Blueprint: Delivering housing for ?

Collated by Remarkable Engagement

December 2010

Page 1

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. A wider community view – a community survey

4. Estate agents and housing associations

5. Community and charitable groups

6. Employment and commercial

7. Political stakeholders

8. The characters – a future outside of Winchester

9. Conclusion

Page 2 1. Introduction

“I am a strong localist, for one simple reason. I know that the small, the personal and the local work with the grain of human nature and not against it. But this is not some romantic attachment to the patterns of our past. Localism holds the key to economic, social and political success in the future.” David Cameron, Foreword to Control Shift: Returning Power to Local Communities

“Local authorities need to recognise that just because regional targets have gone, the housing need has not.” David Orr, chief executive of National Housing Federation

Localism and national planning guidance One of the foremost areas of change since the coalition attained power in May has been the planning system, where regional targets have been earmarked for replacement with a locally driven set of figures, with local authorities to be given the power to set their own levels of house building.

As part of this move towards locally driven housing targets and planning, Winchester City Council has launched a public consultation on a local plan set to replace what was the emerging Core Strategy. The resulting exercise, labelled Blueprint, will help inform the development of the Local Development Framework; Community Strategy; Vision for Winchester; and Winchester Town Access Plan.

Winchester City Council acknowledges itself the need for responsible positions to be adopted noting:

We have more say and more responsibility

We can’t hide behind Government targets

We can’t pretend we don’t have choices

We can’t leave it to ‘bureaucrats’ and moan that we never get a say

If it goes wrong – it’s our fault The Blueprint

Page 3 Blueprint The Blueprint consultation is being focussed around planning for the future of Winchester District via six characters, designed to act as a representation of the social groups and needs within Winchester District.

These characters are:

Ben and Sarah Ben and Sarah are a young couple who live in a small house rented from a private landlord. They both have good jobs but have to travel a long distance to work. They are considering starting a family and would like to buy their own home but are worried about what they can afford and where it would be best for them to live.

Debbie Debbie is 19, an administrator in a local business. She enjoys going out with her friends at weekends. All of her family live close by but her friends keep moving away and nights at the pub have become quieter.

She currently lives with her parents in a property rented from the Council. Her boyfriend is a local tradesman who has good work prospects but will never earn a high income. Debbie and her boyfriend want to live together and are wondering what their next steps would be.

Don Don is a company manager for a multi-national making high-tech parts for boats and ships. The job supports him and his family. He moved to the area a few years ago when the company could not find a manager who lived in the area. He knows the business is under pressure from overseas competitors and worries about his job.

The company needs: • to recruit well trained workers • have good communication links • find opportunities to promote itself

Jing Jing was a student at a local university who stayed in the area after qualifying. She runs a business sourcing promotional material for larger companies. She started her business from home but now she wants to expand and employ two or three people.

Pam Pam is recently widowed. She lives in the house in which she brought up her family. But she is concerned that looking after the house and garden will become an expense she'd prefer not to have in a few years time. Pam is considering her options.

Page 4 Davis Family Mr and Mrs Davis have three children aged 9, 12, and 15. Mrs Davis commutes to Portsmouth to work and Mr Davis to Basingstoke. They are concerned about the time and expense of their commuting and don't want their journeys to get more difficult as a result of further development.

Each of the groups have challenges relating to housing need and the views of the people they have been designed to represent will be reflected within this report using statistical data, personal interviews and discussions with service providers.

This report will highlight that there are already increasingly difficult issues relating to housing and the lack of provision to enable Winchester to thrive and grow, from recruitment issues, retention of quality staff to pricing people out of Winchester itself.

Page 5 2. Methodology

Blueprint seeks feedback on the future of Winchester through six characters. To understand the issues each of these characters face, a selection of interviews and surveys have been undertaken.

In compiling this document, primary research in the form of an independently- undertaken straw poll and stakeholder meetings have been used together with secondary research to argue that not only is there a need for housing in Winchester, but that it is a need that is widely recognised.

The independent poll of 100 residents was undertaken by Marketing Sciences, a Winchester-based polling agency. The results of the survey are stark:

90% o of people agreed that there is a need for more affordable housing in the City

86% o of people agreed that they knew people who found Winchester too expensive to live in

75% o of people themselves thought Winchester was generally too expensive to live in

67%

o of people felt there is a need for more housing in

Winchester

The full results of the survey are reproduced in the following chapter.

Local bodies and organisations have also been consulted to represent the views of business, local public sector organisations and those who live, work and rent affordable homes in Winchester. We have spoken to estate agents to understand the local market and who is being locked out of Winchester, as well as affordable housing providers.

Lastly, we sought to engage with those who will be responsible for implementing the localism legislation – the politicians – and spoke to a range of representatives from district councillors to former Members of Parliament.

Page 6

3. A wider community view: a community survey

As part of this response to Blueprint, we commissioned Marketing Sciences, a Winchester-based research company engaged in both quantitative and qualitative research, to undertake a street poll to gauge attitudes towards housing need in Winchester.

