Sandhurst
(Tewkesbury Borough)
Parish Housing Needs Survey Report October 2015
Martin Hutchings Rural Housing Enabler
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council Community House, 15 College Green, Gloucester GL1 2LZ
Tel: 01452 528491 Fax 01452 528493
Email: [email protected]
CONTENTS page
1. Introduction 3
2. Parish summary 3
3. Aim 3
4. Survey distribution and response 4
5. Key findings 5
Part A - You and your household 5
Part B - Home working 15
Part C - Housing needs 17
6. Affordability 18
7. Existing Affordable Housing Stock 23
8. Summary 23
9. Conclusions 25
10. Recommendations 25
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 2
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 In August 2015 Sandhurst Parish Council agreed to engage GRCC’S Rural Housing Enabler to carry out a local Housing Needs Survey. 1.2 The Rural Housing Enabler (RHE):
is employed by Gloucestershire Rural Community Council, which is part of the national network of Rural Community Councils (ACRE - Action with Communities in Rural England). works closely with rural communities, housing associations, local authorities, other community organisations (including community land trusts) and landowners to meet the affordable housing needs of rural communities. is an independent advisor, although, the post is funded through contributions from Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Stroud District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council and ten housing associations.
2. PARISH SUMMARY
The Census 2011 tells us Sandhurst has a population of 470 comprising 205 households. This equates to an average of 2.3 persons per household compared to 2.4 for Gloucestershire as a whole. Where surveys of this kind have been undertaken is usual for a rural parish to have on average smaller households than Gloucestershire as a whole. There are 226 dwellings in total, including 216 houses, 8 flats and 2 caravans/ temporary accommodation. By road Sandhurst village is 3 miles from Gloucester, 10 miles from Cheltenham, and 10 miles from Tewkesbury . The nearest station on the national rail network is in Gloucester. There are good public transport links by bus from Twigworth on the A38 Gloucester and Tewkesbury. However, Sandhurst is connected to Twigworth by a 2 mile long narrow country lane with no raised footpaths or street lighting. Sandhurst has the following facilities: church, village hall, cricket club.
3. AIM
3.1 The purpose of the survey is to investigate and establish the affordable housing needs of people who live in or have close ties to Sandhurst. By comparing the established needs with the existing supply of affordable housing and the number of re-lets, we can estimate the number of dwellings, house types and tenure of new units required to meet the town’s needs.
3.2 Housing needs can be defined as the need for a household to obtain housing which is suitable to meet their requirements in terms of:
House type and accessibility e.g. house, bungalow, flat etc Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 3
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council Size and number of rooms Location e.g. in relation to employment, schools, family, shops and public services etc Affordability Tenure, including security
3.3 The aim of the survey is to provide Sandhurst Parish Council with an independent report of a robust nature based on evidence from reliable sources. This will assist the Parish Council to respond to any planning proposal that may come forward for additional housing within the parish.
4. SURVEY DISTRIBUTION AND RESPONSE
4.1 In September 2015 questionnaires were distributed by the parish council to every home in the parish.
4.2 Householders were requested to return completed questionnaires in an enclosed freepost envelope to GRCC’s offices in Gloucester.
4.3 Part A is entitled ‘You and your household’ and is for every household to complete. Part B is entitled ‘Home Working’ and is also for everyone to complete. And finally, Part C is entitled ‘Housing Needs’ and is for completion by households in need of more suitable accommodation. People were asked to provide their name and contact details if they would like further information in the event affordable housing is provided in Sandhurst. Personal details are neither presented in this report nor passed to a third party.
4.4 A total of 226 questionnaires were distributed.
Everyone was asked to complete Parts A and B of the form. If a household considered themselves in need, or likely to be in need of re- housing, they were invited to complete Part C of the form. Households were asked to forward the questionnaire to anyone they knew of who had moved away but might wish to return to live in Sandhurst. All those people who completed Part C indicated they aleady lived in Sandhurst parish, and some of these also worked in trhe parish.
4.5 Taking the 205 households living in Sandhurst parish (according to Census 2011) there was a response rate of 54% with 110 completed replies received. A previous Sandhurst housing needs survey undertaken by GRCC in 2010 had a 50% response rate. The rate of response compares favourably to other similar surveys carried out in Gloucestershire, for example: Oddington 31%; Ebrington 40%; and Twigworth 36%). The survey provides no direct evidence of the needs of those who did not respond to the questionnaires there are other useful sources that inform of housing needs i.e. the District Council’s housing register (Gloucestershire Homeseeker), District-wide Housing Needs Survey 2009 and Gloucestershire Strategic Housing Market Assessment.
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 4
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 5. KEY FINDINGS
Part A – You and your household
5.1 108 respondents reported that their home in Sandhurst was their main home, no-one reported it was their second home, 2 made no reply.
5.2 Question A2 asked…How many years have you lived in Sandhurst? Table A below indicates the length of time respondents have lived in Sandhurst. 51% of respondents have lived in the parish for 20 years or more or their whole life. 17% of residents have lived in Sandhurst for 4 years or less.
Table A – How many years have you lived in Sandhurst?
5.3 Question A3 asked... How would you describe your home? Table B below shows 86% of respondents live in a house, 9% live in a bungalow, none live in a flat, sheltered/ retirement and caravan, and 3% live in ‘other’.
Table B - How would you describe your home?
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 5
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 5.4 Question A4 asked... How many bedrooms does your home have? Table C below shows 87% of homes have three or more bedrooms, 12% of homes have 2 bedrooms, and none have one bedroom according to the survey response.
