Irton with Santon Parish

Housing Needs Survey Report November 2009 Irton with Santon Parish Cumbria Rural Housing Trust Redhills House, Redhills Business Park, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0DT T: 01768 210264 E: email@crht.org.uk W: www.crht.org.uk Data Protection Registration Number Z810236X Company Registration Number 292 0997 Registered Charity Number: 1064136

Cumbria Rural Housing Trust Redhills House, Redhills Business Park, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0DT T: 01768 210264 E: email@crht.org.uk W: www.crht.org.uk Irton with Santon Parish Housing Needs Survey November 2009 CONTENTS 1. Return Rate & Map of Survey area 2. Introduction & Key Findings 3. Recommendations & Observations 4. Summary of Survey Part One, Questions 1 to 8 - All respondents 5. Summary of Survey Part Two, Question 9 to 19 - Those assessed in need of affordable housing (Note - Due to the small size of the parish population, this section has been not inserted into the final report to ensure anonymity of respondents, but further information is available if needed from CRHT) 6. Comments from the surveys Appendix 1 - House Prices Appendix 2 - Letters and Survey Form Appendix 3 Assumptions and Criteria

Irton with Santon Housing Needs Survey 2009 Return Rate and Map of Survey Area Requested Return Date Parish Surveyed No. of survey forms issued No. of survey forms returned Return Rate (%) 23rd November 2009 Irton with Santon 202 50 24.75%

Irton with Santon Parish Housing Needs Survey November 2009 2. Introduction & Key Findings In November 2009, Cumbria Rural Housing Trust, commissioned by the Lake District National Park (LDNP) conducted a Housing Needs Survey in Irton with Santon Parish with the purpose of identifying the need for affordable housing. This report details the information derived from the survey responses. The survey work undertaken at local level provides information for Parish Councils/Meetings regarding the housing needs of their community and is essential evidence for the Lake District National Park, Copeland BC, Registered Social Landlords and developers to establish if there is a need for affordable housing. Copies of the findings of the survey were distributed to Irton with Santon Parish Clerk, the Lake District National Park and Copeland BC and are placed on the Cumbria Rural Housing Trust web site. The Survey 202 survey forms were delivered by post to the households and businesses of the parish of Irton with Santon with a return date of 23 rd November 2009. 50 households returned their completed forms. This is a return rate of 24.75% which is below the average 35% return rate for this type of survey in Cumbria since the beginning of 2006. The percentage of non main residences (9.7% in the 2001 census) within the parish may be a contributory factor to this return rate, as possibly the lack of a Parish Council at the time of the survey to promote the importance of the survey. Of the returned forms, there were 9 responses, saying that either the whole household or someone living within the household wished to move within the parish in the next 5 years. See Appendix 3 for the criteria used to determine whether a household is in need. Housing Need Of these 9 survey responses indicating a housing need, 3 households are in need of affordable housing in the parish within the next 5 years. 2 of the households are in need of rented accommodation, and 1 could afford Shared Ownership. 1 of the respondents stated they lived in the National Park, one stated they were outside the Park, and one gave no answer or address. None of households stated that they were registered on a Housing Association or other waiting list. The current household types of those in housing need are: Housing Need Now - total 12 months - Total 3 years - Total 5 years - Total Total Adult Child - First independent home - - 2 1 3 Family with adult children (over 18) - - - - 0 Family with young children (under 18) - - - - 0 Single -- - - - 0 Couple - - - - 0 Total 0 0 2 1 3 It is considered that the remaining 6 responses did not fit the LDNP s criteria for being in need of affordable housing within the parish in the next 5 years. 2. Irton with Santon Parish Introduction & Key Findings March 2009

Irton with Santon 2009 Housing Needs Survey The type of housing need assessed by CRHT from responses from these 3 are: Housing and number of beds required 2 bedroom House 0 1 2 3 move... 3 years 5 years The gross (before tax) weekly income for the whole household of the 3 households with a housing need are: Gross (before tax) w eekly income 351-400 101-150 Unspecified 0 1 2 move... 3 years 5 years Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey - Key Findings Printed 11/11/2010