Methodology Marketing Sciences conducted 100 street interviews with respondents who either work in Winchester or who live in Winchester or its surrounds. Tourists and those who neither live nor work in Winchester were excluded from the research.

The interviews took place between Tuesday 2 and Thursday 4 November 2010.

Respondents were asked a number of questions concerning housing need, affordability of housing, provision of local infrastructure and provision of housing for first-time buyers.

Sample A range of people were interviewed, ensuring a broad spectrum of age, gender, social class, living status and household type were included in the survey.

Of the 100 people interviewed, 34% lived and worked in Winchester; 38% lived in Winchester and worked outside Winchester or did not work; 1% lived within five miles of Winchester and worked in Winchester; 17% lived within five miles of Winchester and worked outside Winchester or did not work; and 10% lived further than five miles away but worked in Winchester.

36% of respondents were male; 64% female.

3% of respondents were under 18; 17% were 18-24; 15% were 25-34; 9% were 35- 44; 27% were 45-64; and 29% were 65 or over.

All four social classes were represented in the survey: 31% were AB; 40% were C1; 10% were C2; and 19% were DE.

In terms of household make-up, 25% were single occupiers; 34% lived in two-person households; 16% lived in three-person households; 14% lived in four-person households; and 11% lived in households of five or more persons. Further, 39% lived with no children (pre-family); 14% lived with children aged up to nine years; 13% lived with children aged 10 or over; and 34% have children who have left home.

With regard to living status, 5% lived with parents; 1% lived rent free; 24% rented from the council; 11% rented from a housing association; 21% rented from someone else; 13% owned their house with a mortgage; and 22% owned their house outright. 3% declined to answer.

Page 7 Results Interviewees were shown various statements and asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement, and the degree to which they agreed or disagreed.

of people agreed strongly to ‘There is a need

48% for more housing in Winchester’ of people agreed strongly to ‘There is a need 78% for more affordable housing in Winchester for first-time buyers’

of people agreed strongly to ‘Winchester is 79% too expensive to live in’

If broken down into those who lived in and out of Winchester, of those who recognised the need for more affordable housing in Winchester, 82% of those who lived in Winchester agreed strongly with the statement; compared to 68% who lived outside of Winchester. On the question of whether the respondent knew people who found Winchester too expensive to live in, the figure was 79% for both.

A higher percentage of people living in Winchester recognised a need for more housing than those living outside of Winchester; the figures were 53% and 36% respectively.

Does Winchester need more housing? (Agree strongly)

Live in Winchester

Live outside of Winchester

82% 68%

When asked whether Winchester was too expensive to live in generally, a significant majority from all categories responded that it was (see chart on following page).

Recognition was strongest amongst families: significantly more respondents with children up to nine (86%) and children aged 10 and over (85%) recognised this than pre-family (79%) and particularly empty nesters (62%).

Page 8 Empty nester

Children 10+ Children up to 9

Pre-family % Live outside of Winchester

Live in Winchester

CDE2

ABC1

0 20 40 60 80 100

Is Winchester too expensive to live generally?

(Agree)

55% of respondents felt there was adequate infrastructure in Winchester.

Community vox pops The survey was supplemented by resident ‘vox pops’, taken within Winchester. We have indicated which Blueprint character each respondent most closely corresponds with:

“House prices are too high for people like me and there is not enough affordable housing. Winchester will stay as it is, a town for older people with key workers commuting in.” Em, Harestock (Debbie)

“The prices are very expensive, much more than when I first moved here 40 years ago. There is nothing available for younger couples to buy and there has to be somewhere made available for key workers to live.” Ronald, (Pam)

“The house prices are ridiculous, there is no way I can afford to buy even a small place and the affordable housing is shocking, the waiting lists are huge. Winchester will become empty, full of old rich people, with workers who can’t afford to live here moving away and just coming in to work.” Paul, Crabwood (Don)

Page 9

“High house prices make it really difficult for young people like me and my partner to buy and there is not enough affordable housing to make up for it. It will get worse than it is now, full of retired people who have moved from London.” Lisa, Stanmore (Ben & Sarah)

There was a strong recognition amongst the local community engaged for this report over the need for more housing within Winchester, and particularly for more affordable housing as well as more affordable open-market housing.

“It’s so expensive I can barely afford to rent with my friends, I could never afford to buy. There are hardly any affordable places available, not for the likes of me anyway. All the young people will leave, move to and places like that where it’s cheaper.” Rachel, Stanmore (Debbie)

“House Prices are definitely very high and agents are cashing in on it. There is not enough affordable housing and there never has been. Winchester will remain as it is, with wealthier people living in the city and those unable to buy commuting in.” Paul, Crabwood (Don)

Page 10 4. Estate agents and housing associations

With any discussion of housing need it is important to discuss the issue with those at the forefront of delivering that housing, both open market and affordable.

We sought to speak to estate agents and affordable housing providers to gauge their view on housing need in Winchester, as both are engaged in housing delivery on a day-to-day basis.

Estate agents were asked to comment upon the availability and affordability of open market housing, whilst affordable housing providers were asked to comment on the provision and availability of it in Winchester.

Open market housing There are numerous estate agents operating in Winchester. We contacted several to get their perception on housing in the city.

