HOUSING chiefs in South Gloucestershire are urging anyone on the housing register to make sure they sign up for an exciting new scheme or risk missing out on being offered a home.

The council is moving to a new system of housing allocations known as choice-based lettings.

The new HomeChoice scheme will change the way applications for housing are assessed. There will no longer be a points scheme - applications will receive a "band" instead.

Properties will be advertised and potential tenants will be able to make bids for properties that they are interested in according to their band.

To make the first move towards the new system, the council needs to ask people who are already on the housing register to complete a new HomeChoice application form if they wish to remain on the register. This is so that they can be re-assessed under the new scheme.

Anyone currently on the housing register should be receiving a new HomeChoice application form within the next four weeks. This should be completed and sent back in the envelope provided.

Kirsty Eastham, project manager, said: "This is really important because if we do not receive the new HomeChoice application form we will assume the person in question does not wish to remain on the housing register and their application will be cancelled.

"If people then wish to re-apply their application date will become the date they re-apply, not that on their original housing application. This could affect their chance of being offered a home."

Once the housing register has been changed, the council will start work on implementing choice-based lettings. The aim is for the scheme to go live from July this year.

For more information about the new system, or any queries about completing the new application form, contact the HomeChoice team on 01454 868995.