Housing Need Survey Results Report for Barton

Transcription

1 Cambridgeshire ACRE Housing Need Survey Results Report for Barton Survey undertaken in March 2016 Barton village sign Copyright Keith Edkins and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

2 CONTENTS PAGE CONTEXT AND METHODOLOGY...3 Background to Affordable Rural Housing... 3 Context... 3 Methodology... 3 Barton Parish... 4 Local Income Levels and Affordability... 7 RESULTS FROM PART ONE: VIEWS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTIFYING THOSE IN HOUSING NEED Views on Affordable Housing Development in Barton Suitability of Current Home RESULTS FROM PART TWO: IDENTIFYING CIRCUMSTANCES AND REQUIREMENTS Local Connection to Barton Household Composition Property Type, Size and Tenure SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION Pre-Existing Evidence from the Housing Register Findings from Housing Needs Survey Open market housing Conclusion Recommendation APPENDIX 1 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS RECEIVED AS PART OF THE SURVEY APPENDIX 2 CHOICE BASED LETTINGS AND LOW COST HOME OWNERSHIP Page 2 of 23

3 CONTEXT AND METHODOLOGY Background to Affordable Rural Housing Affordable housing is housing made available for either rent or shared ownership, based on the evidence of need, to those unable to afford market prices. One approach to delivering affordable homes in rural areas is through rural exception site policy. A rural exception site is a site used specifically for affordable housing in a small rural community that would not normally be used for housing because it is subject to policies of restraint. Affordable housing on rural exception sites must remain as affordable housing in perpetuity and planning conditions and legal agreements are used to prioritise the occupation of property to people falling within categories of need and who can prove a local connection through family, residence or work. A Planning & Housing Bill is currently progressing through parliament. The implications of this for rural affordable housing are not yet clear. To be eligible for rental properties, applicants must complete an application form to join the local Housing Register and they would then be able to bid for properties through the choice based lettings scheme. To be eligible for low cost shared ownership properties, applicants must apply to the local Housing Register and then apply directly through the local Homebuy Agent. You can read more about choice based lettings and low cost home ownership in Appendix 1. Context Cambridgeshire ACRE was commissioned to carry out a Housing Needs Survey in Barton in February This survey was carried out on behalf of Hastoe Housing Association, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Barton Parish Council. The aims of the survey were to gauge opinion on the value of developing affordable homes for local people in the parish and to determine the scale and nature of affordable housing need. Methodology Survey packs were posted to all 378 residential addresses in the parish in March The survey packs included covering letters from Cambridgeshire ACRE and Barton Parish Council, a questionnaire, a FAQ sheet on rural affordable housing and a postage paid envelope for returned forms. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: Part One of the survey form contained questions to identify those who believe they have a housing need. Respondents were also asked if they supported the idea of building a small affordable housing development in the village. All households were asked to complete this section. Page 3 of 23

4 Part Two of the survey form contained questions on household circumstances and housing requirements. This part was only completed by those households who are currently, or expecting to be, in need of housing. The closing date for the survey was Friday 1 April In total, 97 completed forms were returned giving the survey a 26 per cent response rate. Most of our Housing Needs Surveys achieve a response rate of between 20 and 25 per cent. Barton Parish Barton is a small village about 3 miles south west of Cambridge. It lies to the west of the M11. The A603 skirts the south of the village and the B1046 skirts the north. Its nearest neighbours are the villages of Comberton and Grantchester. Page 4 of 23