Connells Connells is a national estate agent that operates an office in Winchester. A representative described the situation in Winchester as being one where there are "two markets - the absolute top end, millions of pound houses, and the slightly more realistic end of the market".

When asked for his views on the typical purchaser, he said: "You don't get many under 30s buying houses, they tend to be between 30-50, or sometimes 60s, but generally of a more middleclass income band."

He continued: "It's not really considered a place where first-time buyers can get on the property market; you tend to look to for that end of things."

"Winchester is not ideal for first time buyers because of the house

prices. A lot of people living in the city are commuters and this tends to

slightly over inflate house value."

Representative from Connells

We also met with a prominent Winchester estate agent with a good knowledge of land and property in the Winchester district to discuss open market housing in the area. It was drawn from the conversation that the average customer looking to buy in Winchester is affluent and middle to upper class; the majority of people who move to Winchester come with a view to starting a family or with children aged between five and ten.

“People are driven here because Winchester is one of the best places to live in the UK due to the schools and healthcare and also the fact that it is only 55 minutes by train to Waterloo.” Local estate agent

Page 11

“Younger people often leave because they can not afford to buy here, even the outskirts of Winchester are not affordable.” Local estate agent

Affordable housing From Winchester City Council’s annual monitoring report it was reported that 286 new homes were completed in the district during the last financial year (2009/2010).

The previous years, the council noted that the following number of homes had been completed in the district:

• 2006/2007 – 496 homes • 2007/2008 – 562 homes • 2008/2009 – 359 homes

With reference to affordable housing it is clear that not only is delivery of this housing provision inadequate, but it is also wholly against all previously made plans and outlines put forward by Winchester City Council.

Winchester City Council has a set a target of delivering around 375 affordable homes per annum. In 2009, Winchester City Council calculated that 67 affordable homes had been completed within the district.

We spoke to a housing needs officer from the council who confirmed that there are currently 3,100 people on the housing waiting list. The council manages around 5,000 units, with a turnover of around 500 per year.

“It is really tight in general. There can be an average wait of about three years or four years on the housing [waiting list] to get a property. However, we do have a surplus of sheltered properties for the over 60s - and there is not such a wait for those. I know we have only about 150 people who are looking for over 60s property.” Housing Needs officer, Winchester City Council

Commenting on the impact of the housing shortage on Winchester, he said:

“We often see younger families (i.e. couples say in their twenties, with children) still living with their parents, because they can’t get housing they can afford. We call that ‘living at home with family’, and I know we have a lot of customers who are in that category. Because of the shortage of housing supply, they are forced to remain at home. Sometimes, when they come in, and we say the only option is to rent privately, many of them say they can’t afford the private rents in Winchester. Even though they’re complaining about cramped conditions, and lack of privacy if they stay with their parents, they can’t afford to move out.”

Page 12 A strategic housing needs manager added: “It’s [affordable housing] a problem that’s got worse. There’s a combination of factors, and every area has different dynamics. In terms of our waiting list it’s now… about double what it was five years ago, or even four years ago.”

There are a number of housing associations that cover Winchester. We spoke to several, all of whom acknowledged that the provision of affordable housing is a serious problem for Winchester.

Southern Housing Group The Southern Housing Group runs a limited number of homes in the Winchester region. A representative from the group described the situation when one property became available:

"... loads of people had registered an interest by the morning. I was handed a list of 25/30 who had been selected from the very first of the applicants, and that was only page one, if you like, of the people looking. There is always an immediate response like this and if one person can't take it there's a whole queue behind them who can."

“We can never keep up with demand because the local authorities’ housing waiting lists just get longer all the time.” A2 Dominion

Winchester Housing Trust The Winchester Housing Trust is a charity which has been in operation for over 20 years. It is non-profit making and operates approximately 100 properties in Winchester, comprising 50% shared equity and 50% social rented accomodation.

A representative from the trust said that there "is always going to be a need for affordable housing". She continued:

"There's never enough, and you'll never outstrip the demands for low-cost housing, both rented and shared equity. By selling on a shared equity basis, it does help people get on the housing ladder. Some of our tenants may start off in a rented home, but if their circumstances change and they can afford to buy, then we help them to go on to one of our shared equity properties - to take the next step. Then, when they move on, we are able to refill the home. We always retain 25% of the property."

TACT (Tenants and Council Together) TACT is an independent group of tenants and leaseholders which works in partnership with Winchester City Council. The group were formed in 1995 and is Winchester City Council's district-wide tenant and leaseholder forum.

TACT includes representatives from Tenants' Associations, volunteers, senior council officers and elected Members of the Council and meets on the third Wednesday of each month.

Page 13 TACT has two chair people. Alan Rickman, one of TACT’s chair people, voiced concern at the state of affordable housing in Winchester. He said:

“As council tenants, we are very concerned over the whole issue. Out of the money we pay in rent, the Government takes £30 – roughly 40% – in rent from each tenant in Winchester, and various amounts around the country. In Winchester’s case, that is £9m per annum. We cannot afford to have council houses built, because the Government is taking all this money from Winchester Council.”

