Copyright © 2007 Garway Heritage Group unless noted otherwise

Current Issues

Parish Planning - Parish Plan update

As we mentioned in our previous update the approved Parish Plan includes a draft Action Plan based on the questionnaire results which has identified the key issues where responses to the questionnaire show overriding feelings about a subject. Those issues have been sub-divided into "Now", “Ongoing”, "Soon" and "Later" priorities for action.

The objectives stated in the Action Plan reflect the majority view of the parishioners of Garway and are based on the results of the Parish Plan Questionnaires and other related research and consultation

The Parish Plan Summary document which was delivered to every household in the Parish is a brief summary of the Parish Plan that has been developed by the Parish Plan Steering Group. In this document we included a limited version of the Action Plan, showing only the issues where responses to the questionnaire had the highest response.

We have also included the Action Groups (see Appendix 1A) that have been set up to review, develop and implement the key issues in the main Action Plan.

The draft Action Plan is a blue print for the future and as such will be subject to constant review by the Action Groups and the community, including as necessary further public consultation, as part of its development. When finalised it will show in detail who should be approached to actually put things in motion by obtaining suitable funding and other resources. This could be the Parish Council, Hereford Council, charities, private groups or individuals.

Action Plan Group Meetings

The first of the Action Plan Group meetings for the Planning and Development Group was held on Tuesday 25th January click here to see the draft minutes. Another meeting was held on Thursday 31st March at 7.30pm in the Village hall when Haley Crane Housing Development Officer Herefordshire Council gave advice about a Housing Needs Survey, click here to see the draft minutes. A Garway Housing Needs Questionnaire has now been developed and agreed with Haley Crane and Hereford County Council and was delivered to every household in the Parish at the beginning of November with a request that the completed Questionnaire be sent back to Hereford County Council by the beginning of December. Results of the Survey are expected to be given to the Parish Council in January.

The second of the Action Plan Group meetings for the Community Facilities Group was held on Thursday 17th March click here to see the draft minutes. Another meeting will be arranged early in the new year date and time to be announced on the web and in the Parish Magazine and local notice boards.

The third Action Plan Group meetings for the Local Environment Group was held on Thursday 21st April at 7.30 in the Village Hall when the current actions were reviewed and priorities and and time table were set. click here to see the draft minutes. See also the Local Community Resilience meeting held on 16th January in St Weonards Village Hall, details above and at this website

The full Parish Plan will be available for your review at selected locations in the Parish which include the Village Hall, local Churches, Post Office, Broad Oak Garage/Shop, and the Garway Moon pub. The document will also available on line by clicking Parish Plan .

A number of copies of the Parish Plan will also be available from the Steering Group central loan system for Parishioners to borrow, read and return.

Finally the Garway Parish Plan has been sent to Herefordshire County Council with a request that it be considered for adoption by the Council as Additional Planning Guidance.

A very big thank you to everybody who completed the Parish Plan Questionnaire and to all those who have helped to prepare the Parish Plan.

Garway Parish Plan Steering Group

2.0 Freedom of Information document

For more information please click here

3.0 Assessment of the Need for New Affordable Housing in the Parish

On the 23rd January 2012 a presentation of the results of the recent Housing Needs Survey that was conducted in November/December 2011 by the Herefordshire County Council Homes and Community Services Division in association with Garway Parish Council was given to the Parish Council and members of the community. It was noted that survey forms had been delivered to every household (in total 180 households) in the Parish at the beginning of November with a request that the completed Questionnaire be sent back to Hereford County Council by the beginning of December. The survey found a total of 13 households that would need affordable accommodation in the next five years - 11households indicated that they wish to remain within Garway Parish; 2 households did not state that they wish to remain in the Parish. 1 additional household may have affordable need, but there is insufficient evidence to place them into this category with confidence.

Assessment of Housing Need

The survey showed that a need exists for the provision of new affordable housing for the following reasons:-

• the stated demand for such accommodation

• the housing and financial circumstances of the respondents to the Survey

• the lack of affordable homes in the Parish, and

• the lack of vacancies occurring in the existing Housing Association stock.

Type of new affordable dwellings and mix of tenure required

The type of dwellings that would be required is 1,2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses, The tenure mix and number of dwellings will be developed by a Housing Association working in partnership with the Parish Council.

The Next Steps

The Parish Council will seek to identify a suitable site or sites that would meet the requirements to build an affordable housing scheme. In the next few weeks discussions will be held with a housing Association, a planning officer from Herefordshire Council, and representatives of the Parish Council to consider what options (if any) exist. Where a site, or more than one is suggested as being acceptable (and the landowner is willing to sell), the Parish Council will arrange for a public exhibition to be held in the village hall later in the year to seek the views of residents.

Practical Considerations

In accepting that an affordable housing scheme is required for the area, the Parish Council stated that they will only support a scheme that provides affordable homes for local people in perpetuity, and that it is a small scale development.

Contacts

If you wish to discuss this matter please contact the Chairman of the Parish Council, or Haley Crane the Herefordshire Homes and Communities - Housing Development Officer on 01432 261919 or email:hcrane@herefordshire.gov.uk. You can also visit Herefordshire Homes and Communities website at Herefordshire Homes and Communities or send an email to the Housing Needs and Development Team: housingdevelopment@herefordshire.gov.uk;

Click on the highlighted area for a full copy of the Questionnaire .and the Survey

Revised and updated January 2012.

Parish Finance
Information to come .

Meeting Schedule
Schedule for 2010 .

Minutes of Meetings

Current Issues
Parish Plan

Freedom of Information document

Report on Affordable Housing .