5 There has been little development in Barton in recent decades. Barton s population of 870 in 2013 compares with a population of 800 in Likewise, Barton s housing stock has only grown from 350 to 370 over the same period. 1 In fact, there have only been five (net) new dwellings built between 2002 and Barton is classified as a Group Village in the emerging Local Plan. This recognizes the limited range of services available in the village including a primary school, two pubs, petrol station and a few shops including a post office. The village does also host Burwash Manor, a collection of independent shops within a farmyard style redevelopment. The Group Village designation limits the potential scale of new development in the village. 3 Barton is a relatively wealthy parish with high employment levels and low benefit dependency levels. Where indicators of deprivation are evident they tend to be related to the more elderly population. Half of the adult population are qualified to Higher Education level (33 per cent in Cambridgeshire). In contrast, the proportion of adults with no qualifications (13 per cent) is well below the Cambridgeshire average (19 per cent). 4 The most common employment sectors for Barton residents are education, professional services and health & social work. Barton has relatively high levels of both public services and self-employment. 5 The significance of public services employment reflects the importance of the Cambridge labour market to Barton residents. Barton Primary School Copyright Keith Edkins and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence Barton Baptist Church Copyright Keith Ekins and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence The age profile of Barton is broadly typical, though somewhat exaggerated, of a rural Cambridgeshire community. There are a particularly high proportion of people aged Cambridgeshire Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates: mid-2013, Cambridgeshire County Council, December 2014 and Cambridgeshire Population and Dwelling Stock Estimates: , Cambridgeshire County Council, July Housing Development in Cambridgeshire 2014/2015, (Tables H1.2 and H2.2), Cambridgeshire County Council, August Submitted Local Plan South Cambridgeshire District Council, July Rural Community profile for Barton (Parish), ACRE/OCSI, October Ibid Page 5 of 23

6 Population However, the above average proportion of people in older cohorts actually starts at There is a counter balancing low proportion of people in their twenties, thirties and early forties. The proportion of the population of school age is similar to the county as a whole although the number of under 5 s is low. Figure 1: Population age profile, % 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% 0 to 4 5 to 9 10 to to to to to to 39 Age 40 to to to to to to to Barton South Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Parish Profile Data: Barton, Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group, Data taken from 2011 Census, QS103EW Almost four in five households in Barton (78 per cent) are owner occupiers. This is higher than in both South Cambridgeshire (71 per cent) and Cambridgeshire (66 per cent). The majority of these own their property outright which probably reflects the relatively elderly age profile of the parish. Social rented and, particularly, private rented property is in relatively scarce supply in Barton. All social rented and shared ownership properties are owned by South Cambridgeshire District Council. There are no Housing Association properties in the parish. Contrasting housing styles in Barton Copyright Keith Edkins and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence Page 6 of 23

7 Households Over half (52 per cent) of all properties in Barton are detached houses and a further 41 per cent are semi-detached. There are very few terraced houses or flats. As a result, there is also a high proportion of larger properties in the parish. Thirty five per cent have four or more bedrooms (34 per cent in South Cambridgeshire). In contrast, only 21 per cent have two or fewer bedrooms (30 per cent in South Cambridgeshire). This obviously has implications for the entry level to the housing market. 6 Figure 2: Household tenure, % 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Owned outright Owned with a mortgage/ loan Shared ownership Social rented Private rented Living rent free Barton South Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Parish Profile Data: Barton, Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group, Data taken from 2011 Census, QS405EW Local Income Levels and Affordability Buying on the Open Market A review of property estate agent websites identified six dwellings currently on the market in Barton (although three were labelled as sold subject to contract ). 7 The lowest priced property was 210,000 for a 75 per cent share of a shared ownership, sheltered housing 2 bed bungalow. The next lowest priced property was a 3 bed semi-detached house for sale at 385,000. This latter price could be considered out of range of most new entrants to the housing market. The remaining four properties were priced between 425,000 and 800, Parish Profile Data: Barton, Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group, Source: and (as at ) Page 7 of 23