Irton with Santon Parish - Housing Needs Survey 2009 3. Methodology, Analysis and Recommendations Irton with Santon Housing Needs Survey was commissioned by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA). Due to the lack of a Parish Council at the time of the survey, Cumbria Rural Housing Trust liaised with the Parish Clerk to take forward the survey. A survey form was delivered by post to every house in the Parish of Irton with Santon including second homes and businesses. The return date was the 23 rd November 2009. A letter from Cumbria Rural Housing Trust was included with the form, explaining the importance of the survey, encouraging people to return the completed form, and explaining that further copies of the form were available for households with people with separate housing needs, or for businesses with employees who needed to live locally. A pre-paid return envelope was also provided. Letters and forms were also sent to all businesses in the parish. See Appendix 2 for a copy of the letter to households, letter to businesses, and the CRHT survey form. Analysis Fifty households returned completed forms to Cumbria Rural Housing Trust who have analysed the data to produce this report. Please see Appendix 3 for the assumptions and criteria used to assess the housing needs of the households. Most of the Parish lies with the Lake District National Park, so is governed by its planning policies, but a small area near Holmrook lies outside the Park and comes under Copeland BC s planning policies. House Prices House sale prices were found on the www.housepricemaps.co.uk web site for Irton with Santon for 2009-2010. See Appendix 1. Open Market Prices House Prices for houses for sale on the open market were obtained from Right Move www.rightmove.co.uk. 3. Irton with Santon Parish - Recommendations & Observations Page 1 of 5 November 2009

Affordability Calculations To determine whether households could afford to buy a house on the open market in the parish of Irton with Santon, the above information was used along with information on household income, as per the following table. The details are indicated as Affordability Potential (AP) on the analysis table. Household Income Annual Income (x 52) Mortgage (x 2.9) Mortgage (x 3.5) Dual Income Single Income Less than 100 / week 5,252 15,230 18,383 101-150 / week 5,252-7,800 15,230-22,620 18,383-27,300 151-200 / week 7,801-10,400 22,621-30,160 27,301-36,400 201-250 / week 10,401-13,000 30,161-37,700 36,401-45,500 251 300 / week 13,001-15,600 37,701-45,240 45,501-54,600 301-350 / week 15,601-18,200 45,241-52,780 54,601-63,700 351-400 / week 18,201-20,800 52,781-60,320 63,701-72,800 401-450 / week 20,801-23,400 60,321-67,860 72,801-81,900 451-500 / week 22,401-26,000 67,861-75,400 81,901-91,000 501-550 / week 26,001-28,600 75,401-82,940 91,001-100,100 551-600 / week 28,601-31,200 82,941-90,480 100,101-109,200 601-650 / week 31,201-33,800 90,481-98,020 109,201-118,300 651-700 / week 33,801-36,400 98,021-105,560 118,301-127,400 701-750 / week 36,401-39,052 105,561-113,250 127,401-136,682 751-800 / week 39,053-41,600 113,250-120,640 136,683-145,600 800 + / week 41,601 + 120,640+ 145,601+ Assessment of need for affordable housing in the parish in the next 5 years It is important to note that a Housing Needs Survey offers only a snap shot of the housing situation in the parish at the time of the survey, and this will alter with increasing/decreasing values of housing, policies of lenders, the economic climate, demographic changes in the community and as individuals situations change. Of the 9 respondents indicating a housing need, 3 households were identified as in need of affordable housing in Irton with Santon Parish in the next 5 years. 2 appeared to be within the National Park, whilst another stated they lived outside the National Park. Recommended affordable housing needs & when needed 2 bed House Rent 2 bed House Shared Ownership Total Now - - 0 12 months - - 0 3 years 1 1 2 5 years 1-1 Total 2 1 3 Existing tenure of households deemed to be in need Move now 12 months 3 years 5 years Total Own Home, no mortgage - - - - 0 Rent from council or Housing Association - - - - 0 Rent from private Landlord - - - - 0 Own home with mortgage - - - - 0 Tied accommodation to job - - - - 0 Live with parents or relatives - - 2 1 3 Other - - - - 0 Total 0 0 2 1 3 3. Irton with Santon Parish - Recommendations & Observations Page 2 of 5 November 2009

