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Winter 2012/13SOCIAL, ECONOMIC & HOUSING INTELLIGENCE REPORTOn average, across Hyndburn the proportion of long term dwellingsstand at around 4.3% with six wards with a higher proportion. They areBarnfield (14.1%), Central (8.9%), Church 7.2%), Netherton (6.7%),Peel (7.9%) and Spring Hill (9.0%). On average, across the country theproportion of vacant dwellings empty over 6 months stands at around1.5% to 2%. The nearest ward to come near that is Hyndburn is theward of Baxenden with 2%.Figure 11.Woodnook remodelling of empty homesInnovative Housing Partnership to support growthPennine Lancashire creates strong public/private partnerships to deliverboth economic and housing growth. To meet aspirations PennineLancashire needs to grow a housing market which offers choice to arange of different households. In East Accrington, Hyndburn BoroughCouncil has joined forces with PlaceFirst and Together Housing Groupto attract funders who are willing to take a long term view oninvestment potential. The Woodnook project aims to create a newproduct for Pennine Lancashire, namely good quality market renthomes, well managed by a local registered provider. Good placemaking requires long term commitment both to the propertiesrefurbished and with communities to challenge preconceptions andembrace new ideas and thinking.“The value of this approach can be demonstrated through theWoodnook project where we are investing in excess of £6m in therefurbishment and remodelling of over 100 empty homes. At Woodnookwe have developed a long term institutional private rent model,delivered in partnership with the local authority and a local housingprovider. Together we will deliver much needed larger, energy efficienthomes. Under more traditional develop and dispose models, this kind oflong term approach would not have been possible.”Private sector partner, David Smith-Milne, from PlaceFirst23