8 2 Bed bungalow, Great Close, Barton 75% share in shared ownership, sheltered house (over 60s only) for 210,000 (sold STC) 3 bed semi, Kings Grove, Barton for 385,000 Sales over the last year were also reviewed to draw a larger sample. 8 There were nine house sales in Barton over this period. The lowest priced sale was a semi detached house for 110,000. However, this is so far removed from other sold prices achieved that it must be considered an outlier. (It could be a share in a shared ownership property or a dwelling in need of major refurbishment) Only another two properties sold for less than 400,000. A 2 bed semi detached house sold for 275,000. (The adjoining house sold for 227,500 a little over a year ago) The lowest priced 3 bed house, a semi detached property, sold for 392, bed semi, High Street, Barton 270,000, Feb bed semi, Wimpole Road, Barton 275,000, Jun These prices can be considered alongside published house price data by Hometrack (see Table 1) to provide an indication of entry level prices in the Barton housing market. Hometrack data covers the larger area of Barton ward. This includes the villages of Coton, Grantchester and Madingley. It suggests that average house prices in the ward are higher than neighbouring wards/ villages and well above the average for South Cambridgeshire district. Average prices for 3 and 4 bed properties are similar to Cambridge city but higher for 2 bed properties. This probably reflects the relative scarcity of smaller properties in Barton. 8 Land Registry sales data can be accessed from and However, there can be a delay in data being uploaded. The data referred to here include sales up to 4 February Page 8 of 23

9 Table 1: Average Property Prices by ward, May - February No. of bedrooms Barton Comberton Haslingfield & The Eversdens South Cambridgeshire (District) Cambridge (District) 2 bed house 452, , , , ,574 3 bed house 447, , , , ,397 4 bed house 767, , , , ,393 Note: Data are an average of house price sales over a six month period. Prices can fluctuate from one period to another due to the low level of sales involved. Nevertheless, the prices do reflect actual sales. These prices need to be treated with some caution. They are based on a small number of actual sales. For example, the price cited for a 2 bed house in Barton looks particularly high and is based on only two sales. However, this also reflects the shortage of smaller properties coming onto the market. It should also be noted that average prices are not always appropriate when looking at affordability. Lower quartile prices are arguably more relevant when looking at the challenges faced by new entrants to the housing market. Table 2: Annual Income requirements for open market properties House Price Deposit required (assume 15% required) Annual income required (based on mortgage lending principle of 3.5 x income) Monthly mortgage payment ,000 41,250 66,786 1, ,000 52,500 85,000 1, Table 2 has been constructed from the discussion above. Estimates of entry level prices for a 2 bed semi detached house ( 275,000) and 3 bed semi detached house ( 350,000) in Barton have been used to assess affordability. Some standard assumptions about deposits and mortgages are applied to calculate the minimum salary needed to purchase these properties. Even at an entry level price of 275,000 an annual income of over 66,000 would be required on the assumptions used. To put this is context, a household with two people 9 Hometrack (as supplied Sue Beecroft, Cambridge Sub-region Housing Market Co-ordinator) 10 Source: mortgage calculator based on 5% repayment mortgage repaid over 25 years Page 9 of 23

10 working full-time and earning the national living wage will earn about 30,000 per annum. 11 It should be remembered that a household s ability to buy is also dependent on them having saved an appropriate deposit. The calculations presented here assume a mortgage to house value of 85 per cent. In other words, the purchaser can raise a deposit of 15 per cent. It may be possible to secure a mortgage with a lower deposit but this will require even higher income levels. Clearly, many existing owner occupiers in Barton will have significant housing equity. However, young people seeking to leave the parental home or those in the rented sector may not. Every household has its own set of unique circumstances. Therefore, the assumptions set out above are just that; working assumptions. Nevertheless, it seems reasonable to conclude that many low income households in Barton have little chance of being able to set up home in their own community without some kind of support. Buying in Shared Ownership Shared ownership gives the opportunity to 'part buy' and 'part rent' a home. This means if a household can't afford to buy a property outright they may be able to afford to buy a share in a property, typically 25 per cent, 50 per cent or 75 per cent. At a point when the household can afford to, they can choose to buy a further share of the property. 12 Where a property has been built on a rural exception site, the maximum percentage that can be owned is 80 per cent so that the property always remains available as affordable housing and can never be sold on the open market. Shared ownership housing schemes are tailored for people who cannot afford to buy a suitable home by outright purchase, and who are in housing need. When someone moves out of a shared ownership property, their property will either be offered to the housing association to find a buyer or it may be advertised in the local estate agents. Shared ownership affordability can be estimated by assuming the householder will purchase a 25 per cent share of the property. To buy this 25 per cent share, the householder would need at least a 10 per cent deposit. Rent would be paid on the unsold equity at a rate of 2.75 per cent. It is likely that a small service charge would also be applicable. Table 3 estimates shared ownership affordability. There are only 10 shared ownership properties in Barton. One has recently been sold. However, all are believed to be part of a sheltered housing scheme with age restrictions applying to occupation. Should a household not be able to afford or find a shared ownership, then they could opt for a rental property The national living wage, introduced in April 2016, pays 7.20 per hour but only applies to those aged 25 and older 12 Some Housing Associations will seek a minimum purchase share of 30 per cent Page 10 of 23