Householders deemed not to be in need of affordable housing in the parish Not in need of affordable housing in the parish Number Insufficient evidence to determine a need 2 Unsuitably housed, insufficient evidence to determine a need, possible emerging independent household 2 Suitably housed, could afford on open market, and not resident in parish long enough 1 Suitably housed, possible emerging household in 5 10 years - Present house suitable for next 5 years 1 Not fit the LDNP criteria for local as not working or living in parish at present - Total 6 Of the households deemed not in need: 2 responses had adult children who may be in need of affordable housing (1 aged 20 29, and 1 aged 15-19) as possible emergent households in the next 5 years, but insufficient evidence was given to assess fully the situation. So there may be a further 2 emergent households in the next 5 years, both of whom appeared to be in need of affordable housing. Current Supply of Affordable Housing and Turnover At present there is some social housing, or housing association houses, in the parish and properties in neighbouring parishes available as rented. However it appear that it would be unlikely that the turnover in these properties would meet the need for affordable housing in the next 5 years. The Home Group list 3 properties at Key How (near to the Bower House hotel) as part of their stock. The turnover on these is low and unlikely to meet much local need. There is another property at Santon Cottages, also in Irton Parish. Impact Housing Association developed the 12 properties at New Close in Eskdale in 1993. The houses have had some turnover, sometimes with a lot of interest, and sometimes less demand. There is little social housing in Drigg & Carleton, Gosforth, Muncaster or Wasdale parishes, and each parish has its own need for more affordable housing. From the survey responses, none of the households indicating a need stated that they were on the local Housing Association registers. It may be a role for the Parish Council in the future to encourage households (especially young people) to join the Housing Registers (and Choice Based Letting register when it comes into place) so that when affordable housing becomes available they gain points for the time they have been registered. Recommendations There is a small need for affordable housing in the parish so if a suitable site became available, a small mixed development of 2 3 bedroom houses would seem appropriate, some for 1 rent and 1 for Shared Ownership. The need is for adult children, looking for their first independent home, and one household is a newly formed couple. These households may go on to have children so there may be a future need for 3- bedroom properties. In the longterm, 3-bedroomed properties give the ability to retain families in the area in suitable housing, and helps to keep a sustainable and viable community. One of the households would like to build their own house, but under present Lake District National Park policies this would be unlikely to get planning permission due to the deeply rural nature of the parish. They have been put down for Shared Ownership instead due to their savings and income. 3. Irton with Santon Parish - Recommendations & Observations Page 3 of 5 November 2009

Independent No. Reasons given by respondent for being in need of alternative housing. Reason for needing to be in the Locality Housing Aspiration/Need (What the respondent would prefer) In Housing need, as assessed against criteria (inc. reasons, & assessment how need met), plus Affordability Potential (AP) Number of type of need of affordable housing Recommended type of tenure Rent, intermediate Rent, Shared ownership, Self-build CRHT Recommend Bedrooms Households assessed to be in need of affordable housing within Irton with Santon Parish in the next 5 years 1 Adult child Move within 3 years Setting up home for the first time 2 Adult child Move within 5 yrs Setting up home for the first time Live in the parish now (over 10 yrs) Live in this parish now (over 10 yrs) Currently employed in this parish 2 bed flat Rent/buy on open market No preference given for location 2 bed house Buy on open market Gosforth Yes in need of AH 2 Bed House Rent AP: 68,250 Yes in need of AH 2 Bed House Rent 1 R 2 2 R 2 3 Adult child Move within 3 yrs Setting up home for the first time Couple setting up home together Have close family ties in this parish Live in this parish now (over 10 yrs) Born/grew up in this parish Have close family ties in this parish 4 bed house Buy on open market (also states would like to Self Build if could get planning permission) Irton AP 25,300 Yes in need of AH 2 Bed House Shared Ownership AP:? Respondent states 125-150k 1 Shared Ownership 2 Irton with Santon Parish Recommendations & Observations Page 4 of 5 November 2009

