Housing Needs Survey. February Commissioned by. Tatsfield Parish Council

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1 Housing Needs Survey February 2016 Commissioned by Tatsfield Parish Council Supported By

2 Contents Page Report Summary 3 Background 4 Housing Survey Method 10 Survey Findings 11 Recommendations 24 Appendices: Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Suggestions for potential sites Additional Comments 2 P a g e

3 Report Summary A housing needs survey for Tatsfield took place in March 2016 to establish the local community s level of support for a further development of affordable housing for local residents and to re-assess the level of need. Housing need is this context is defined as follows: o Housing need can be defined as the need for an individual or household to obtain housing which is suitable to their circumstances; o It implies that there are problems or limitations with the household s current housing arrangements and that the household is unable to afford or to access suitable accommodation in the private sector; o Such problems may be concerned with housing costs, size, location, layout, state of repair or security of tenure; o This need may be immediate or anticipated in the near future. o It may also include households who are looking to downsize but remain within the locality. There was a 30% return rate on the survey, which were distributed to all households in the parish by hand. Across the country, a 10-35% response rate is generally recorded and as such this is considered a good response rate. From the responses the following can be determined: Of those who responded, attitudes towards the principle of a development of homes for local people, was very supportive with 71% in favour. 55% of respondents had lived in the village for more than 20 years. 69% of respondents were aged 60 plus. 92% owned their own home. 41 households completed part 2 of the survey, 11 of these were homeowners looking to downsize. 10 households were looking for an affordable home to rent. 49% were currently living with their parents. 44% were looking to start their first home. 42% of the new households would be single person. 3 P a g e

4 Background The parish of Tatsfield lies to the North East of the County of Surrey, located within the District of Tandridge, bordering on Kent and the London Borough of Bromley. It is one of the highest points in Surrey at 240m above sea level. Whilst much of the current village was built in the 1950 s there are some buildings which date back to the late 19 th Century as well as four Grade II Listed buildings, Colegates, The Manor House, Westwood Farm House and the Church. In 2015 the Parish Council published a Development Statement against which future planning applications will be considered. The centre of the Village is Westmore Green, where the village pond, hall, pub, shop and school are located. There are a wealth of local groups ranging from Art Classes to Football for the over 40 s, Cricket, Badminton and Football. Other groups/services include The Village Club, WI and even a Pet Register. As well as local nursery schools for those aged 2-5 there is the local primary school catering for children aged The nearest train station is at Oxted (7km) with trains to Victoria, London Bridge, Uckfield and East Grinstead. The 464 bus connects the village to Biggin Hill and New Addington with a daily half hourly service. There are a limited number of buses to Westerham and Oxted each weekday. Gatwick is just over 18 miles away. Tatsfield is classified as a Rural Settlement in Tandridge District Council s Settlement Hierarchy 2015: Community facilities and public house provision is particularly good in these areas. However, the majority of services and facilities are gained from other settlements and there is more of a reliance on the need to travel than those settlements listed as semi-rural and urban 4 P a g e

5 Household Characteristics Tatsfield has a population of approximately 1865 in 740 households. In keeping with many other rural areas in Surrey, detached and semi-detached properties dominate the housing stock with very limited numbers of flats available. Fig 1 Detached houses Semi-detached houses Terraced houses % of dwellings (England average = 22.3%) Flats (purpose built) 23.5% of dwellings (England average = 30.7%) Flats (other) 11.9% of dwellings (England average = 24.5%) Caravan or other temporary accommodation % of dwellings (England average = 16.7%) 0.9% of dwellings (England average = 5.4%) 0.4% of dwellings (England average = 0.4%) Source: Census 2011 (table KS401EW) With regards to tenure the parish sits 17% above the national average for home ownership and almost 11% less the number of socially rented homes, and 8% below the average for private rent at 7.4%. Fig 2 Housing that is owner occupied Housing that is social rented Housing that is private rented Other rented accommodation % of households (England average = 64.1%) 6.9% of households (England average = 17.7%) 7.4% of households (England average = 15.4%) 4.5% of households (England average = 2.8%) Source: Census 2011 (table KS404EW) A search for properties for sale in the parish was undertaken in May 2016 on and there were 20 properties found to have been recently sold or currently for sale which ranged from a 2 bedroom flat to a 6 bedroom house. 1 Table 1 No. of beds Type Price 2 Flat 210,000 (STC) 2 Terrace 299,980 (STC) 360,000 (STC) 3 Semi-detached 395,000 (STC) 410,000 (STC) 425,000 (STC) 1 and search undertaken in May P a g e

