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

Wednesday 25^th November 2009, 2 pm.

The Parish Office, Winscombe Community Centre

Councillors Present:    Steve Bridges (SB), Archie Forbes (AF), Geoff Luckett (GLu), Chris Sampson (CS),

Mike Williamson (MW).

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

Charlotte Brace (CB), NSC Housing Strategy Team

Clerk:                           Lynne Rampton (LR)

Apologies for Absence:            Avril Richmond (AR), Roy Jones (RJ)

Update. LD was welcomed back from maternity leave by the working party. During the absence of LD, a second draft exception site search and selection report was commissioned by ERHA to include Sandford at the request of NSC and this work was carried out by an independent planning consultant.

Further attempts to bring forward other sites for Affordable Housing (both inside and outside the settlement boundaries) identified in this draft document are being made by LD with this work to be evidenced to NSC.

Some criticism has been aimed at the analysis and results published from the initial Village Housing Survey carried out early 2008. It was advised that this survey was identical to that used in some other Parishes and is a ‘broad brush’ survey to compare house prices with income data. Completion of ‘expression of interest’ forms that have yet to be promoted within the Parish will show further depth and detail.

The initial exception site search report included sites for Winscombe only as the NSC Planning Policy Team agreed at that time that the sustainability of a site was an issue. The development of the Sandford Station Care Village was also to provide a number of Affordable Housing units for those meeting the age criteria for the development. Subsequent to the Public Forum held by NSC South Area Committee to discuss Affordable Housing for the Parish, it was requested that the exception site search and selection process be extended to include Sandford. This draft document for the entire Parish has now been in the public domain since July 2009. Whilst further evidence of site availability is required, both NSC and the Parish Council accept the Village Housing Survey 2008 and draft Exception Site Search and Selection Reports. Whilst other options for an Affordable Housing site may exist outside the AONB, it was advised that NSC will not support approval of a site within the AONB.

Early indicative site layout plans for a possible development on land to the end of Well Close have been viewed by ERHA and the Parish Council prior to public consultation events held early 2009 showing the maximum number of houses possible for this site. Amongst concerns raised at these consultation events was a ‘safe route to school’, location within the AONB and scale of the potential development.

Following contact by LD and based on planning issues and the significance of the Well Close site situated in the AONB in planning terms, it is recognised by Summerfield Developments that significant further works would be required prior to a successful planning application for land to the end of Well Close. Neither Summerfield nor ERHA will be submitting/supporting a planning application for land to the end of Well Close and current proposals for the site have been placed in abeyance at this time.

Sustainability of some sites identified within the draft exception site search report was debated with concern being raised that families unlikely to be able to support two cars could be isolated in some locations. Some considered that an Affordable Housing development in Sandford, in addition to the recent construction of the Sandford Station Care Village could help support the re-opening of a village shop. Consideration could be given to the possibility of a ‘Community Shop’? Should site availability allow two schemes for Affordable Housing development within the Parish, these could be progressed at the same time.

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 will be arranged by NSC.

A further public consultation event for the issue of ‘Affordable Housing’ in the Parish is to take place. Should a potential site exist, a provisional date of 23^rd February 2010 for consultation was agreed with a venue to be booked in Sandford in the afternoon followed by an event in Winscombe early evening.

Meeting closed at 3.35 pm