As the Housing Needs Survey goes live Jonathan Griffin from the Housing Group urges us all to have our say and influence the future of housing development in the parish. 

From a housing perspective, several things stand out from the survey we carried out in March. There is clearly a need for affordable housing for young families to rent and buy in the Parish. Some 61% of those who completed the survey thought there should be more affordable housing, 41% called for more affordable housing to rent, and 38% wanted more housing for first-time buyers.

Another need was highlighted by the 51% who supported housing for elderly residents, whether adapted, sheltered or wardened, so that they can stay in the community when they are no longer able to maintain their independence in their own home.

We need to follow up these ideas now by finding out precisely what people will need in the coming years. If we think about new development for instance, are we talking about a need for 10 houses, 20 houses or 50 houses? How large will these homes need to be? At what sort of cost? And in which settlements within the parish?

A letter inviting you to complete the Housing Needs Survey will arrive through your door this week, the week of 4 June, and you can complete it online here until 20 July. The questions will concentrate on two main groups – young and old – and will also ask everyone for more detail about your attitudes to the possible expansion of our existing settlements.

If you do not expect to move from your present home in the next fifteen years then you will find that the survey is quite short. Your answers will nonetheless give us valuable information to help develop the Neighbourhood Plan in line with your wishes.

We want to hear from people currently living outside the parish too, if they have connections to the parish – perhaps family, perhaps with a child at one of our schools here – who want to move back. If you know anyone in this situation please pass on details of the survey to them. Their views will be vital.

We had a great response to the first survey. Now, as we dig deeper into the detail we hope you will respond again and help shape the future of housing in our communities.

Thank you.