6 No. of beds Type Price Detached 575, ,000 (STC) 4 Bungalow 600,000 Detached 5 Bungalow 450,000 (STC) 550, , , , , ,000 (STC) 1,200, ,000 Detached 499,995 (STC) 6 Detached 895,000 (STC) Land Registry Data for April gives a good overview of the average price paid for all property types. The number of properties at the lower end of the market are limited with just one flat having sold in the past 12 months for 180,000. However if we were take the average price of a 2 bed terraced property as 300,680 as an example then based on this figure Table 2 Property type Avg. current value Avg. # beds Avg. paid (last 12m) Detached 666, ,485 Semi-detached 406, ,438 Terraced 337, ,680 Flats 245, ,000 and assuming a 5% deposit ( 16,534) a couple would need to be earning 94,715 a year (assuming a loan ratio of 3). A single person would need to be earning 81,184 a year (assuming a loan ratio of 3.5). Even with a loan ratio of 4 you would need to be earning in the region of 71,000. The average annual income in Tandridge in was 32,292, with house prices averaging 13.3 times the average income. In 2015 almost 32% of people receiving housing benefit in the district were also in employment 4. In more rural areas such as Tatsfield house prices tend to be higher and local wages lower making home ownership even more difficult for emerging households ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Housing benefit statistics 6 P a g e Dwelling stock by council tax band

7 % of households Fig. 3 Dwelling stock by council tax band Figure 3 illustrates the proportion of properties in each council tax band, Tatsfield sits well below the average for England in terms of Bands A, B and C (the lower priced bands) and considerably higher in Bands E and G (the highest priced bands). Band A Band B Tatsfield Band C Band D Surrey Band E Band F Band G England Band H These price bands are set nationally, so can help show how the cost of all local property (not just those properties that have recently been sold) compares with other areas in both Surrey and England as a whole. 3.5 A search of properties available for private rent was also made on and However no properties had recently been let or were available to rent and consequently no relevant data is available on this tenure. Where households are having difficulty in paying their rent, they can apply for Local Housing Allowance (LHA) which will pay up the maximum amount (in table 3 below) based on their housing need and the size of accommodation they live in. In Tandridge the LHA 5 rates for 2016/17 are as follows: Table 3 Local Housing Allowance rates (1 April March 2016) Number of Bedrooms Weekly Rate Monthly Rate One Two Three Four Affordable Housing (General Needs Stock) There are currently 22 affordable homes owned by Tandridge and 13 affordable homes (previously developed as a rural exception scheme) owned by English Rural Housing Association. Sheltered/Retirement Accommodation In addition to the general needs stock the village also benefits from 18, 1 bedroom flats specifically for the elderly/retired. 5 Source. Tandridge District Council 7 P a g e

8 There are currently 18 households on the housing register who currently live in Tatsfield their needs have been assessed as follows: 11 x 1 bedroom (5 of who are over 50) 5 x 2 bedroom 2 x 3 bedroom Stock Turnover In the past 3 years there have been just 5 re-lets: 1 x 2 Bed House 1 x 3 Bed House 3 x 1 Bed Sheltered Flat Sources of land for the development of affordable housing Map 1 Parish Boundary In rural areas within the greenbelt, development is limited and controlled usually restricted to infill inside the settlement boundary and to no development at all outside of it. In nearly all cases such development that does take place will be open market housing, occasionally with a small percentage of affordable housing, such housing will be allocated to those most in need on the housing register which will not necessarily be to those with a local connection. However, there are a number of ways in which land can be made available for affordable housing, where priority is given to those with a local connection. The list below includes the most common ones (however please note that this list is not exhaustive): o Public Authority land (often land that belongs to the Local Authority or Parish Council) 8 P a g e

9 o Private Estate land (land gifted or disposed of at low cost by charitable landowners) o As the Council s standard policy for affordable housing attached to open market housing development: The Affordable Housing Policy (CSP4) sets minimum thresholds for market housing development sites that will require the inclusion of affordable housing. In order to maximise the supply of affordable housing the Council will require that on sites within rural areas, where there are 10 units or more, that up to 34% of the dwellings will be affordable. The actual provision will be negotiated on a site by site basis after taking into account market and site conditions. Affordable housing may be in the form of social rented or intermediate or a mix of both. The Council may require up to 75% of the affordable housing on a site to be social rented, the precise proportions will be agreed with the Council having regard to the specific needs at the time and within the area. 6 o Rural Exception Sites: sites that would not normally qualify for planning permission may be given exceptional planning permission provided the development meets a proven local demand and is small-scale. Only households with an agreed local connection defined by a Section 106 Agreement would be eligible for affordable housing on a Rural Exception Site and any dwellings must remain low-cost in perpetuity. 7 Map2 Boundary of the Defined Village of Tatsfield Statutory and local provisions can be incorporated to ensure that any affordable homes built remain as affordable. This can take the form of land covenants, planning conditions or the setting up of non-profit making trusts, such as a Community Land Trust which can help ensure retention of the land for affordable housing. Background and Method Housing Need Survey 6 Tandridge District Council Core Strategy (2008) CSP 4 Affordable Housing 7 Tandridge District Council Core Strategy (2008) CSP 5 Rural Exceptions for full text please see appendix 4 9 P a g e

