Results of the North Lincolnshire Rural Housing Needs Survey Announced
26th November 2009
On 28 October HWRCC's Northern Lincolnshire Rural Housing Enabler Project, in partnership with the housing strategy teams of North and North East Lincolnshire Councils, held a Rural Housing event at the CATCH Centre, Stallingborough. The purpose of the event was to discuss the need to sustain village communities in Northern Lincolnshire through the provision of more affordable homes for local people.
Over 30 delegates attended the event, including representatives from Parish Councils, the two Local Authorities, housing associations and developers. Sally Grindrod-Smith and Sam England, of North and North East Lincolnshire Councils, gave a presentation on rural housing issues. This was followed by a presentation by David Broadmeadow, HWRCC'S Rural Housing Enabler and Simon Drummond-Hay, of Fordhams Housing Consultants, on understanding local housing needs.
Simon Drummond-Hay provided a summary of the results of the Housing Needs Survey which Fordhams carried out earlier in the year across all the rural parishes of North Lincolnshire. The survey has shown that there is a net need in the rural parishes of some 493 homes per annum, with the largest need being in settlements, such as, Crowle, Broughton, Winterton, Hibaldstow, Gunness and Barnetby-le-Wold.
David Broadmeadow then focussed on the next steps to ensure the delivery of more affordable homes and it was evident that finding suitable land is critical to achieve more success, and Parish Councils have an important role to play with their strong local knowledge of potential suitable sites.
LOCAL HOMES FOR LOCAL PEOPLE DVD AND THE GUIDE TO THE PROVISION OF RURAL AFFORDABLE HOMES IN NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE LAUNCHED
The event was also an opportunity to launch the dvd ” Local Homes for Local People” and the Guide to the Provision of Rural Affordable Homes in Northern Lincolnshire. The DVD was produced by the Project in partnership with Nunny TV, a community-based media company based in Grimsby. Both the DVD and the Guide have been produced principally to raise awareness of rural housing issues with Parish Councils, several of whom have now received copies of these. Further copies are available from David Broadmeadow at the Barton office, Tel: 01652-662023 or email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
More affordable homes are underway with new schemes of 11 homes nearing completion in West Butterwick and Wroot.
In 2010 we shall be using the results of the housing needs surveys to target investment in those rural communities where there is an identified housing need.