Harlestone Parish Council Response and Comments to the District Council Draft Version of Harlestone Parish Housing Needs Survey April 2012

The Harlestone Parish Council have noted the content of the draft version of the Housing Needs Survey report and Harlestone Parish Council comments are outlined in this re- sponse.

Introduction:

The Objective appears to be more of a ‘Principle’ rather than an ‘Objective’. Objectives should be made clear and be more in keeping with those objectives outlined in the Nation- al planning Policy Framework (9March 2012) NPPF 2012.

Strong Community and Individuals. This requires explanation as this is ambiguous and could cover a multitude of topics. The Objectives should be given further consideration and suggest it has several specific key objectives.

1. Safe Place To Live. A law abiding community that discourage crime within and outside of the Parish.

2. Sustainable Community. A key objective is missing ‘Sustainability’ is absolutely essen- tial. Too many housing projects to meet certain needs have over a period of years seen the housing and the communities fall into disrepair and this must be avoided in the Har- lestone Parish.

3. Conserving And Enhancing The Harlestone Village Character and Environment. Harlestone Parish is an area of outstanding beauty and one that is unusually close to the urban districts of . The Uniqueness of Lower Harlestone (Conservation Area) and Upper Harlestone (Restraint Village) have been designated as such for ex- tremely good reason outlined in ‘The Saved Policies from the Local Plan 1997’.

4. Conserving And Enhancing The Historic Environment. Harlestone Parish Have 59 Listed Buildings of which 47 are residential properties and taking into account the un- usually high percentage of Listed Buildings, Harlestone Parish is a National Historic as- set that should be protected by conserving the setting, the environment and the rural and agricultural community.

5. Healthy and Peaceful Place to Live. The Parish have many visitors from villages close by and from urban communities that enjoy the public footpaths and bridal ways and most importantly the Character of Harlestone. This leisure activity which promotes a healthy place to live for both the local community and more distant communities should not be destroyed by the development of housing on a small, medium or larger scale.

6. Environmentally Effective. Retain and reduce existing level of carbon emissions and recycling. Promote an ethos of Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.

7. Protect Greenbelt Land. To check the sprawl of large built up areas into green belt land surrounding Lower Harlestone and Upper Harlestone. (see National Planning Policy Framework Item 9.80). Failure to do so would inflict demonstrable and unrepairable dam- age. Harlestone Parish Council Response and Comments to the Daventry District Council Draft Version of Harlestone Parish Housing Needs Survey April 2012 8.Facilitating the Sustainable use of Minerals. Harlestone Parish quarry has provided minerals for centuries and should continue to do so on the basis that it does not overide objectives 1-6.

Strategic and Planning Context:

All the severn Objectives outlined above comply with the National Policy Framework 2012, The Saved Policies from the Daventry District Local Plan as well as all other policies stated in the HPHNS draft version report.

The Affordable Housing supplementary Planning Document: This should also be taken into account. Please refer to Appendix 2 Extract from Final Sustainability Report of the SCDC Development Control Policies DPD.

Policy SF/10 - Outdoor Play Space, Informal Open Space and new Development.

1.1 Minimise irreversible loss of underdeveloped land and productive agricultural holdings.

2.1 Avoid damage to designated sites and protected species.

2.3 Improve opportunities for people to access the countryside and wild spaces. whilst Harlestone Parish does this well it could be improved by designating a significant area for tree planting to encourage more wildlife which would in turn encourage more people.

There is a fine balance of wildlife and the increase of urban development on the outskirts of Northampton. Further development of significance could have a dramatic affect on wild- life and could destroy what is currently enjoyed by residents and visitors.

Forcing wildlife out further into more distant rural areas would take away the benefits of the Harlestone Parish countryside. It would be more difficult for people of all ages and would encourage them to use their cars making it more expensive and increase carbon emis- sions.

3.1 Avoid damage to historic sites and their setting.

3.3 Create spaces and places that work well.

4.1 Reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants.

4.4 Minimise waste production and support recycling.

Methodology: Agreed

Survey Results: It is noted that the demographics relate to only those households that re- turned the survey questionnaire and as the response rate was just 32% the tenure demo- graphics is considered to be misleading and differs significantly from that of the total and real actual demographics. Therefore the tenure of all house should be recorded and used for the housing needs survey. Harlestone Parish Council Response and Comments to the Daventry District Council Draft Version of Harlestone Parish Housing Needs Survey April 2012 I would add that 29% rental and 71% owner occupier is not disproportionate with the re- gional statistics.

Opinions on future development:

The Harlestone Parish Council would concur with these findings namely, there is an over- whelming majority of 69% that disagreed with the principle that they would be in favour of a small housing development for local people with proven need. The following should also be noted;

1.There are residents of differing nationalities and cultures that reside in Harlestone in which residents embrace.

2. To develop properties with an aim to provide housing for local people with a proven need would be difficult to achieve due to the proven fact that whilst some local people continue to live in the village many non local people have previously moved from areas within , outlying Regions, National and indeed International to become a resident in Harlestone Parish. It is considered that this trend will continue.