10 This survey was conducted to gather local opinion with regard to a second local affordable housing development in the parish and to assess the level of housing need in the parish, both for open market and affordable housing. Typically the level of response to surveys of this kind range from 10-30%, as the majority of people living in the area are often well housed and would not necessarily respond to a housing survey unless they felt it directly affected them. Historically, the majority of responses in any survey of this kind come from: People who feel strongly that there should be no more development in the village. People who feel themselves to be in need of housing now or in the near future; Their relatives; People involved in some way in community affairs who probably have an appreciation of the problems affecting the community as a whole, even if they are not in housing need; The aim of this survey was twofold: To give all residents an opportunity to provide an opinion on the issue of a further housing development within the village; To assess whether there is a need for housing amongst local residents and if so for what type of housing. Part 1 of the questionnaire was designed to survey all residents about their views regarding the first point. Part 2 was aimed specifically at those people who consider themselves to be in housing need, now or in the near future and is designed to help measure the level of need and type of housing by those people with a local connection to the parish, both for affordable and open market housing (in particular the needs of older people and emerging families) Whilst the surveys were sent to all households in the parish, the survey results do not purport to be representative of all residents; no information is available on non-respondents and it is not possible to gross up results to the entire population. Nor does the survey purport to assess the entirety of housing need in the area. Further advice on housing options is available through Tandridge District Council, Housing Options Team. The forms were hand delivered to all households in March 2015 and householders were supplied with reply paid envelopes, there was also an option to compete the survey online. In total 222 forms were returned. The Rural Housing Enabler has collected all data from all returned forms and analysed it as follows: Survey Findings Table 9 10 P a g e

11 Completed Hard Copy Online Total distributed 740 Total returned Return rate 30% 7.6% 92.3% Please note that findings are based on 222 responses but not everyone responded to every question and percentages have been rounded up/down so may not total 100%. Q1. Is this your main home? Of 220 responses only 3 stated that this was not their main home. Q2. How would you describe your home? Fig. 4 Property Type Not given Sheltered/retirement Flat/maisonette Bungalow/chalet-bungalow House 1% 1% 1% 26% 71% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Base: 216 respondents Q3. How many bedrooms does your home have? 97% of respondents live in a house or bungalow which reflects the 2011 census results. Fig. 5 40% Number of Bedrooms 36% 36% 30% 20% 15% 10% 10% 3% 0% Base: 213 respondents 18% of respondents have 2 bedrooms or less, with 36% having 3 or 4 bedrooms. 11 P a g e

12 Q4. How many people in each age group are living in your home? Fig. 6 Household Age Ranges 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 39% 34% 35% 27% 26% Under % of people are aged over 60. Base: 215 households, 346 persons Q5. Who owns your home? Fig. 7 Other (please specify) 2% Rented from Council or 4% Tenure Type 92% of respondents were home owners. Private Rent 2% Owner Occupier 92% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Base: 215 respondents Q6. How many years have you lived in Tatsfield? Fig. 8 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Length of Residency 55% 17% 15% 9% 4% Less than % of respondents have lived in the village for more than 20 years, 68% for more than 10 years. Base: 215 respondents 12 P a g e

13 Q7. Has anyone in your family moved away from Tatsfield in the last 5 years, due to difficulty in finding a suitable home locally? Fig.9 10% 90% Yes No Base: 215 respondents Q8. Tandridge District Council is actively involved in working with owners to bring empty properties back into use wherever possible. Are there any properties close to you that have been unoccupied for over 12 months? A number of properties were highlighted, Greenkeeper s Lodge in Rag Hill Road, Crestview in Old Lane, Castleneau in Ricketts Hill (now being developed) and an incomplete re-build in Hillside Road. Q9. Would you be in favour of a small development of housing for local people within Tatsfield, if there were a proven need? Fig.10 29% 71% 71% were in favour of a small development for local people. Yes No Base: 216 respondents 13 P a g e

14 Q10. Can you suggest a site where a small development (of 6-12 homes) could be built? A number of suggestions/comments were made under this section, a summary of the more frequently mentioned sites is below. A full list is attached as appendix 1. Fig. 11 Behind MUGA Westmore Road Composting site Park Farm Near Gresham Close Lusted Hall Lane Around golf course Approach Road/ near allotments Field next to School Maesmaur Road Base: 63 respondents Further Comments 75 additional comments were made, a full list of which are attached as appendix 2. To allow development only in the centre of the village is ridiculous. What is the point of having the centre of the village like an urban community with vast spaces of scrubland and over large gardens away from the centre? Surely an allowance of sympathetic building away from the centre should also be appropriate to meet the current housing needs Tatsfield charm is the fact it is a village. With too much new building/developments it will turn into another suburban place like Biggin Hill We have lived in the Tatsfield area for nearly 5 years and feel part of the community, however because we rent we have no guarantee how long we'll be here. There are no affordable homes locally Are we sure there is a need and we really need to stop smaller properties getting made bigger and therefore outpricing local people I would be interested in housing association properties for working families. As me and husband both work we aren't entitled to any help so have to pay very high rent privately Tatsfield can have and would benefit from a small expansion in the number of properties if suitable land can be found Whilst I am in favour of a small development I would hate to see Tatsfield becoming built up and to lose its village charm Far too many single residence plots are being bought by developers who are then squeezing numerous houses onto plot. Tatsfield is a lovely village and will lose its charm if this is allowed to continue 14 P a g e