His main concern, however, was that there are not a sufficient number of new council houses being built:

“The council can’t afford to build new council houses, and we are only just now beginning to keep up with the Decent Homes’ standards. If, say, the council sells some properties to help keep up with the Decent Homes’ standard, some of that money is normally then given to housing associations to build new homes. So, we are very concerned that we are never going to see new council houses being built, which, of course, are the most affordable.”

“Tenants are frustrated about the lack of council housing in Winchester. There are 2-3,000 people in the housing waiting list, and they are never going to get anything in Winchester. It’s going to take far too long, so there is a demonstrable need for more.” Alan Rickman, Chair of TACT

Mr Rickman was also concerned about future generations’ housing needs. He said: “I am 75 and I do wonder where my grandchildren and great grandchildren are going to get homes in the future.”

Beryl White, TACT’s other chair person, was equally concerned. Mrs White said: “The only affordable housing for the general public, for the working class here, is council housing. They can’t afford either to rent or to buy in Winchester. But there haven’t been any council houses built for many, many years.”

Commenting on the coalition’s plans for self-financing, she said:

“The cost of repayment is so many million pounds for each individual council, and Winchester will have high repayments, because it is such a high property value area. So, it’s a lot of money. But of course, the debt is going up, while we are waiting for the decision, and if it does not happen in 2012, we will be self-financing about five years down the line. But we would probably be able to save enough money to build council properties. However, another government could well change the rules.”

Page 14 5. Community and charitable groups

Every community is made up of local groups which represent the needs and interests of the local inhabitants and Winchester is no different. Often, the job of championing local issues falls to a town or parish council, though Winchester City lacks both. It is therefore important to understand the views of such groups as individual bodies, as well as the views of the residents they represent.

City of Winchester Trust (CWT) The CWT was established in 1957 as the Winchester Preservation Trust, ‘in response to the wholesale destruction of the historic Brooks area of the city’.

The CWT scrutinises planning applications for Winchester City, playing the role of town or parish council and submitting formal representations to Winchester City Council.

It is understood that the CWT will not be submitting its own representation to the Blueprint consultation but will instead just submit its joint representation with Winchester Area Community Action (WACA) and Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC), based on the event held on Saturday 6 November 2010 at Winchester Guildhall.

Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) WinACC describes itself as a ‘fast-growing and effective network of people, businesses and organisations working together to transform Winchester into a low carbon district’.

We met with a representative from WinACC, who outlined that the organisation’s aim was to reduce the carbon footprint of Winchester by 30% by 2015. He explained that, as a group, WinACC did not take a stance on whether Winchester required more housing or not, but wanted to see any new development built to a high environmental standard that would mean zero carbon emissions.

“As an organisation, we are agnostic towards housing need. Our concern is ensuring that any new developments achieve zero carbon emissions.” Representative of WinACCRepre

CWT, WinACC and Winchester Area Community Action (WACA) consultation on the Blueprint

As part of Winchester City Council’s Blueprint consultation, the CWT, WinACC and WACA were asked to facilitate a consultation event. The event was held at Winchester Guildhall on Saturday 6 November 2010. The event ran between 10.30am and 1.00pm.

The group discussing housing need comprised between 10 and 15 people at any one time, ranging from mid twenties through to retirees.

Page 15 There was a general (though not unanimous) recognition of the need for new housing, and particularly the need for a greater mix of housing. The plight of young people and young families not being able to afford to live in Winchester was brought up by several on the table. There was also a debate on flats and whether they were good or bad, and whether or not parking should be included in town centre developments.

“There should be a surcharge on anyone commuting out of Winchester travelling a certain distance. They are causing house prices to rise so that those who work here are unable to live here” Resident, Blueprint consultation event

There was a general recognition that Winchester needed a mix of housing that would attract new people. There was also a recognition that many who work in Winchester cannot afford to live there.

There was recognition amongst the majority of the group that far more affordable housing was needed.

One of the group argued that there was nowhere in Winchester to accommodate enough homes. Someone else challenged this, arguing that there was available land, but what was lacking was the consensus to develop it.

The feedback from the other table discussing housing need was that there was unanimous agreement on the need for housing in Winchester.

Shelter Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, has published figures on affordable housing delivery by different local authorities. Its figures for Winchester indicate that the council delivered just 37% of its affordable need in 2008/2009 (137 units out of a projected need of 365). It also shows that in 2009 there were 3,157 households on council and housing association waiting lists, which would take 9.31 years to clear (calculated by dividing the number of houses on the housing register by the number of new lettings in 2008/2009).

Shelter’s figures suggest that the average price of a home in Winchester in 2010 was £282,500. From this, it calculates that the annual income needed to buy an average home is £61,237, whilst the average gross annual income is just £26,773. Shelter’s national figures suggest that the average age of a first-time buyer is 37.