3. It would be difficult to provide housing based on selling to local people at the exclusion of others from outside the parish and considered to be unfair, bias and an act of preju- dice.

Local Housing and affordability:

House sales in Harlestone Parish: Table 1.

Our research shows there were 22 properties for sale/sold during the period June 2008 to May 2012 (source rightmove.co.uk) there maybe other properties not on rightmove how- ever, our views concur with the HPHN survey.

Properties for sale in Harlestone Parish: Table 2.

Table 2 is a snapshot at a specific moment in time. It is therefore unreliable and misleading. There are 2 additional properties that are not mentioned (10th May 2012) one of which is in a completely different price bracket.

1. Property For Sale: Railway Cottages 2 bedroomed terrace. £200,000 and now sold subject to contract via harrison Murray. (Railway Cottages is within the Harlestone Par- ish).

2. Property For Sale: Church Lane Lower Harlestone 4 bedroomed barn conver- sion£595,000

3. For Sale price can differ significantly from the eventual contractual sold price which will also effect the affordability analysis.

Properties to Rent in Harlestone Parish. Table 3. Harlestone Parish Council Response and Comments to the Daventry District Council Draft Version of Harlestone Parish Housing Needs Survey April 2012 This table is also a snapshot at a specific moment in time and is such unreliable and the results are a misleading affordable rental analysis. The conclusion is wrong for the following reasons.

1. A detached property at a monthly rental of £2750 is not a true analysis of properties that become available for rental in Harlestone Parish.

2. The Estate have a private portfolio of 44 properties for rent that fall within Harle- stone Parish. These consist of 2 bedroomed cottages, 3 bedroomed terrace houses and cottages, 4 bedroomed houses and larger detached properties.

Information provided by The Althorp Estate Director (Edward Crookes) confirmed that there is a total of 44 residential properties currently being let by the Estate on short- hold tenancy and protected tenancy arrangements. It is important to note that 90% (Ninety %) are indeed smaller 2 and 3 bedroomed houses and cottages.

Monthly Rental dependent upon tenancy and location and can vary between £575 to £750.

This clear evidence that the evaluation of the rental market stated in the Housing Needs Survey Report for the Harlestone Parish is totally incorrect and factually invalid.

In conclusion the basis of which the affordability calculation is made does not have enough information or evidence to make a prediction of the sum that a family or an individual would needs to earn to purchase or rent a property in Harlestone Parish.

Table 2 and Table 3 cannot be used as evidence alone especially when there is addi- tional evidence available (outlined above) has not formed part of the affordability calculation.

Section B Households in Housing Need: Agreed

Local Connection: Agreed

Sustainability:

To achieve the objectives outlined in the National Planning Framework (9March 2012) and those objectives stated above. Affordable housing locations must be supported by the ap- propriated local amenities, transport infrastructure, facilities and adequate support.

1. Amenities: There are no local shops that provide a choice of products for any individual to be able live independently within Upper Harlestone or Lower Harlestone and the local Post Office was closed almost 2 years ago following the Post Office Review and closed due to a lack of demand.

2. The population is too small for a retail shop to provide products to meet ones daily needs and to sustain such a low demand. Harlestone Parish Council Response and Comments to the Daventry District Council Draft Version of Harlestone Parish Housing Needs Survey April 2012 3. People requiring affordable homes will find it difficult to pay for transport to travel to town or outlying areas of Northampton where the appropriate amenaties and facilities exist.

4. Transport: There is limited public transport from Lower Harlestone only and virtually no public transport in Upper Harlestone or any other parts of Harlestone Parish without having to take long walk along roads without pavements. This with increased develop- ment could be a health and safety issue.

5. Facilities: There is a small primary school and playing field. There are no local doctors surgery, dentist and there are no other shops such as hairdresser, take aways pharmacy etc.

6. Local employment: There is limited local opportunities for employment within Harlestone Parish.

Conclusion:

Based upon the the information and evidence in this report and the lack of demand for af- fordable homes by Harlestone Parish residents outlined in DDC ‘Housing needs Survey’ Harlestone Parish Council have decided that there is no need or justification for Affordable Homes in Upper Harlestone or Lower Harlestone.

Lower Harlestone and Upper Harlestone and the Harlestone Parish is a loose knit com- munity consisting of an small number of electorate 374 and a total of 209 houses, particu- larly when compared to other larger communities to the north and north west of Northamp- ton which currently have vastly superior amenities.

There are more suitable locations for the provision of Affordable Homes in , Brix- worth, Moulton, Upton, Kingsthorpe. All have the facilities, amenities and the transport in- frastructure that would enable those requiring an affordable home to be self sufficient with- in the village or community where they live. Harlestone Parish is considered inappropriate to provide the amenities and the needs required to support affordable housing for the reas- ons outlined above.

Harlestone Parish Council Response and Comments to the Daventry District Council Draft Version of Harlestone Parish Housing Needs Survey April 2012