15 Q12. Do you, or anyone living with you need to move to alternative accommodation the next 5 years? 8 Fig % 18% 39 households said they needed to move in the 5 years. Yes No Base: 216 respondents 8 Although 39 households said they needed to move, 41 households completed part 2 of the survey. 15 P a g e

16 Part 2 Future Need Q13. When do those requiring accommodation need to move from this home? Fig.12 In 5 years or more 10% Between 2 and 5 years Within the next 2 years 42% 49% 49% wanted to move within the next 2 years. Base: 41 respondents 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Q14. How far would you be prepared to move to suitable accommodation? Fig. 13 None 5 miles 2-3 miles 10% 12% 39% 39% were prepared to move more than 5 miles away whilst 39% wanted to move less than 2 miles. Less than 2 miles 39% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Base: 41 respondents Q15. Who owns your current home? Fig. 14 Other (please specify) 5% 49% currently live with their Private rent 12% parents, 12% are in private rent Rented from council/housing 7% and 27% were homeowners. Member of household 27% Live with parents 49% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Base: 41 respondents 16 P a g e

17 Q16. Which tenure would you prefer your new home to be? Fig. 15 Rent /shared ownership/open market 17% Shared ownership 10% Base: 41 respondents Buy on open market Rent from council/housing 24% Q17. Are you on Tandridge District Council's Housing Register? 49% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 49% would prefer to buy on the open market, 24% were looking to rent and 17% were prepared to keep their options open. Just 4 households were already on the housing register. Q18. Are you a homeowner looking to downsize but remain in Tatsfield? Fig % 73% Yes No 11 households were homeowners looking to downsize but remain in the village. Base: 41 respondents Q19. What type of accommodation would best meet your needs? Fig. 17 Sheltered/retirement 5% Bungalow 22% Flat 22% House 51% 51% were looking for a house. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Base: 41 respondents Q20. How many bedrooms do you need? 17 P a g e

18 Fig % 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 63% 24% 12% % said they needed a 2 bedroom property. Base: 41 respondents Q21. Does anyone required alternative accommodation have specific housing needs? No one required adapted accommodation. Q22. What is your main reason for needing to move? Fig. 19 Not stated Retiring Divorce/separation Need smaller accommodation Cannot afford mortgage Garden too large to manage Need level or physically adapted Current tenure insecure Need larger accommodation Cannot afford rent Want to start a first home 2% 5% 2% 2% 5% 5% 2% 4% 12% 15% 44% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 44% were hoping to start their first home, 15% were looking to downsize and 12% needed a larger home. Base: 41 respondents Q23. What type of household will this be? Fig. 20 Siblings sharing 2% Parents with children Older person/couple Single Parent with children 2% 17% 15% 42% would be a single person household. Couple 22% Single Person 42% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Base: 41 respondents Q24. What is your local connection to the parish and for how long? 18 P a g e

19 95% of respondents are currently living in the village, and over 47% have done so for more than 20 years. Figs. 21 and 22 Close relative lives in parish 29% Currently live in parish 95% Work in the parish 5% Used to live in the parish 2% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 15% Less than 5 7% 29% 10% 37% 0.02% 6-10 yrs yrs yrs 31-40yrs 40 + Base: 41 respondents Q25. Age range of new households Figure 23 illustrates the age ranges of all members of the households. Fig Under Base: 34 respondents Q26. Estimated income of new household Fig households are earning less than 21K a year Less than 17K 17K-21K 21K-30K 31-40K 41-50K 51-60K Base: 19 respondents Q27. Do you expect to take advantage of any Government Help to Buy Schemes? 19 P a g e

20 16 people hoped to take advantage of a Help to Buy scheme, 50% of whom were looking for an Equity Loan and 36% for shared ownership. Q28. If so, which ones? Fig. 25 Right to Buy Acquire 7% Shared Ownership 36% Help to buy - Mortgage Guarantee 7% Help to Buy - Equity Loan 50% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Base: 14 respondents Q29. If you are interested in any of the above, how much would you be able to afford as a deposit? Only 4 households expected to be able to afford a deposit of more than 20K. 0 Not sure 5k or less 10K 17K 20-30K 50K Fig. 26 Base: 16 respondents Q30. How much do you think you could afford to pay to in rent or mortgage repayments each month? Fig. 27 1,300 1, Base: 14 respondents 20 P a g e