“It is a huge blow to see that housing, one of the most basic needs for every single person in this country, is facing some of the biggest cuts. A succession of governments has failed to address our housing crisis and today’s announcements suggest the coalition has firmly joined them in denying responsibility for an entire generation’s ability to access decent, secure, affordable housing.” Campbell Robb, CEO of Shelter

Page 16 Shelter also believes that it is important to build ‘communities not just houses’, ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is in close proximity to new developments. On its website, it states: ‘It is also essential that new housing developments encourage ‘neighbourliness’ and provide opportunities for social interaction. Local shops, cafes, playgrounds, leisure and entertainment facilities should all be a short walk from every home, with other community, leisure and entertainment facilities within easy travelling distance.’

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s four key objectives for 2009-2011 are:

• to inform the debate about affordable housing;

• to provide authoritative annual statements on housing and neighbourhoods;

• to understand the housing needs of young people and how policy can best meet them;

• to assess how community assets can contribute to a thriving civil society;

• to develop a new 'model' community for the design and management of 21st century homes and neighbourhoods;

• to find new and more effective ways of engaging residents in developing and managing homes and neighbourhoods; and

• to deliver excellent services and effective management of our land and buildings.

The foundation publishes statistics for both affordability of open market housing and the provision of social housing. The diagrams on the following page indicate the cost of open market housing in relation to household income (JRF 1) and the level of new build housing in the social sector in 2007-2008, the most up-to-date figures (JRF 2).

Page 17 JRF 1

JRF 2

Page 18 6. Local economy

The University of Winchester The University of Winchester offers a high quality of teaching and research across a range of subjects. In the academic year 2008-09 the total number of students at the university was 5,906 with 68% of these full time students and 4,671 undergraduate students.

Alongside being an education establishment, the university is a key employer for the town with 650 staff (FTE) and 1,235 postgraduate students (6% are higher degree/research students) undertaking research and further education / training at the university.

The University of Winchester therefore creates a great and knowledgeable workforce, but only a limited number of graduates stay in Winchester upon completing their degrees.

The university’s own figures show that since 2007, there are 12,289 on the council database. Out of that number, only 5.6% (694) have actually remained in Winchester.

Although the university does not have figures for all students, the number of students who have remained in the region would suggest that for some, the cost of housing is the reason they have not remained within the city: 2,126 graduates have remained in the SO postcode area, and 2,583 within , a combined 4,709, or 38.3%.

The Royal County Hampshire Hospital The Royal Hampshire County Hospital provides the full range of general hospital services, including accident and emergency, general and specialist surgery for inpatients and day-cases and general medical facilities.

Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust manages two hospitals (Andover War Memorial Hospital and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester) and provides a wide range of general hospital services, including accident and emergency, maternity and diagnostics, as well as some services in the community.

They employ around 2200 staff.

Key worker housing, shared ownership schemes and the availability of good quality local accommodation are important to the trust. A representative from the HR department of the trust acknowledged the impact of the housing prices on staff recruitment and retention. He said:

“I would say the issue of affordable housing in Winchester has had an impact on our ability to recruit and retain staff. If you are recruiting a nurse, say, then they can go and work in Southampton, Basingstoke or Winchester, but it is all standard, national rates of pay. So, they will tend to go where the accommodation is cheaper and possibly they won’t have to travel so far to work. The rates of pay don’t reflect local housing costs – and a nurse in Winchester is paid the same as a nurse in Manchester.”

Page 19 “A lot of our staff travel in from cheaper areas – places like Southampton, Totton, and the area around there. I would say the majority of staff don’t live in Winchester. And have to travel in. I suppose you could say there is a demand in Winchester for housing they could afford, which isn’t being met in the majority cases – hence our staff have to travel in from cheaper areas. In fact, I would say that up to 70% of our staff have to travel in from outside the area.” HR department, The Royal County Hampshire Hospital

North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry is independent, not-for-profit, and politically impartial. It comprises businesses and organisations from all areas of commerce and industry. It is owned and managed by business for business.

It offers business services, runs networking events and lobbies government on business issues. It is big enough to speak on your behalf at local, regional and national level, and small enough to retain the local knowledge and information to help business. It is part of a regional, national and global network.

Regular meetings and events allow the Chamber to keep on top of issues relating to employment and recruitment, including trends in the local area.

We contacted the chamber of commerce to gauge its view on housing need and the impact that had on local businesses. At the time of writing no response had been received.

Unison South East Winchester has a high proportion of public sector workers in the district, with Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council, Winchester Hospital and HM Prison Winchester all located in the district.

The south east branch of Unison was contacted in order to gauge its views on the provision of housing for key workers.

At the time of writing, no response had been received.

Nationally:

• UNISON shares the government’s objective of achieving the decent homes standard by 2010; • UNISON believes there should be a level playing field between the different options for tenants and local authorities; and • UNISON believes that direct investment using investment allowances is the simplest, quickest and most cost effective means of achieving the decent homes standard and that LSVTs produce significant additional public expenditure costs, increase social exclusion, can destabilise local communities and reduce democratic accountability.

Page 20 7. Political stakeholders

Introduction

Underpinning the localism agenda are the politicians who will implement it, ranging from local councillors to Members of Parliament. This section details the meetings held and the views gauged on housing need from political stakeholders.

Winchester City Council

Councillor Kelsie Learney Leader of the Council/Transformation and Resources Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Leader of the Council, Cllr Kelsie Learney is key to driving forward policies of the council.