11 Table 3: Cost of purchasing a 25 per cent share of a shared ownership property 13 Property Value Deposit required (Assume 10%) Mortgage required (Subsidy required shown below in brackets) Mortgage cost pcm (Assume rate of 5% for 25 yrs) Rent / equity loan interest charge pcm Total pcm Household income required 240,000 6,000 54,000 ( 180,000) 300,000 7,500 67,500 ( 225,000) 360,000 9,000 81,000 ( 270,000) , , , ,576 Renting Table 4 shows the typical cost for renting privately and compares this with the typical rental cost of a new Housing Association property. The Government has recently taken steps to bring social housing rents closer to private sector ones, with rents for new tenants set at up to 80 per cent of the amount you would have to pay in the private sector. Table 4: Comparison of property rental costs in Barton ward, March 2015 February No. of Beds Typical market rent per week (median rent) Entry level rent per week (30 th percentile) Housing Association Maximum affordable rent per week (80% of median market rent) Local Housing Allowance (applicable from 1 April 2015) Source: Figures used adapted and taken from Orbit Homebuy Agents Comparison Tables, July Source: Hometrack (for electoral ward of Barton which includes the parishes of Barton, Coton, Grantchester and Madingley). Page 11 of 23

12 The Local Housing Allowance would not be sufficient to cover the cost of a one, two or three bed property at an affordable rent. Our review found only one rented property currently on the market. 15 A 3 bed detached house is available at 1,295 per calendar month (about 299 per week). This is in line with the median rent but above the Local Housing Allowance. Clearly, accessing the private rented market is about availability as well as affordability. Social rented properties are also in scarce supply. Between March 2008 and December 2013 only two properties became available. They attracted an average of 62 bids each (compared with 54 per property across South Cambridgeshire as a whole) Source: and (as at ) 16 Parish Profiles, Cambridgeshire County Council Research Group Page 12 of 23

13 RESULTS FROM PART ONE VIEWS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTIFYING THOSE IN HOUSING NEED Views on Affordable Housing Development in Barton All respondents to the survey were asked if they would be in favour of a small development of affordable homes for local people within the parish. Seventy eight per cent of respondents supported the principle of such a development and 20 per cent were opposed. Two per cent did not state an opinion. The results are illustrated in Figure 3. The level of support for affordable homes is high compared to similar surveys in other parishes in Cambridgeshire. Support is typically in the range of per cent. Figure 3: Attitude towards affordable housing development 20% 2% In favour Not in favour Not stated 78% Many respondents chose to include additional comments to qualify their answers. A selection is presented here, grouped by theme. They highlight some of the key issues that concern local people. There was particular recognition of the challenges caused by local house prices: I strongly support this. It is very important that local people don't get priced out of living in their home area by the huge inflation in the cost of housing in or near Cambridge Barton is in desperate need of affordable homes for young families and people wanting to start on the housing ladder Village needs more young families and most houses are far too expensive for people on 'ordinary salaries'. Only 'high fliers' can afford to buy here. A more diverse community would be a good thing Any initiative which helps to keep families living in reasonable proximity should be encouraged. This enables self support and reduces reliance on transport and social services support. This infrastructure is clearly going to be inadequate with the projected increase in population implied by the large scale housing plans Page 13 of 23