21 Affordability Using the data available to us on recent sold prices for a 2 bedroom terrace and the one flat that has sold in recent years and assuming a loan to value rate of 4 the table below illustrates the income required using a 5% and 10% deposit. Table 4 House Price 5% Deposit Mortgage Required Income Required 10% Deposit Mortgage Required Income Required 300,680 15, ,646 71,411 30, ,612 67, ,000 9, ,000 42,750 18, ,000 40,500 Comparing this data against the information supplied by those looking for a home 15 out of the 19 who supplied income data would be unable to afford to purchase either of these properties without a significantly higher deposit. So whilst there may be a desire to be a homeowner the reality is that local house prices are often out of the reach of younger families. New legislation put forward by the current government aims to enable as many people as possible to purchase their own home, to achieve this a number of new schemes have been or will be introduced. Historically the options were limited to either rent or Shared Ownership, but now also include Help to Buy and the proposed Right to Buy being extended to include Housing Association tenants. However consideration must be given to the prices of such homes in rural areas such as Tatsfield and whether they will truly be affordable for the average family living and working in the area, of particular concern is the potential introduction of starter homes in rural areas and whether they will remain affordable in perpetuity. Housing Options Shared Ownership provides opportunities for people who cannot afford open market housing to access the housing ladder and build a share in the equity on the property through a mechanism known as stair casing. The actual level of equity can vary but typically starts at around 40% with rent being paid on the outstanding amount. To be eligible for shared ownership the maximum household income outside of London is 60,000. To determine if shared ownership would be affordable, purchasing 40% of the equity of a property, calculations are based on the average price of a 2 bedroom terrace property currently for sale in the village. Values for property of this type are in the region of 300, P a g e

22 Potential for shared ownership mortgages was calculated as follows: 10% deposit = 30,000 40% of 300,000 = 108,000 (To secure a Mortgage of 108,000 on 1 income = At least 30,857/ annum gross income required) (To secure a Mortgage of 108,000 on 2 incomes = At least 36,000 / annum gross income required) In addition to the mortgage costs rent is charged on the remaining 60%. Depending on the rent charges on the remaining equity Shared Ownership would certainly be a viable option for some of those in housing need. Help to Buy provides people with the opportunity to purchase with just a 5% deposit plus a loan of 20% from the Government. The loan is interest free for 5 years. Based on the above figures this would mean that only 15,000 would be required for a deposit, with a loan of 60,000 from the Government the remaining mortgage would be 225,000. Even based on 4 x their income a couple would need to be earning over 56,000 an annum. Alternatively the Government will act as guarantor for a higher loan-to-value mortgage, so instead of the typical times the annual salary buyers could access a mortgage of 80-95%. (Again based on average earnings this could equate to 9.5 times the annual salary of a single person!) Right to Buy is being extended to include housing association tenants as well as council tenants, although it is not 100% guaranteed it appears that protections will be put in place to ensure rural homes built under the Rural Exception Site Policy will not be eligible to be purchased, instead the right to buy will be granted but for an alternative property. However, again, even if it were to be extended to such homes the values are likely to be in excess of an average income family. Affordable Rent is the term used to describe housing rented from a housing association or council and is usually set at 80% of the open market rental value. Although there are no properties to rent in Tatsfield at the present time, the average price of a 1 bedroom flat in the nearby vicinity is just under 1000 a month. As well as taking in account the preferences stated by the respondents it is also necessary to take into account Tandridge District Council s Allocation Policy which is detailed below. Tandridge District Council s Housing Allocation Policy (April 2015) states that: Households will be regarded as overcrowded when they are assessed as needing at least one more bedroom than their current accommodation has. A separate bedroom is required for each member of the household over the age of 18 (with the exception of partners and same sex siblings) 22 P a g e

23 No more than 2 children should have to share a bedroom. 2 children of opposite sex should not have to share a bedroom where one of them is over 10 years of age. In exceptional circumstances the Council may regard other households as overcrowded usually on the advice of the Council s Medical Advisor. The size of property that a typical household will normally be allocated is as follows: Single applicant Couple Household with 1 child Household with 2 children Household with 3 children Household with 4 children Household with 5+ children Bedsit or 1 bedroom property 1 bedroom property 2 bedroom property 2 or 3 bedroom property 3 bedroom property 3 or 4 bedroom property 4 bedroom property In addition to the size of property, the policy also lays out eligibility criteria for certain vacancies: Priority for houses will be given to households with at least one dependent child under 16 years of age. Priority for ground floor flats will be given to applicants who have been awarded priority of this type of property on medical grounds unless there is not suitable applicant with medical priority. Applicants for sheltered housing must normally be aged 50 or over Some properties are designated for people aged 60 and over, or 40 and over. Allocations of these properties will only be made to people who meet the age criteria. Summary of Need 23 P a g e

