Housing & Planning

•     Introduction
•     Surveys Questions
•     Main Findings
•     Issues
•     Priorities
•     Action Plan

Introduction

This section of the plan explores the housing type and level of development in the village and whether residents feel that further expansion is desirable. Although increased levels of housing are not proposed on a significant scale residents were able to express their concern about the nature and type of any housing which may be permitted in the future.

The village has a variety of housing types ranging from the traditional heartland of the village with its distinctive and individualistic housing stock to the newer estates of the 1960’s and 1970’s which significantly changed the scale of the settlement. The local housing association Colne Valley Housing has provided some housing for rent in recent times, but overall provision of social housing is a declining feature of dwelling provision in the village.

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Survey Questions

The most relevant surveys to this part of the plan are the household survey and the survey issued to clubs and organisations. All had questions relating to these areas of interest and the response was sufficient to have statistical significance.

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Main findings from the surveys

a. Future Village Expansion

Residents overwhelmingly rejected any prospect of increased level of housing with 91% of households not wishing to see increased levels of housing. Clubs and organisations also felt that larger scale development was not desirable.

b. Type of future housing provision

If new development is permitted in the future households favoured the provision of warden controlled homes for the elderly, small family homes and retirement homes. Organisations mirrored this response and added that there is also a shortage of affordable housing for younger people and families who are inevitably forced to move elsewhere for housing.

c. Other concerns

Concerns raised in the surveys were mainly centred on the degree of infilling which has occurred, the pressure that additional housing places on infrastructure such as the school and transport services. Other comments were received relating to the poor unsympathetic type of housing which infilling can result in and an overall lack of quality planning

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Issues emerging from the surveys

a. Household Surveys

1. Fears of significant housing for the village.
2. Some controls over infilling.
3. Poor quality planning in the village.
4. Need for small family housing.

b. Survey of Clubs and Organisations

1. Affordable housing.
2. Housing for elderly residents.
3. No estate type development.

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Top Issues to take forward

The top five areas to take forward from this area of the plan were established through the survey of priorities held in spring 2008:

•     No additional significant levels of new housing for the village, especially estate type development;
•     Some controls over infilling;
•     Poor quality planning in the village;
•     Need for small family housing;
•     Affordable housing;
•     Provide housing for older residents.

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Action Plan

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Copyright © 2007 West Bergholt Parish Council
Last modified: 01-Dec-2008