14 It is very difficult to find smaller homes for younger people locally. There is a will to have homes available for people with local connections I feel strongly that there should be some housing in Barton for local people with a connection to the parish. I know of people who would like to 'move back' to the village but have not been able to There were some concerns about ensuring the properties would be allocated to local people: As long as it's very local people who will benefit from this housing, ie. children or elderly parents of residents, or current residents themselves I support a small affordable housing development in Barton providing it is for local people or those with strong connections to Barton Provided there is no option to sell on at a profit to outsiders There was clearly some concern about the scale of any potential development: Depends what you mean by small yes provided it is small and limited in area and to one area, and does not affect the village character of Barton Small scheme houses There were also a number of comments about location: It would be good if any development was properly integrated in the village - ie. not stuck out on the parish boundary. And very limited size with high quality design as well as excellent construction quality 1. Scheme should be integrated with present homes and not put in an out of way place. 2. Be of very good design from outside and inside Needs to be suitable located. What business in Barton requires employees for this type of housing? Where will these new potential residents send their children to school? The siting of affordable homes should avoid increasing the density of properties in the immediate surrounding area. It is also necessary to minimize the impact on traffic flows and the visual appearance of the village Those opposed to the principle of further affordable housing in Barton focused on the potential impact on the character of the village and the appropriateness of such development in Barton: I believe that the character of the village would rapidly decline and that there is no suitable space for such development Barton is a thriving friendly community of newcomers on the outskirts of Cambridge. Alongside this community, there is an unfriendly, unwelcoming, unpleasant and frankly disappointing hard core of 'locals' who are a disgrace to the English nation. They deserve no support whatsoever. They should be encouraged to move anywhere else in Britain where people are universally friendly and welcoming, and come back when they've learned some manners It s very difficult to respond to this question when we have no visibility as to what the outcome of saying 'yes' is - will it be a small development of 5-6 homes or a larger development of 30? What will the houses look like? Where will they be built? How many Page 14 of 23

15 of the homes will be private? There is a lot of trust placed on voting 'yes' that these homes will be built sensitively to the local communities needs. So I'm saying no for now, and will need to see more information about the development in order to change my mind In addition to these comments there were a couple of much longer comments received from households opposed to an affordable housing development. These have been included as an appendix to avoid disrupting the flow of the report. The survey has revealed a wide range of opinions. There is strong support for the idea of affordable homes for local people in principle. However, respondents have flagged a number of valid concerns that will have to be taken into account if a scheme is to be progressed. These concerns can usually be ameliorated with a well-designed scheme in a suitable location and of an appropriate scale. However, for a minority, no scheme is likely to be acceptable. The Parish Council will need to balance these views when deciding how to proceed. Suitability of Current Home Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not their current home was suitable for their household s needs. Figure 4 shows that 88 per cent of respondents felt their current home is suitable for their household needs, with 11 per cent indicating that their current home is unsuitable for their needs. (One per cent did not answer the question) The 11 per cent of respondents who indicated that their current home is unsuitable for their needs equates to 11 households. Figure 4: Suitability of current home 11% 1% Suitable Not suitable Not stated 88% Page 15 of 23

16 Those stating their current home is unsuitable were asked to indicate the reasons why. Respondents were allowed to give more than one reason for unsuitability, so all responses are recorded. Figure 5 illustrates the reasons respondents gave for their current home being unsuitable. The most commonly cited reasons were No suitable homes available locally, Need own home and Family circumstances are changing. Figure 5: Reasons why current home is unsuitable RESULTS FROM PART TWO IDENTIFYING CIRCUMSTANCES AND REQUIREMENTS Part Two of the Survey was only completed by those respondents who had indicated that their current home is unsuitable for their household s needs and who are therefore potentially in housing need. Responses to Part Two were made on behalf of 11 households (although one identified two potential new households). An assessment of each response has been undertaken by Cambridgeshire ACRE and a decision made regarding whether the household can be considered a potential candidate for affordable housing in Barton based upon, for example: evidence of local connection, eligibility for affordable housing, particular medical and welfare needs, housing tenure and location preference. Page 16 of 23