Councillor Learney conceded that Winchester was not doing enough to meet its affordable housing needs. She said that the council needed approximately 375 affordable units a year, but that currently “we haven’t got very near that target”. At the Winchester Annual Housing Forum on Tuesday 30 November 2010, held at Winchester Guildhall, Councillor Lucille Thompson, Cabinet member for Communities, said Winchester had one of its most successful years in delivering affordable units, with 150 being provided. This leaves a deficit of 225.

“Affordable housing is something that’s very high on our list of concerns. Currently our needs for affordable housing are about 375 a year. I think that figure is right. We need 375 new affordable units each year to keep up with demand. We haven’t got very near that target, I’m afraid.” Councillor Kelsie Learney, Leader of Winchester City Council

Councillor Learney also acknowledged the high proportion of commuters who work in Winchester:

“We have a huge in-commute, it’s something like 16,000 people, and half as many go out each day to work elsewhere. The vast majority of the city’s working population commutes in each day from outside. Some don’t come that far, but plenty drive 30 or 40 miles or more, which isn’t very satisfactory, and the cost of local housing is a big factor in that.”

Councillor Brian Collin Portfolio: Winchester and Surrounds As a local representative of St John & All Saints ward, Councillor Collin takes an interest in issues relating to Winchester itself, including the viability and vitality of the town.

“[Affordable housing is] a big issue, and not too easy to solve… because the sands keep shifting. The house prices in Winchester are high – typical [of the] south east – but actually higher than what goes for the norm in Hampshire. The metropolitan view is that Hampshire is a very wealthy place, but large parts of it aren’t. But it is places like Winchester that give the county that reputation.”

Page 21 Commenting on how the council obtained its affordable housing units, Councillor Collin said:

“From private development. But that’s not so simple because the developers want to offer one-bedroomed places, and for reasons I’ve already explained that’s not what we need. The one bedroom people are mostly catered for already. It’s is the families that we need homes for most. Developers will say ‘We’ll build fifteen houses here, that’s five affordable. We’ll build ten four- bedroomed detached mansions and five one-bedroomed apartments fitted on to a site the same size as each of the houses occupies.’ That just won’t do. They’re no use to us. We have to have two bedrooms, minimum. We are revising our standards, and we’ll be insisting on this.”

Councillor Collin also spoke about the issue of commuters:

“Shortage of affordable housing is affecting the city. We have a huge commuting imbalance in Winchester. Of the 15,000 people who live in the city and are in employment, only about a third of them have jobs in Winchester. Ten thousand of them commute out to high paid jobs, some on the train to London, but only a quarter. The bulk of them get in their cars and go every which way to professional employment in Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Oxford. I know people who drive to High Wycombe. All these people get replaced by 20,000 people who commute into Winchester, most of them to relatively low paid public sector jobs. They come in from places where they can afford to live. They aren’t homeless. They don’t urgently need houses in Winchester, though they might like them.”

Councillor Lucille Thompson Portfolio: Communities

Councillor Thompson, ward member for St. Luke, holds the portfolio for Communities, which includes the remit for housing.

At the Winchester Annual Housing Forum on Tuesday 30 November 2010 at Winchester Guildhall, Councillor Thompson said that the council had provided approximately 150 houses in the previous year, describing it as one of the "best years".

When we spoke to her, she acknowledged that the situation was "bad", and said that the council was trying to ensure through the Local Development Framework (LDF) process that the percentage of affordable that developers are required to provide with new build is set at 40%.

She said the council was trying to provide 100 new affordable properties per annum, though acknowledged this would still not be enough to meet demand.

Councillor Thompson, like her colleagues, also acknowledged the issue caused by the high level of commuting in and out of the city, though did not regard it as too severe an issue, putting it down to the desirability of Winchester as an area to live in.

Page 22 Councillor Dominic Hiscock Portfolio: Economic Prosperity St Bartholomew ward member Councillor Hiscock is responsible for economic prosperity of Winchester and the surrounding district. A viable workforce is reliant on the availability of good quality housing.

Asked for his views on affordable housing, Councillor Hiscock commented:

“The supply of affordable housing is a major issue for this council, as I think it is for just about every other one. We have to look ahead, 20 years ahead, and as things stand, in 20 years time we are going to have a predominantly elderly population. Some of our villages are looking that way now – full of grey heads, and that’s principally because younger people can’t afford to live there. That leads to school closures, and then no young family would even want to move there, even if they could afford to.”

Councillor Hiscock, like Councillor Learney, acknowledged the problems caused by commuters. He said:

“Winchester happens to have very good transport links. We have an excellent rail service; we’re only just off the M3 and the A34, and so theoretically it is a very easy place to get to; it’s just that in practice it isn’t so easy because too many people are doing it at the same time and there is terrible congestion.”

“The people who head out of the city every day tend to be professional types; that’s how they come to be able to afford to live there. The ones who come in are a mixture, but I’d say they’re more likely to come from a housing estate in Eastleigh than from the well- to-do villages, and they can’t afford to live here because they don’t earn as much.” Councillor Dominic Hiscock, Portfolio holder for Economic Prosperity

Councillor Ian Tait Councillor Ian Tait is the Winchester City Council representative for St. Michael ward. He also sits on the Planning Development Control Committee.