Independent No. Reasons given by respondent for being in need of alternative housing. Reason for needing to be in the Locality Housing Aspiration/Need (What the respondent would prefer) In Housing need, as assessed against criteria (inc. reasons, & assessment how need met), plus Affordability Potential (AP) Number of type of need of affordable housing Recommended type of tenure Rent, intermediate Rent, Shared ownership, Self-build CRHT Recommend Bedrooms Households assessed not to be in need of affordable housing within Irton with Santon Parish in the next 5 years 1 Adult child Move within 5 yrs? Setting up home for the first time? Not in need Insufficient evidence to determine a need Possible emerging household N E? 2 Family, young children Move now Private tenancy ending shortly Renting, would like to buy Live in the parish now (0-3 yrs) 4 bed house Buying on open market Eskdale AP:? Not in need Could satisfy needs on open market AP: 270,640 N 3 Family, young children Move now Present home too small 4 Adult child Move within 5 yrs? Live in the parish now (5-10 yrs) 4 bed house Shared ownership/buying on open market Santon Not in need Insufficient evidence to determine a need though it appears that present accommodation is satisfactory AP? Not in need Insufficient evidence to determine a need Possible emerging household N N E? AP:? 5 Couple Not in need Insufficient evidence to determine a need N 6 Family with young children Live in this parish now (3 5 yrs) AP:? Not in need Insufficient evidence to determine a need AP:? N Irton with Santon Parish Recommendations & Observations Page 5 of 5 November 2009

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone 1. YOUR HOUSEHOLD Number of people living in your home in each of the following age groups? 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned 0 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 Male 2 1 2 1 2 4 3 15 9 5 9 Female 1 2 0 2 3 4 6 10 15 9 5 Number of people living in your home... 30 46 survey forms completed this question 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 8 Which best describes your household? 12% Couple Family - adult children 8% 2% Family - young children No response 10% 54% Other Single 14% Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone 2. WHAT IS THE TENURE OF YOUR HOME? 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned Rent - Council or Housing Association Ow n home no mortgage Other Rent from Private Landlord Ow n home w ith mortgage No response 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Other... 1 A Trust House Is this home...? 2 1 3 No response Holiday let Holiday home Permanent residence 44 Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone 3. YOUR HOUSEHOLD'S OCCUPATION All occupations in your household. 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned 1 Animal Care 1 Architect 1 Builder 1 Catering 3 Education 1 Engieering 6 Engineering 7 Farmer 1 Gardener 1 Housewife 1 I.T. 1 Insurance 1 Legal 1 Life Coach 3 Manager 1 Marketing 4 Medical 1 None - Ill health 1 Physiotherapist 2 Retail 36 Retired 1 Secretary 2 Self employed 1 Solicitor 2 Student 1 Surveyor 1 Teacher 1 Team Leader 1 Technician Does any of your household work from home? 4 35 No response Yes No 11 No. of people working from home 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 Average miles travelled to get to work? 60 50 no. of people 40 30 20 10 0 Under 5 5-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 50+ miles Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned What is your household's total weekly income? 35 30 25 households 20 15 10 5 0 101-200 301-400 601-700 701-800 800+ No response w eekly income 4. LENGTH OF RESIDENCE IN THIS PARISH? How long have you lived in the parish? 20 18 16 14 households 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 <5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 30+ years Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone 5. HOUSING REQUIRED 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned W hat type of homes are needed in this Parish? Other Single people No further homes are needed Elderly people People w ith disabilities Large families Small families Young people 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 Other: 1 Sheltered housing to buy Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone 6. OBJECTIONS 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned Would you object to a small number of new homes in the parish to meet the needs of local people? 5 4 No response Yes No 41 If Yes, briefly explain your concerns... Adequate for demand It would depend on where Part of National Park Subject to location But only in the right places Must build in keeping with older homes Set a precedent & open floodgates Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone 7. POTENTIAL SITES/BUILDINGS 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned Sites thought to be suitable for development... Number of responses 13 Land around Cross Keys 6 Land next to Church Rise near surgery 6 Old Railway Sidings 2 Highfield 1 Between Santon & Gosforth 1 Don t know any 1 Egremont 1 Field at Old Tebay 1 Field at Santon Cottages 1 Greengarth 1 Gubbergill 1 Infill sites 1 Irton Flats 1 Irton Levels 1 Krkby Stephen road nr roundabout 1 Near existing services/housing 1 Opposite (in field) Woodend Cottage 1 Prepared area near Low Lane 1 Roundthwaite 1 Santon Bridge 1 Santon Village 1 Thornhill 1 Whitehaven 1 Within village boundaries Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone 8. YOUR FUTURE HOUSING INTENTIONS Do you need to move to another home in this parish now or w ithin 5 years? 4 4 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned No response Yes No 42 Does anyone currently living with you need to set up home separately now or within 5 years? 4 7 No response Yes No 39 Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Responses to Part 1 (Questions 1 to 8) - completed by everyone How many former members of your household left this village/parish in the last few years? 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 202 survey forms issued 50 survey forms returned 0 0 1 2 Number not given If household members left, w hy w as this? 1 Other Marriage Lack of public transport Job elsew here Lack of affordable housing 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 Cumbria Rural Housing Trust - Housing Needs Survey Printed 23/11/2010