17 Following this assessment, six households were excluded leaving six households who were actually considered to be in need of affordable housing. The main reason for exclusion was that households were seeking to resolve their housing needs through the open market. A couple expressed a preference for a starter home (a market home discounted by at least 20 per cent) although one would not meet the eligibility criteria. These market home seekers were a diverse group including downsizers, families seeking a larger home and households seeking to switch from rented to owner occupation. The remainder of this section sets out the overall findings regarding those found to be in need of affordable housing in Barton. It should be noted that the results are based on those households completing the Housing Needs Survey. In practice, the total level of housing need (set out in the Summary and Recommendation section) is usually greater due to the addition of Housing Register data. The composition of the households from the two sources may, and often does, vary. Local Connection to Barton Residence and family connections Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they currently live in Barton or whether they had family connections to the parish. Table 5 reveals that all bar one of the households live in the parish. (The other household would qualify for local affordable housing through a family and employment connection) All bar one of those living in the parish have lived in the Barton for at least five years. Also, all bar one of the six households have family living in the parish. In most cases this is a parent(s). In contrast, most of those seeking a market home do not have family living in the parish. Table 5: Length of time living in the village Frequency Less than 1 year years years years 0 More than 15 years 1 Not stated 0 Don t live in village 1 Total 6 Household Composition The survey sought to understand the gender, age and status of those who might potentially live in any affordable housing built as a result of this survey. Number of people who will make up the household Table 6 sets out the number of people making up each household. Most would be small no household would be greater than four people. However, the majority of households do include at least one child. Page 17 of 23

18 Table 6: Number of people in the household Frequency No of people 1 person people people people people people people 0 0 Not stated 0 0 Total 6 households 15 people Gender and Age The majority of the household inhabitants would be female. This simply reflects the gender of the children. The age profile is relatively young which is due to most of the households being families with children. Table 7: Age profile of residents Frequency Under years years years years years years years 0 Over 65 years 1 Not stated 0 Total 15 people Status Table 8 shows the economic status of potential householders. The majority of working age people are in employment. There is only one retired person. The remainder are children (under 16). Page 18 of 23

19 Table 8: Status of people in the household Frequency Employed 7 Unemployed 1 Economically inactive 1 Student 0 Child 5 Retired 1 Not stated 0 Total 15 people Property Type, Size and Tenure The survey allowed respondents to indicate the type (e.g. house, bungalow, flat, etc.), size (in terms of number of bedrooms) and tenure they would prefer. However, in concluding what type, size and tenure of properties should actually be built, this report s recommendations are based on actual need rather than respondent aspirations. This analysis has been done by reference to South Cambridgeshire District Council s Lettings Policy Document. 17 The results are presented in the next section. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION This report has been informed by primary data (the Housing Needs Survey) and secondary data (local house price and income data, Census data, Housing Register). The report has identified a small affordable housing need in Barton parish. Pre-Existing Evidence from the Housing Register The local Housing Register was searched for households in need of affordable housing who either live in Barton or have a local connection to the Parish. There are nine households on the Register that meet these criteria. 18 This data has been combined with the results of this survey in order to calculate overall need. The properties that would need to be built and then let out through a Housing Association to accommodate those households on the Housing Register are as follows 19 : 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 4 bed 5+ bed Total F/H B F/H B F/H B F/H B F/H B Lettings Policy Document, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Housing Register data provided by South Cambridgeshire DC, April Codes used are F (Flat), H (House) and B (Bungalow) Page 19 of 23