24 Taking into account all of the information provided, an ever changing financial environment, changes in legislation, the development that has already taken place and the changing needs of respondents the following recommendations are made in terms of accommodation requirements for Tatsfield. Affordable Rent: 4 x 1 bedroom 2 x 2 bedroom 3 x 3 bedroom Shared Ownership: 2 x 3 bedroom 3 x 2 bedroom Open Market Properties 16 households were existing homeowners looking to down/up size but in the main were either elderly or emerging households. Certainly some of this need will be met by normal market conditions but consideration could be given to encouraging smaller open market homes rather than large detached properties in any future development to assist these two ends of the market. Recommendations Although there has previously been a rural exception development in the village, there appears to be a number of households who are still in need of housing and who would meet strong local connection criteria. Other affordable housing within the village is not necessarily designated for local people, in addition the average house price does appear to be out of the reach of young families and single people on average incomes and the number of smaller properties available appear limited. While the survey indicates that there is a level of housing need it must be taken into consideration that at such a time as units become available many of those with a registered need may have had their needs met elsewhere. In addition, it is possible that some of those who came forward may not actually qualify for housing. As such, the total number of homes, if any were to be built, should be a reflection of the need identified in this survey report, the level of need recorded on the District Council s Housing Register and the number of homes that would be an appropriate number to build in the parish given site constraints. Recommended Actions 24 P a g e

25 Tatsfield Parish Council Adopt the report and make a summary of the results available to the community Consider the next steps available to the parish with regard to local need Remind local households looking for an affordable home to register with Tandridge District Council Rural Housing Enabler Make the report available to Tandridge District Council In conjunction with the Parish Council, agree on best way to progress results For queries please contact: Louise Williams Rural Housing Enabler Surrey Community Action Astolat, Coniers way, Burpham Guildford, Surrey, GU4 7HL Tel: louisew@surreyca.org.uk 25 P a g e

26 Appendix 1 Site Suggestions 1. Only on brownfield 2. Would have to be on outskirts there is nowhere else 3. Not in green belt 4. Do not know area sufficiently yet to make a judgement 5. Maesmaur Road 6. Approach road 7. The Rectory, Rickets Hill Road too large and uneconomic long term for Diocese to want to keep very large plot a site worth looking at if rules become more relaxed 8. Ship Hill - across the road opposite shops and pond 9. By the allotments 10. The field either side of Approach Road coming into Tatsfield 11. On/around the golf course 12. Village centre - approach road opposite allotments 13. there are 2 many properties in and around Tatsfield with large gardens 14. around Park Wood golf course 15. Part of the football field at Furze Corner 16. Flat field on corner of Borough Rd. its currently green belt, we own it, used to be used for equestrian/grazing. Also the square Paynesfield road plot at south west end of Maesmaur road 17. Field next to school 18. behind the MUGA - parcel of land leading to village green 19. add to new houses in Husted Hall Lane 20. next to school 21. Lusted Hall Lane 22. Gresham Close 23. bottom of Ship Hill, currently a field 24. There is an area of scrub/wasteland on a plot called But an Ben. It is on the corner of Rickets Hill Road and Paynesfield Rd don't know what the owner would think though. 25. behind the school - field next to the school on the golf course, car park off church 26. No 27. No 28. Plot south of Westmore Green adjacent to Approach Road 29. Next to the school - along Approach Road, opposite the Allotments 30. Possibly adjacent to the new homes provided recently in Lusted Hall Lane 31. Opposite Westmore Green in the small unused field 32. Borough Road owned by me 33. near to Gresham Close Development Field near school 34. Lusted Hall Lane 35. near the old school or near the copse or the new development opposite the Copse, land opposite the allotments across the road behind the hedge 36. near Gresham Close, near the school 37. An unused field near the village centre along Approach Road opposite the allotments 38. The area of land between the school and the village green 39. not on green belt or in small villages like Tatsfield 26 P a g e

27 40. near Gresham close, the old compost scheme in Borough Road 41. unused SCC land next to the school 42. opposite the allotments 43. Park Farm 44. Perhaps behind the school 45. Tatsfield common, rag hill road 46. Edgar Road - previously the composting site, now unoccupied. 47. approach road 48. Fields adjacent to Westmore Between the Orchard and crane Cottage 49. Behind school 50. Behind allotment towards Beddlestead 51. no but there are open spaces which could be used, not woodland 52. Extension Lusted Hall Lane area, area around school. 53. Scout hut? 54. adjacent to school or close to the allotments 55. within the centre of the village 56. land in dip off Lusted Hall Lane - close to Gresham Place 57. In field opposite the pond and green to the right of the Hall (as you are looking at the hall) or in field near Lusted hall near new development 58. land opposite allotments in approach road beyond hedge 59. Extension of Gresham Close 60. Extension of Lusted Hall Lane where new homes have been built recently 61. Westmore Rd 62. Land behind the Bassett s Development behind The MUGA 63. opposite the Village Green 27 P a g e