Irton with Santon 2009 Section 6 Additional comments: There is adequate housing of an appropriate range and size in the Irton/Santon area for the present demand, in fact numerous holiday homes are in the area. More and more houses coming on the market are being bought as holiday homes/second Difficult to evaluate housing need when you are not a full time resident. Quite a few homes in Holmrook seem to have come up for sale recently There is excess demand for holiday cottages. The provision of affordable housing needs to go hand in hand with the provision of local services and public transport which currently does not exist in this parish. I have sent next doors form on to the owner as it is a holiday let. There are nine houses in Santon and only three are permanent residents. The rest are holiday lets which is disgusting. Prices are too high for locals to buy so second home owners step in for further reward. We have no evidence that anyone we know is looking for housing. Half of Santon Parish houses are holiday cottages. There are no affordable larger houses. We need a larger house so will have to move out of the parish. Local occupancy/shared ownership family homes (4 bed) are required in Santon/Gosforth. Currently there appears to be a planning policy of allowing conversion/development of buildings for holiday let purposes, but not residential purposes within the National Park. This would not help anyone wishing/needing to live here and further increases house prices house prices in our opinion. A large amount of housing stock seems to be holiday homes which are not used for large parts of the year. Housing for rental - like New Close at Gubbergill - is essential for the future of the area My adult child and partner would like to build their own house locally but owing to the Lake District planning authorities regulations are not able to.

IRTON WITH SANTON HOUSE PRICES - APPENDIX 1 From House Prices (Houses sold in the last year (from Land Registry) Properties in Parish of IRTON WITH SANTON Detached Semi- detached Terraced Flat/Maisonette Overall Av Price Sales Av Price Sales Av Price Sales Av Price Sales Av Price Sales May 2009 to July 2010 389,000 2 0 0 0 389,000 2 House prices for Irton With Santon from Rightmove.co.uk 30 July 2010 (Houses for sale at the current time) Property Type Number of Bedrooms Open Market Price Detached Bungalow 3 220,000 Irton Property prices