20 Findings from the Housing Needs Survey The Housing Needs Survey conducted in Barton identified six households in need of affordable housing. One of these households stated that they were already on the Housing Register leaving a net addition of five households. None these households would require a property let out through a Housing Association as all would potentially be candidates for shared ownership. The properties that would need to be built to accommodate these households are as follows: 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 4 bed 5+ bed Total F/H B F/H B F/H B F/H B F/H B Open market housing Although the primary purpose of the survey was to identify need for affordable housing, a by-product of the exercise was the identification of households seeking to meet their housing needs in Barton through the open market (including starter homes). Rural exception schemes are increasingly likely to include a small element of market housing on viability grounds. Although any market housing sales will not be restricted to local buyers it is worth considering the nature of this need in preparing a scheme. Most of the market need identified was seeking smaller accommodation (2 bedrooms) which is already in short supply in the parish. Conclusion There are 14 households identified as being in need of affordable housing who either live in, or have a local connection to, Barton: 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed 4 bed 5+ bed Total F/H B F/H B F/H B F/H B F/H B Recommendation To fulfil all current and immediate housing need in Barton, 14 new affordable homes would have to be built. A smaller scheme, of say six to ten dwellings (plus any necessary market homes), would be more likely to ensure all properties are let to local people. The balance between affordable rent and shared ownership will also have to be carefully considered. Furthermore, the scale, design and location of any scheme will need to adhere to the planning policy contained within the Local Development Framework for South Cambridgeshire District Council on rural exception sites. Further discussions between the parish council, Hastoe Housing Association and South Cambridgeshire District Council should help inform the proposals for any potential scheme and to ensure that local lettings are maximised. Page 20 of 23

21 APPENDIX 1: ADDITIONAL COMMENTS RECEIVED AS PART OF THE SURVEY The following comments have been included in an appendix due to their length. The survey form itself is flawed: no definition of terms eg. small local housing need relies on self report which is known to be both inaccurate and open to abuse. This is compounded by the lack of requirement to state name and address so that any number of persons may therefore falsify an entry omits comments from all those who do not self-complete the form due to various issues eg. disabled (by sight or mobility), absent from home, too busy, etc. To obtain an accurate picture, the survey should be completed by house to house calls so that all villagers are consulted. Location - there are several areas for infill sites in the village and the village is already straggled along main roads. Therefore it would not seem appropriate to add a rural exception site which would simply straggle the village out even more and would also be in conflict with the already agreed Local Plan. Existing rental properties - some villagers own rental properties within the village. It is known that some villagers who complain that they are in need of housing for their offspring, also own rental properties where those same offspring could live. These properties should also be taken into account and are not addressed by this survey. There are a number of initiatives already being developed in the local area and therefore any survey needs to encompass the wider area eg. Comberton, Coton, Haslingfield. The Parish Council has already declared that more development in the village is inappropriate and this is central to their stance as part of the green lung of the city and the Quarter to Six Quadrant There is a conflict of interest within the Parish Council which contains one councillor who has been trying for many years to sell his farming land for re-development, with a recent offer to the Local Authority to build in excess of 150 houses on various plots around the village. This same councillor s plans are reported at the Parish Council meeting (Feb. 2016): "We know that -- has plans to build 8 houses at Hines Farm and a number of affordable homes (3 to 5) in another part of the village. In the current climate, the plans are likely to be approved. There is therefore a massive conflict of interest for this councillor resulting in zero trust that the Parish Council can act solely for the interests of the villagers since it can be seen as open to persuasion by this councillor. Who is choosing the appropriate housing association? Parish Council meeting (March 2016) makes mention of Hastoe Housing Association and there is no mention of how ACRE came to be involved. The choice of a more neutral housing association eg. S.Cambs. might inspire more trust. Economic viability - who will decide what will make the scheme economically viable and therefore how many private homes will be built? We start by stating that we are not unsympathetic to the issue of affordable housing having two adult children of our own and knowing many young people through our various sporting links. We have been residents of Barton for 17 years and we and our children qualify as local. However, the combination of the large scale existing plans for new housing (including affordable housing) in South Cambs, much of which is within easy distance of Barton, and the nature and historical context of Barton, make it an inappropriate village to consider for development. Page 21 of 23