28 Appendix 2 Additional Comments 1. To allow development only in the centre of the village is ridiculous. What is the point of having the centre of the village like an urban community with vast spaces of scrubland and over large gardens away from the centre? Surely an allowance of sympathetic building away from the centre should also be appropriate to meet the current housing needs. 2. We shall be moving as though still able to climb the steps find maintenance very hard, together with high bills, especially council tax and limited public transport. Tatsfield is not for the elderly. 3. no further development school greenbelt was a con, land was supposed to be returned to green belt now house and nursery 4. Tatsfield has very poor facilities i.e. Dr's transport etc., any further strain on the terrible situation especially with GPs would be unacceptable. 5. New homes should be affordable to those who need them and relate to the surrounding area in style 6. Agree but too much greedy filling in semi-detached now a row of terrace with 8+ cars. Roads clogged with commercial vehicles. Parking associated with new houses, many if not most homes have 2+ vehicles, lots of the oversize commercial. The roads are getting clogged and the character of the village is being eroded. Commercial vehicles owned by residents now being parked in public layby, first thing you see when you come to our lovely village - horrid! 7. it would be better if they could improve the roads, I live at the bottom end of Westmore Road and with the building taking place further down it s been like a building site since we moved here - pot homes and large concrete buts are ruining the suspension on our cars. 8. There are a number of widows in Tatsfield with 3/4 bedrooms and large gardens who would like to downsize and stay in the village. A safe small development would be appreciated. It would be sad to have to leave the village. 9. There will be a need for supported living for those 80+ yrs. who want to stay in /Tatsfield and could afford to buy - this might in the long run enable a large number of larger houses to be released to help the moving on families grow and housing needs change. 10 I would like to see small bungalows especially for over 55's with no possibilities to extend. 11 Village needs additional affordable properties to buy and rent for young people brought up in village 12 The unmade roads in Tatsfield are an issue to address within any development plans, some love them, some hate them, all our vehicles suffer when on them, road drainage is also a big problem 13 Your intro is correct, now retired we are beginning to consider downsizing and would love to remain local but our 34 yr. old daughter needs a place of her own can only afford a 2 bed terrace in south west Wales. land we own is greenbelt protected but is not accessible or visible to public much better to infill within village even on GB than take further farmland on periphery and new build should be affordable not 1million barns such as those behind original school 14 I have applied for the housing register but have not heard anything back. 15 Greenbelt land should not be built on 16 Tatsfield charm is the fact it is a village. with too much new building/developments it will turn into another suburban place like Biggin Hill 17 outsiders seem to get in property built for locals, no suitable qualification of applicants 18 small houses for older residents to downsize would release family homes for young families 19 We are hoping to downsize in the next 5 years and would need suitable accommodation to be privately owned near where we live now. 28 P a g e

29 20 Any housing development should be as affordable as possible - maybe starter homes and shared ownership. We don't need any more mansions in Tatsfield 21 I think it s wrong that council tenants can own a house, rent it out and continue to live in a council house. 22 There are plenty of large plots in Tatsfield with one house/bungalow which are big enough for 2 or 3 houses but Tandridge will not allow this anymore. This is ridiculous when affordable family homes are needed here. 23 village infrastructure unable to cope with big increase in population 24 I know of no suitable space for a site. We already have 2 new developments in the last few years and more would take away the lovely rural village atmosphere we have. If people need properties Biggin Hill is very close. If we continue to allow more developments well loose the very atmosphere and reason people so love Tatsfield, a small community minded village in the countryside. We don't want to become like Biggin Hill, overdeveloped, too large and crowded. Each new small development will just become a large development - part of the sprawling concrete jungle - a subsidiary of Biggin Hill. 25 Good quality local houses is a must have for any community 26 it would be nice if housing for the younger generation could be at a more reasonable price so that they could buy in the area they were brought up in. 27 There is also a lack of big houses in Tatsfield. I think there should be effort put into increasing these as well to get a balance. I know several people who have looked in the area for 5-6 bed houses but haven't found what they need. They are well to do people who would have been good for the local area and would have liked to live in Tatsfield. 28 Cannot believe current planning approvals in Tatsfield, i.e. small bungalow demolished and 2x2 semis built in its place. We do not need more housing in Tatsfield. We are not Biggin Hill or Greater London. 29 I cannot forecast future need 30 should work with Titsey Estate to find suitable sites 31 No 32 Would like Housing Association Property. Particularly on retirement. 33 Shortage of small detached bungalows near village centre, suitable for elderly residents wishing to downsize. 34 I do not want to see any further expansion of the village or development on Green belt. 35 Our Village Children need affordable houses 36 There appears, from what we know locally, that there is a shortage or properties both for those wishing to down-size but also for families moving into Tatsfield. These properties would be purchased rather than rented. 37 we need to downsize 38 We have lived in the Tatsfield area for nearly 5 years and feel part of the community, however because we rent we have no guarantee how long we'll be here. There are no affordable homes locally. 39 I don't feel building any new developments would be good for Tatsfield, would the already damaged roads take more traffic? People move to areas like Tatsfield to get away from areas getting built on with developments that start as small but end up bigger 40 could do with more bungalows for the older people 41 The need to re-distribute some existing Tatsfield residents into more appropriate accommodation is acknowledged as perhaps is the need to house the children of some Tatsfield 29 P a g e

