It is vital there are homes that are affordable to everyone in rural areas. Land values and house prices remain incredibly high, especially at the moment, post-Covid. And the gap between rural property prices and local wages continues to widen. Coupled with higher costs of living and rising energy prices, this leaves many unable to remain where they grew up or have support networks. As a result, in summer 2022, Little Horkesley Parish Council worked with the RCCE’s Rural Housing Enabler to carry out an independent Housing Needs Survey.
The aim of this survey was to determine the existing and future levels of housing need for local people in the parish. All households in the parish received a survey to complete and return, alongside the option to complete the survey online. Thank you to all residents who responded to this piece of work it really has been incredibly useful.
KEY FINDINGS
· The survey had an excellent 32% response rate (Essex average is 25%).
· There was good support for a small development, with 56% stating they would be supportive of a small development (4 - 8 homes) which is primarily affordable housing for local people.
· There was general support for housing for the local community, more particularly the younger local generation and their families, whilst hoping any development will not be too large and unsympathetic to its surroundings.
· In Part 1 of the survey, 6 respondents (22%) indicated that they had a need to move to alternative accommodation within the next 5 years; of those 3 wished to remain in the parish.
· Two-bedroom houses were the most preferred property size (67%)
· Recommended local affordable housing need was assessed at;
o 2 affordable rented properties
As a result of these results and the need identified in the previous survey carried out in 2018, Little Horkesley Parish Council would still be happy to hear from any Landowners who might have a suitable site for an affordable housing proposal. The Parish Council are looking to develop a small number of properties in partnership with a rural specialist housing association and ideally would be looking for a site of between a quarter and half an acre in size. As this is an exception site for local people, the land does not hold the same value as ‘normal’ or open market development but there could be negotiation possibilities. These homes would be offered as a priority to those with a strong local connection to the parish and remain affordable and prioritized to local people in perpetuity.
If you are interested in offering up a small piece of land, please do submit details of your site to the Parish Council Clerk (clerk@littlehorkesleypc.com). If you would like to talk things through before committing a site, again, please do contact the clerk to progress this with the appropriate person involved.
Comentarios