Senior councillors have backed changes to Pembrokeshire’s social housing policy that will soften a residents-only allocation rule.

At its November 2 meeting, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet was asked to approve changes to the Choice Homes @ Pembrokeshire Allocations Policy, which governs social housing across the county.

The council’s policy and pre-decision overview and scrutiny committee considered the changes in October, before Cabinet made the final decision.

Under the old policy, applicants had to show they had lived in Pembrokeshire for five consecutive years or for five years during the previous 15.

The policy was reviewed after the Welsh Government issued revised statutory guidance on housing allocations and homelessness, which said that “whilst residential connection remains an important factor in meeting local housing objectives, in order to be compliant with legislation and guidance, it would be more appropriate for residential connection to operate as a factor influencing priority within the allocation scheme rather than as a qualifying criterion preventing access to the housing register”.

The proposed system has five priority bands, A to E. Applicants with a local connection would get priority, while eligible applicants without one would go into band E.

“This approach continues to recognise connections to Pembrokeshire whilst avoiding exclusion from the housing register for those with housing need and no residential connection,” a report for members at the October meeting said.

“It is important that the allocations policy seeks to balance local housing priorities and local connection considerations with the needs to ensure that we give reasonable preference to applicants with the greatest housing need, including homeless households, applicants living in unsuitable or overcrowded housing, those with medical or welfare needs, and those who would suffer hardship without a move.”

Applicants with high housing need and a local connection would go into band A, while those without one would go into band C—the same band as applicants with low need and a connection.

Applicants with medium need would go into band B if they had a connection and band D if they did not; those with low need would go into bands C or E, while applicants with no housing need would go into bands D or E.

Cabinet member for housing Cllr Michelle Bateman said the changes would not affect new developments in Saundersfoot and Tenby with their own local lettings policies, and were unrelated to housing asylum seekers.

At the November 2 meeting, Cllr Jon Harvey, the Cabinet member for finance, said he had initially worried about the changes but was reassured that local residents would still have priority.

Cabinet members unanimously backed the changes.

The new policy is expected to launch next February.