30 residents. The present population of Tatsfield has a higher average age than that of the southwest so any attempt for significant development will be opposed. 42 Whenever homes are built supposedly for local people it never ends up that way. Beside me and all my friends who grew up in Tatsfield 40 years ago were never given any help - we were all proper Tatsfield whose grandparents even grew up here, yet now they want to keep providing new Tatsfield people with homes - it makes me mad. 43 Many local houses are or have been enlarged. bungalows have been made bigger, that means that nothing is available for older people wishing to downsize therefore they remain in houses suited to families 44 More scrutiny as to those council tenants currently living in properties with secure tenancies but who perhaps also own private houses for rent in the village! 45 I have a close friend who privately rents a house with council help who has missed out by 12 hrs the chance to have a rural housing/council house in the last few years. I feel for her working to stay in Tatsfield as she has lived here for 20 years. The story is far too long to write but if I had a word I d use it for her. 46 We moved to Tatsfield because it was rural and peaceful, we would rather it didn't become more populated and built up. 47 TDBC must find some way of preventing small properties being extended as soon as they are purchased. Most of the small 2 bedroom bungalows are converted into 4 bed properties. Probably the only solution is to make Tatsfield all green belt - not a village in the green belt. 48 Your definition used here for housing need is very narrow. 49 Seeing what has gone on already with infill without facilities or road maintenance 50 No, we have enough already 51 Are we sure there is a need and we really need to stop smaller properties getting made bigger and therefore outpricing local people. 52 I moved to Tatsfield 12 years ago because of the quietness and rural feel of the village. I really do not want any more houses built in Tatsfield. It will spoil the feel of the village and certainly not built on greenbelt which I believe is already planned in Oxted. soon all our green belt will disappear and we will be a concrete city and green fields and wildlife a thing of the distant pass this must not happen 53 I am sure this survey will show a need for more affordable housing for Tatsfield people and the parish council should proceed with the project as a matter of priority. If the survey shows a need for bungalow or the dwellings wanted by older people the parish council should proceed with this as well. protection of the green belt is important but providing necessary housing for local people is more important 54 there has already been sufficient developments in Tatsfield 55 green belt should be maintained 56 no more house building in Tatsfield to take one house down and build 4 or 5 in place is madness 57 I think that the village does not have facilities i.e. school place, transport links for more houses all it would do is bring yet more traffic onto road that just can t cope and are ill repaired to cope 58 more houses would put too much pressure on school/doctors and would spoil character of village 59 There are many people who want to downsize to a retirement property with communal gardens within walking distance of the village centre 60 There should be no more housing developments built in Tatsfield. The rural setting of the village has already been spoiled due to housing estates 61 I would be interested in housing association properties for working families. As me and husband both work we aren't entitled to any help so have to pay very high rent privately 30 P a g e

31 62 We moved to Tatsfield a couple of years ago so as to be near our 2 sons and at the same time sized down to a much smaller property 63 Overbuilding i.e. the corner of Westmore Road and crossways plus the crowded parking due to over population is unacceptable. I have no desire to preclude responsible people from the village but sensible and sustainable infrastructure is essential. 64 whilst I am in favour of a small development I would hate to see Tatsfield becoming built up and to lose its village charm 65 If we continue building in Tatsfield we will become an extension to the London Borough of Bromley and that is not why we moved here. 66 Tatsfield can have and would benefit from a small expansion in the number of properties if suitable land can be found 67 I don't think anyone is going to suggest a site near their home unless they know what it s going to look like. 68 Far too many single residence plots are being bought by developers who are then squeezing numerous houses onto plot. Tatsfield is a lovely village and will lose its charm if this is allowed to continue. 69 I moved to Tatsfield because it is a small village and feel that any housing will spoil the village. 70 Tatsfield is a rural village it should be kept from sprawling into the London Borough Of Bromley new homes should be in the centre of the Tatsfield community by one school, hall and shop 71 There's already been loads of developments cramming multiple houses on garden sites which are ugly, antisocial to the existing neighbours and done more to the point so the developers can make a financial killing. Tatsfield is getting like a dormitory village. 72 Please do not build any more houses in Tatsfield. It is beginning to lose its village appeal. It is getting too overcrowded 73 The village is losing its character we already have two recent assisted developments. It must stop we do not want any more. 74 Tatsfield is in danger of losing its community spirit and village status by over development especially in the centre. How about removing out dated restrictions from Woldingham and building some smaller more affordable houses there? 75 Only how badly the roads are which would make moving or selling very difficult 31 P a g e