a fixed term contract for a least two years

The spokesperson said the detail of the requirements was set out in the association’s current ‘mission statement’ and ‘core principles’.

Although the criteria formed the benchmark set by the housing association, it reserved the right to use its discretion if requested by either Somerset Council or Wellington Town Council and there was reason for it to do so.