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Current Issues

Assessment of the Need for New Affordable Housing in the Parish

On the 14 th January the Parish Council met to consider the outcome of the recent Housing Needs Survey that was conducted in October by Community First. It was noted that survey forms had been posted to 174 addresses in the Parish and by the closing date, 81 responses to Part A of the form had been received, there were 14 responses to Part B and 5 responses to Part C.

Assessment of Housing Need

The Parish Council acknowledged that 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 Part B of 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 2 and 3 bedroom houses, 2 bedroom houses/flats and1 bedroom flats. The tenure mix and number of dwellings would be determined by a developing Housing Association working in partnership with the Parish Council.

The Next Steps

The Parish Council will seek to identify a suitable site that would meet the requirements to build an affordable housing scheme. In the next few weeks they will walk around the village with a planning officer from Herefordshire 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 in early spring 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 Keith Parry the Herefordshire Rural Housing Enabler on 07970 650866 or email:keithp@comfirst.org.uk. You can also visit Community First (Hereford Office) website at comfirst.org.uk

Click on the highlighted area for a full copy of the Survey Report or to receive a copy please contact Keith Parry.

January 2008.

Parish Finance
Information to come .

Meeting Schedule
Schedule for 2008 .

Agenda for Special planning meeting 17th April 2008

Minutes of Meetings
December 2007.

January 2008 .

February 2008

April 2008

May 2008

July 2008

Current Issues
Report on Affordable Housing .