Cumbria Rural Housing Trust APPENDIX 2 Redhills House, Redhills Business Park, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0DT T: 01768 210264 E: email@crht.org.uk W: www.crht.org.uk Affordable Homes for Local People - Irton with Santon Parish Housing Needs Survey Dear Resident / Householder Please take a few moments to read this and complete and return the enclosed forms. Cumbria Rural Housing Trust is carrying out a housing needs survey in Irton with Santon parish, supported and funded by the Lake District National Park. Why is this survey needed? The survey is designed to help us identify the housing needs for local people in the Irton with Santon area. Who is carrying it out? The survey is conducted by Cumbria Rural Housing Trust, an independent charity that researches housing needs in rural Cumbria, and works to ensure homes are available and affordable for local people where needed. Please contact us if you need any help in filling in the form. What should I do if someone in my household needs housing locally? If anyone in your household is in need of a house to buy or rent now, or may be in need of one in the next five years, please complete both Part 1 and Part 2. Please include anyone who works in the parish and has a need to live here, and anyone who has left but would like to return. If you need extra copies of the form as there are several people in your household in separate housing need, please contact Cumbria Rural Housing Trust on 01768 210264, who will send out extra copies of the form. What if no-one in my household plans to move in the next 5 years? Even if no-one in your household is in need of housing, please fill in Part 1. This will then help to give an overview of the housing situation in the parish. By filling in the form you will be helping those in need now and in the future. What if my house is a second home or a holiday cottage? Please complete Part 1. It will be helpful to give an overall picture of homes in Irton with Santon. Why do I need to give personal information? The personal information is needed so that Cumbria Rural Housing Trust can compare Irton with Santon with other communities in Cumbria. Without this information, it will be difficult to decide whether to give priority to funding affordable housing here rather than elsewhere. If you do not wish to answer some of the questions, leave them blank. However, to assess if a household is in need of affordable housing and cannot afford to buy on the open market, it is important that all the questions are completed in Part 1 and Part 2. What will happen to the information? Your information will be kept strictly confidential by Cumbria Rural Housing Trust, which is covered by the Data Protection Act. No personal details will be identifiable to an individual in the report, and if you give your name and address, it will not be passed on to anyone else without your permission. Only Cumbria Rural Housing Trust will see the forms they will not be shown to any other body. What do I do with my completed forms? Please return your completed forms in the envelope provided by 23 November 2009. Where can I see the results? A copy of the completed survey report will be available on the Cumbria Rural housing Trust website. Please contact us if you need any help in filling in the form. Thank you in advance for your help. Judith Derbyshire, Manager, Cumbria Rural Housing Trust Cumbria Rural Housing Trust, Redhills House, Redhills Business Park, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0DT. www.crht.org.uk Data Protection Registration Number Z810236X Company Registration Number 292 0997 Registered Charity Number: 1064136

Cumbriia Rurall Housiing Trust Redhills House, Redhills Business Park, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0DT Dear Employer, We are conducting a Housing Needs Survey in Irton with Santon Parish. If you have any work colleagues who live outside Irton with Santon Parish, but who may have a need to live in the Parish, could you please ask them to contact us on 01768 210264 so that we can send them a housing needs questionnaire of their own to complete and return before the deadline of 23 rd November 2009 Those people who work in the Parish, but who cannot afford to live there, may meet the criteria for being in need of affordable housing in the Parish. We therefore need to reach these people, and we hope that employers in the parish will be able to help. We would be grateful if you could ask them to mark clearly on the form that they work in the Parish of Irton with Santon and also where they live now. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Yours faithfully, Vicky Thirlwell Administrator For more info about Cumbria Rural Housing Trust, please look on www.crht.org.uk