Councillor Tait’s view is that the council is failing to provide sufficient affordable housing and that, in order to remedy this, the council needs to be realistic about its housing figures. Councillor Tait also believes that any additional housing needs to be serviced by additional infrastructure.

Page 23 Winchester District Representatives

Mark Oaten Mark Oaten represented Winchester as its Member of Parliament (Liberal Democrat) for 13 years, between 1997 and 2010.

Mr Oaten’s view was that Winchester Council has traditionally had a protective stance and that at times this outweighs the practical. If Winchester is to develop rather than die it will need to continue to encourage a diverse range of people to live and work in the area. Currently because of the lack of movement in the housing cycle and the high rental and purchase prices the market is inert. In his view developers will also need to do more in terms of communicating their creative design, community schemes and environmental initiatives to appease local concerns.

Steve Brine MP Steve Brine MP was elected to represent Winchester with a majority of 3,048 at the General Election in May 2010.

When plans were lodged to develop Pitt Manor with 200 homes, Mr Brine said:

“We’ve known this was a possibility for years, just like Barton Farm, but I remain opposed to these proposals which represent further over-development in our city and will have disastrous implications for traffic in this and many other parts of Winchester. This would affect people down across an area where we are, for instance, already experiencing a problem with a shortage of school places. With large developments taking place at Highcroft and one say at the Police HQ site on Road, not to mention the effects of so much development in Avenue over recent years, we have to ask how much more this part of Winchester can take.”

Mr Brine has also publicly opposed the Barton Farm proposals, both as a PPC and as an MP. Commenting after CALA Homes was successful in its judicial review, he said on the targets that were the subject of the challenge: “Top-down targets don’t build homes – they’ve led to the lowest peacetime house-building rates since 1924 – and they leave communities powerless to shape the future of their area.”

Mr Brine welcomed the New Homes Bonus consultation, calling it a “really exciting policy from the coalition government which answers so many of our critics who like to claim localism is actually about nimbyism. As I have always maintained it’s about local control and it’s about Winchester choosing where its future lies and being rewarded for that if it provided new homes for local people.”

Mr Brine’s comments on top-down targets would suggest he believes more homes are needed, as does his stance on the New Homes Bonus scheme. What is unclear, in light of his comments on Pitt Manor and Barton Farm, is how much housing he feels is needed in Winchester, and where he feels the housing should go.

Page 24 8. The characters – a future outside of Winchester

All of the characters at present live in Winchester, but their situations will – as the following assessment will show – dictate that they will mostly be forced out of Winchester.

Ben and Sarah • Need for a private purchase home – key factor is house price and availability

Debbie • Young people moving away from Winchester • Current council house tenant • Low income, looking for a potential new home

Don • Availability of quality staff locally

Jing • Retention of talent graduating from Winchester university • Flexible accommodation for start up companies with good communications

Pam • The need to downsize into easy maintenance accommodation • Need to stay local, to retain links with friends and family

Davis Family • Concerned about congestion • When the children grow up, where will they live

According to Winchester University’s figures, only 5.6% of graduates have stayed in Winchester since the 2007/2008 academic year. This makes Jing a rare example.

Winchester has a pool of talent which is forced to leave Winchester every year, pulling with them the economic benefits of having a locally based well educated workforce.

One of the difficulties with attracting younger people to the city is the cost of housing: the average annual household income is £47,000, but the average annual income needed to buy a property is £63,000, a difference of £16,000. Winchester City Council’s own figures suggest that 84% of households earn less than this figure. Indeed, the “affordability gap” – the difference between the average property price and the price the average household can afford, is estimated at over £73,000. Ben and Sarah will struggle to find a new home which is affordable on their incomes, forcing them away from Winchester.

Jing is likely to be part of the private rental market in Winchester, Ben and Sarah already are. This expensive drain reduces deposits.

Page 25 “The majority of people living in private rented accommodation are those in the process of looking to buy a house in Winchester or people who can not afford to buy, such as key workers or graduates. People who can not afford to buy most probably never will and therefore, leave Winchester to buy somewhere cheaper. “ Local estate agent

The city itself has grown by 6% over the past 10 years, with the greatest increase in the 45-64 year olds and the largest growth in percentage terms in the 75+ group. Pam is part of this group, living in a family home and wishing to potentially downsize but retain her social life and links to family.

“Older people are not necessarily moving to Winchester, generally they already live here and are looking to downsize. Winchester is an adult place, a city not really set up for young people; the people that are buying are 30, 40, 50 years old, as they are the only ones that can afford it, with an average house price of £375, 684.” View of a local estate agent

“Affordable housing is minimal and it is way below what is required, especially for young local people. It will become a town for older wealthier people, with workers commuting in. Winchester will lose its vibrancy." Sue, St Cross (Jing) This problem is amplified by the commuters into the city. According to Blueprint,

Winchester as a district has a much higher jobs per resident ratio than the south east at 1.07; the south east figure is 0.82. However, the figure for Winchester town is significantly higher still (NLP report refers). Likewise, unemployment is lower than the south east figure, at 5% compared with 6.3%. However, of this buoyant workforce, 18% travel approximately 10-30km to work each day, and 15% 30+km.

