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Questions and Answers

Where will the houses be built?

 

Probably somewhere on the edge of the village in a location that the planners will accept for a community led scheme to meet local need.  We have encouraged everybody in the village to participate in the process of agreeing selection criteria and suggesting possible sites.

 

How will you select the location for the development?

 

We have drawn up a list of criteria against which possible sites will be assessed.

We are making a list of possible locations that answer the criteria.  We will discuss the list with the planners and landowners, reduce it to a short list and invite community comment on it. 

The community has already contributed to the process by commenting on the criteria and suggesting possible sites.

 

Will this create a precedent that would help commercial developers get planning permission?

 

We believe that by being seen to take steps to meet the identified needs of local people as demonstrated by the housing needs survey, we reduce the likelihood of commercial developers getting permission for development (especially development outside the settlement boundary).

 

Surely wherever you select is going to be unpopular with adjoining residents.

 

Yes of course this has the potential to be divisive but will reduce the threat of development by commercial developers and is preferable in a number of ways:

·       We will take into account the impact on existing residents in our assessment of the options.

·       We will go to greater lengths to minimise any adverse impacts by careful layout, landscaping etc.

·       The community will be more involved in the decision making process.

 

The housing needs survey identified a need for 22 affordable homes and 30 people wanting to downsize. Why then are you proposing only 15 dwellings? 

 

Action Hampshire who carried out the survey tell us that there is usually a shortfall in practice between the needs stated in surveys and what emerges in practice.  We think that may be due to changes in personal circumstances, some need being met by normal turnover in tenancies and perhaps over-optimistic statements of requirements.

We also think that the scale of development must be proportionate to the scale of the village.