22 We are somewhat surprised that a housing association should be appointed to undertake an independent housing needs survey. In general we wonder how this process was initiated and by whom. Specifically: (1) Basis for concern. The cover letter for the survey mentions that the Parish Council has 'concern' which assumes comes from the statistics mentioned in the Parish Council meeting notes. However, as far as we know, there is no particular percentage of homes that is required to be social housing and would imagine that it is very context sensitive. For example, it would seem logical to take into account the local population demographic, availability of local private rented accommodation, the availability of housing other, nearby locations, the housing need driven by local employment and so on. A simple percentage seems like a blunt measure to us; (2) The survey. Other housing surveys we have seen of sensitive sites have given a much more balanced set of information against which parishioners can make a decision regarding local development. In this case, we would have hoped for more information to be offered around QTSQ objectives, the importance of the green belt and SCDC's view that group villages should be the lowest priority for development. Other surveys tend also to be much more challenging in establishing real 'need' rather than 'would like'; (3) Barton Context. Barton has an important historic setting with conservation areas, PVAAs and surrounded by Green Belt; Barton is not a centre of employment and most people travel to work by car already (census). Barton also has poor infrastructure with already clogged roads and a poor bus service. (4) Local housing plans. Thousands of homes, including affordable housing being built within a few miles of Barton most of which will be accessible to Barton residents. These homes are much better located and connected to major areas of employment. Moreover, there is no pressure for Barton to build; the revised local plan defines Barton as a Group Village and the local plan identifies enough housing without developing in Group or Infill villages. Indeed SCDC did not even undertake Sustainability Analysis on any of the proposed sites outside the major villages. It seems odd to us to consider developing sites in Barton before the Local Plan has had its final examination and hopefully, approval; (5) More locally, Bennell Farm in Comberton, and now part of the local plan, includes 90 homes including more than 30 affordable, just a mile or so down the road. It is worth noting though, that there were strong objections based, among other things, on the availability of doctors and infrastructure issues such as limitations in water supply, sewerage, traffic and so on. Many of these objections are equally valid for Barton if not more so. A show of hands at the Parish meeting rejected the plan by 69 to 0 indicting deep seated concern amongst locals of housing. developments when given complete picture. Finally, we wonder if this is a roundabout way of pushing through the proposed development at Hines Farm, which we have objected to previously. As previously discussed, it sits within the QTSQ and across a Conservation Area/ PVAA. In addition, as we understand the criteria for Exception Sites, the site sits within the village setting which would doubly disqualify it for development. Page 22 of 23

23 APPENDIX 2: CHOICE BASED LETTINGS AND LOW COST HOME OWNERSHIP Most people access affordable housing through either the Choice Based Lettings or Low Cost Home Ownership schemes. These prioritise people with the greatest level of need. Rural exception sites differ in that they prioritise local connections to a parish over level of need. Choice Based Lettings Home-Link is the Choice Based Lettings scheme for the Cambridge subregion. Choice Based Lettings aims to make the application process for affordable rented housing easier and to give people more choice about where they live. Housing is allocated on a needs basis. In other words, those people that have the greatest level of need and have been in need for the longest time are given priority. Everybody on the Housing Register is assessed and placed into a band of need. Band A is the greatest level of need. Band D is the lowest. The scheme means there is just one Housing Register for the Cambridge sub region with only one form to complete. When applicants are accepted onto the Register they are told what Band they have been assigned to, what size and types of property they can apply for and which areas they can apply in. Generally people can apply for properties within the Local Authority in which they reside. If the person has a local connection to other areas (through, for example, work) they may be able to apply in these areas as well. A small proportion of properties in every Local Authority are set aside for applicants living anywhere in the Cambridge sub region. A distinctive feature of rural exception sites is that they have a local connection condition attached to all affordable dwellings in perpetuity. This means that priority will always be given to people with a local connection to the parish even when their level of need is assessed to be lesser than other potential applicants. Low Cost Home Ownership Ownership. bpha, the government-appointed Help to Buy Agent, responsible for marketing all low cost home ownership schemes in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, offers a Shared Ownership scheme called Help to Buy Shared People buy a share in a property built by a housing association and pay a subsidised rent on the part that they do not own. They can buy an initial share of between 25% and 75% of the property and pay rent on the remaining share. In some shared ownership schemes, the householder can buy additional shares until they own the property outright. This is known as staircasing. However, on rural exception sites ownership is limited to 80% to ensure the dwellings remain affordable in perpetuity. Again, priority is given to people with a local connection to the parish. Page 23 of 23