Irton with Santon Parish - Housing Needs Survey 2008 Appendix 3 Assumptions and Criteria The following criteria were used to assess if people were in housing need for the area surveyed using national standards and the Lake District National Park definition of local for affordable housing:- 1) Is the person inappropriately housed? The person is living in sub-standard accommodation, or Is living in accommodation shared with parents, or The person is homeless, or The person s current house is too big or too small for the needs of the person and members of his family living with him, or The person s house is unsuitable because of disability, or The mortgage or rent is too expensive, or The tenure of the property is insecure, or The person s current house is in the wrong location because (for example) the person has to commute to work in the immediate locality from a long distance. 2) Is the person unable to afford to rent or buy on the open market? There is a demonstrable disparity between the person s family income and/or assets and local house prices or rents. 3) Does the person need to live in the Immediate Locality? Has the person been a resident of the Immediate Locality for more than three years, or Does the person work (or is coming to work) in the immediate locality? NOTE: A local family connection is not of itself sufficient to demonstrate a need to live in the Immediate Locality. For households outside the LDNP, similar criteria have been used to assess need, but with a wider definition of local. We have used the total weekly income and the affordability calculations table to estimate the possible mortgage available (taking into some consideration the length of mortgage that could be obtained; often related to the person s age) and adding it to any savings or equity to calculate the price of a house they could afford. If the household were a couple who have indicated that they are both working, we have used the Dual Income multiplier of 2.9. Otherwise for single people or couples who appear to have only one income, we have used the Single Income multiplier of 3.5. This gives a range of the mortgage that would be available to them, which, added to any savings, gives the range of their affordability potential, AP. We have then used the average of this range as the figure to assess if they would be recommended for rented accommodation or for Shared Ownership/Shared Equity (SO/SE). Researching the house sales, availability and open market prices in the parish of Irton with Santon, the house prices appear to vary dependent on area, with the western side being less expensive than the eastern side which borders on Eskdale. it is assumed that it is possible to buy a 2 bed roomed terrace property on the open market for 200,000 at the east end of the parish, and at the lower price of 150,000 on the western area. A 3 bedroomed property is starting at 250,000 and above for a detached property. We have estimated a 2 bedroomed bungalow to be around 220,000. We used the estimate of 90,000 as the funds needed to be recommended for SO/SE, with below this recommended as rented. To calculate the level formally would need the house location/size/details, so we have used the figure of 180,000 for a house with 2 bedrooms in the parish, with full section 106 and Affordable Rural Housing conditions (i.e. as the lower quartile value). This price of 180,000 then gives at 50% shared ownership = 90,000 as the limit. Irton with Santon Parish Assumptions & Criteria Page 1 of 2 March 2009

The Housing Corporation s rules allow for a low level of shared ownership (as low as 25%) but in practice the shared ownership usually starts at 40-50%, with the Housing Associations finding it difficult to get the finances to fit for taking the housing building forward with less than 50%, and the mortgage companies are reluctant to give mortgages on less than 40-50%. In case the acceptable level for SO/SE is lowered to 25%, we have also shown the people who we calculate could afford between 25 50% SO/SE if this was thought suitable. Likewise, we have shown figures to indicate SO/SE levels for 75% for households in housing need in the parish. The amount of savings or assets that the household has also been considered as a deposit would be needed for Shared Ownership or buying on the open market. Assumptions Generally if a 1 bed accommodation is requested for rent, Cumbria Rural Housing Trust have recommended 2 bedroom accommodation, as this provides a more flexible and sustainable option for future tenants, and allows growing families with young children to remain in the house and in the community. If a single person or a couple have expressed a need for a house or a flat, Cumbria Rural Housing Trust has put their preference as the recommended option if we can see some justification for this option. If a preference was not given, then a house is given as the preferred recommended option. If it is a family, a house has been recommended. Bungalows have been recommended for older households, over 60-69 or for those who state they have mobility concerns. If a bungalow has been requested without justification, a house has been recommended. If a household member is an adult child aged between 20-29, living with parents or relatives, they have been identified as unsuitably housed and as a possible emerging independent household. If a household member is a teenage child aged 15-19 they are highlighted as suitably housed and a possible emerging independent household, however, depending on the information supplied i.e. if they are currently working in the parish they may be highlighted as an emerging independent household. If children in a household are aged 10-14, it is taken, unless otherwise stated, that they will not be in housing need within the next 5 years. If a household has indicated a need to move but has not stated when, they have been categorised as in need within 5 years. Irton with Santon Parish Assumptions & Criteria Page 2 of 2 March 2009