"It has got very expensive in Winchester, and the younger generation simply cannot afford the prices nowadays. Very little affordable housing, and also very little in the way of houses offering cheap rent. It will mean people who have to drive to work, which will make the traffic even worse than it is now." Lynn, Oliver's Battery (Pam)

In this respect, whilst the Davis family are concerned about congestion, the lack of new homes in Winchester may actually be the cause of this, as inward commuters cause increased traffic issues as the situation is exacerbated by a lack of affordable homes.

Don will struggle to recruit if the right, talented workers aren’t available. More vibrant hubs of this type of employment would seek to relocate to Southampton, Portsmouth where the pool of good quality workers is better.

Page 26 But while the issue with open market housing is affordability, the issue of affordable housing is availability. According to figures published by Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, there are currently 3,157 people on waiting lists in Winchester, a figure that will take approximately 9.31 years to clear at current delivery rates.

Debbie’s family are the lucky ones, however Debbie may find it hard to find an affordable private home to rent in Winchester, and even more difficult to find an affordable social rented home, as her friends have no doubt found out given they too have left Winchester.

"[when one property became available] loads of people had registered an interest by the morning. I was handed a list of 25/30 who had been selected from the very first of the applicants, and that was only page one, if you like, of the people looking. There is always an immediate response like this and if one person can't take it there's a whole queue behind them who can." Southern Housing Group

Page 27 9. Conclusion

Introduction With any empirical research that relies upon results taken from samples of date, it is important to recognise the pitfalls and limitations, prior to extrapolating the conclusions.

The straw poll was based upon a sample of 100 residents, which included all social classes, genders, ages and living situations. Though the mix of respondents was good, it cannot be taken as representative of Winchester as a whole, but must be viewed in the light of its size.

Likewise, the findings from the consultation event hosted by CWT, WinACC and WACA, and the Winchester Annual Housing Forum, are anecdotal snap shots, more so than anything else.

The views of the charities and national bodies included in the report represent the most accurate obtainable at the time of writing, either through direct communication, or by taking the position of the organisation as stated in its own literature.

The Blueprint As Michael Emett points out in his cover letter to CALA Homes’ Blueprint response, the Blueprint is an opportunity to look at housing figures with a ‘blank canvas’, rather than asking the public to comment on one or more pre-conceived strategies.

There are two general points to draw in conclusion, one in relation to the Blueprint consultation itself, and one in relation to the findings of this report.

On the Blueprint consultation, as Michael Emett notes in his cover letter, many of the premises are inherently flawed, and could lead to distorted results. To give just one example, the premise of ‘natural change’ is in reality anything but; it is most unnatural to expect a scenario based on a perfect balance between in and out migration, leading to a net zero total.

The Blueprint consultation also raises many of the issues that will affect any such activity, notably, what people is the consultation reaching, who have taken the time to engage in the exercise, and how long the council have allowed to consult. These issues are all covered by Michael Emmett in his cover letter.

Conclusion The results of this report have proven stark; it is clear that a majority of respondents have recognised the need for additional housing in Winchester, particularly affordable housing.

From the straw poll, it is fair to say a substantial majority (90%) agreed that there is a need for housing to be more affordable in Winchester, with 86% of people agreeing that they knew people who found Winchester too expensive to live in. A further 75% of people thought themselves that Winchester was too expensive.

Overall, over two thirds of respondents (67%) acknowledged that there was a need for more housing in Winchester.

Page 28 Shelter’s figures suggest that the average price of a home in Winchester in 2010 was £282,500. From this, it calculates that the annual income needed to buy an average home is £61,237, whilst the average gross annual income is just £26,773. Shelter’s national figures suggest that the average age of a first-time buyer is 37.

Winchester City Council’s own figures are very similar: the average annual household income is £47,000, but the average annual income needed to buy a property is £63,000, a difference of £16,000. Its statistics suggest that 84% of households earn less than this figure, while the ‘affordability gap’ – the difference between the average property price and the price the average household can afford, is estimated at over £73,000.

Affordable housing From the figures published by Shelter, it is clear that Winchester is in dire need of affordable housing: in 2008/2009, Winchester delivered just 37% of its affordable housing need, and in 2009 there were 3,157 households on council and housing association waiting lists, a figure that would take 9.31 years to clear if current trends continue.

Its figures for Winchester indicate that the council delivered just 37% of its affordable need in 2008/2009 (137 units out of a projected need of 365). It also shows that in 2009 there were 3,157 households on council and housing association waiting lists, which would take 9.31 years to clear (calculated by dividing the number of houses on the housing register by the number of new lettings in 2008/2009.

It is clear from those we spoke to who provide affordable housing that there is nowhere near enough, and that demand will always outstrip supply by some margin.

“We can never keep up with demand because the local authorities’ housing waiting lists just get longer all the time.” A2 Dominion

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