Clerk: Mrs. L Rampton

Parish Council Office,

Winscombe Community Centre,

11 Sandford Road, Winscombe,

North Somerset BS25 1JA

Tel: 01934 844257   Fax: 01934 844292

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Affordable Housing Working Party Meeting Notes

Tuesday 16th March 2010, 2.30 pm.

Mawson Room, Winscombe Community Centre

 

Councillors Present:         Steve Bridges (SB), Archie Forbes (AF), Geoff Luckett (GLu), Avril Richmond (AR), Chris Sampson (CS), Mike Williamson (MW).

Others Present:                        Louise Davidson (LD), English Rural Housing Association (ERHA)

Janet Wallis (JW), County Secretary, Avon Local Councils Association (ALCA)

Clerk:                           Lynne Rampton (LR)

 

Apologies for Absence:            None

 

                       

Update on the need for Affordable Housing in this Parish: Forty three completed ‘Registration of Interest forms’ for Affordable Housing from those with a local connection to this Parish are currently held by ERHA. Detailed information (excluding personal information) is to be summarised by ERHA as discussed by the Working Party into a form to be published, understood and agreed by the Parish Council. To date registration of interest forms have been sent to Winscombe and Sandford Parishioners currently on the NSC Housing waiting list but attempts have yet to be made to contact those employed in the Parish.

 

A decision has been made by the Parish Council at an extraordinary meeting held on 24th February 2010 that the Village Housing Survey 2008 is to remain on the Parish Council website at this time. Information may be updated following conclusion of the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) investigation of ERHA regarding their involvement with this Parish and will also include condensed information from the registration of interest forms received.

 

Update on the Exception Site Search Report: Following publication of the second version draft report in July 2009 and an invitation for public comment, an updated (third) version of the report to include criticisms and comments of the previous two reports from a NSC Planning Officer was discussed.  Further attempts are being made by LD to obtain written confirmation from owners of land (or their agents) identified in the report inside the settlement boundary for availability of land for affordable housing is currently taking place. Further attempts are also being made to obtain written confirmation as to the availability of the highest priority ‘exception’ sites previously identified in site search reports. Further comments on the report should be submitted to LD through LR.

 

It would appear from comments provided by NSC on the report at the present time that planning constraints on  ‘sustainability of a remote site’ such as sites in Sandford are considered less important than a more suitably located site that is situated close to local amenities but within the Mendip Hills AONB.  As there is little land outside the settlement boundary of Winscombe not in the AONB, concern was expressed that this guidance conflicts with proposals for the Core Strategy that intends to remove the settlement boundary for Sandford and include Winscombe as a ‘service village’ that will be expected to provide affordable housing to neighbouring local communities.

 

Following publication of the draft ‘Exception’ site search and selection report in July 2009, contact has been received at ERHA from the agent of a landowner of a site identified within the report. This land is situated outside the AONB and early negotiations are currently taking place. Should negotiations between ERHA and the landowner progress, an early Key Stakeholder Event and public consultation event will be arranged. Pre-planning discussions would include the Parish Council and the scale of any proposed development would be determined by site suitability.

 

The way forward: Should NSC Planners have further comment on the third draft Exception Site Search report when submitted, a visit to the Parish will be requested by ERHA to enable planning officers to assess the suitability and/or constraints of individual sites. Representatives from the Parish Council Affordable Housing Working Party will be invited to attend.

 

Other information: It was advised that should Affordable Housing proceed in Cheddar, a section 106 agreement for the development will include a local connection criteria.

 

Meeting closed at 3.45 pm*