Table C – How many bedrooms does your home have?
5.5 Question A5 asked… How many people live in your home? Table D below shows 69% are 1 or 2 person households, 24% are 3 or 4 person households, 6% are 5 person or more households, and 1% did not reply.
Table D – How many people live in your home?
5.6 Question A6 asked…Please indicate how many people in your household in each age group. Table E below provides the responses.
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 6
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 5.7 Tables E and F compare age profiles between those who responded to the survey questionnaire Part A and Gloucestershire County Council’s population estimate for 2013.
5.8 The figures shown in Tables E and F demonstrate that people in the age bands 20-29 are significantly underrepresented in the survey. Whilst people in age band 65 years plus are overrepresented in the survey.
Table E – Age profile of respondents according to the Sandhurst survey
Table F - Age profile distribution according to Gloucestershire County Council Maiden estimate for 2013
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 7
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 5.9 Question A7 asked…How many members of your household are male and how many are female? 116 (45%) indicated male and 140 (55%) female.
5.10 Question A8 asked …What is the tenure of your home? Table G below shows 89% of respondents in Sandhurst are owner-occupiers, of whom two thirds do not have a mortgage. 3% live in private rented, 6% live in housing association or local authority rented, and none live in tied accommodation or shared ownership.
Table G – What is the tenure of your home?
5.11 Question A9 asked…Has your home been adapted to improve physical accessibility? 5 respondents said ‘yes’.
5.12 Question A10 asked... Has anyone from your family moved away from Sandhurst in the last 5 years to difficulty finding an affordable home locally? 2 respondents answered ‘yes’.
5.13 Question A11 asked...If a need is identified, would you support a small development of affordable homes for local people? 24% said ‘yes’, 34% said ‘maybe’, and 37% said ‘no’. 5% gave no reply.
5.14 Question A12 asked…Please suggest where such a development (small development of affordable homes) could be built.
• Gloucester city – re generation & existing brown field sites. This will assist with regeneration and the city centre
• On brownfield land
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 8
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council • Nowhere – keep greenfield sites
• No suitable sites in Sandhurst, as too rural
• The recreation field
• On the east side of the road going north from 50 848 225 to 848227. One could get 2 – 3 houses between the farm on the corner of the A38, or the petrol station or beyond.
• Between Mayfield cottage & recreation ground
• Adjacent to the recreation ground in Sandhurst would be suitable for a very small development of up to six affordable homes
• There are some spaces for a single dwelling only there have been many houses but no new services
• Sandhurst play area which is a present waste of time as used by travellers which intimidate other users!! I do not allow my daughter to use
• Nowhere in Sandhurst
• Land next to the Sandhurst recreation park just outside the village
• Recreations ground which might provide security and prevent some unruly …… from causing problems
• Some empty fields/ open country beyond Sandhurst church area – up the hill
• Nearer to regular bus route, shops, schools, etc. not Flood land where ditch is full all winter road floods when rains and sewer is full of flood water
• Gloucester
• By the playground, the rest of the lanes are too dangerous and narrow, especially to mussel end. Had a head on crash there recently
• Not on a floodplain. Roads and facilities need substantial improvements for any significant development
• Playing field
• Within Gloucester city centre or within sub-urban areas such as Abbeymead or Longlevens where they have the infrastructure, facilities and community to support such development
• The recreation field. This is an unsuitable site for small children to play un- supervised. Too remote
• This would need to be considered carefully to account for existing flooding and infrastructure
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 9
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council • None suitable due to flooding problem. Roads, drainage, power supplies (frequent power cuts) communication facilities, policing, public transport, - none are adequate for further expansion.
• Affordable housing suggests young families, so any development needs to be within walking distance of a bus route for work, school, shopping etc.
• No suitable site exists within Sandhurst
• Next to a town with amenities and not in a flood risk area
• Difficult to think of a good place as so much land is in the flood plain
• Away from the flood plain on higher ground where it would not influence local flooding, and closer to existing public transport routes
• Hillview, opposite Sandhurst house, between bungalow and moat cottage
• Anywhere that is available outside the flood plain
• Adjacent to the children’s playground.
• The unused children’s playing field
• In the field opposite flats at Hillview (sewer needs improving)
• In the field at top of Springhill
• In the allotments but it is close to flood plain so not as suitable & sewer needs improving
• Small development on recreational ground of max 5 dwellings, village not able to cope with more
• Old yard by the willows
• Recreation ground
• The infrastructure of the village cannot support any further development
• Centre of village
• Any brown site
• In the recreation ground or surrounding area
• There is already a planning application for 16 houses in Sandhurst, eight of which are for affordable housing (No 15/0094/FUL)
5.15 Question A13 asked…If you have any comments on the issue of affordable housing please use the space below.
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 10
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council There are already significant small developments & affordable housing within the parish and in nearby Gloucester city which is only 2.5 miles away
Sandhurst most unsuitable as no shops, schools, doctor or other facilities – flooding issues and narrow lane access. Public transport facilities poor
Population explosion in a small over crowded island is the trouble 1 or 2nd highest density in world
Green belt should not be used for affordable housing. Sandhurst already has 13 Severn Vale housing units in the village. Any new units should be built nearer city centre where similar units already exist e.g. unused warehouses Glos docks
Sandhurst has 13 Severn Vale homes, it does not need any more
Any development, affordable or not depends on needs to take into consideration, the following: Impact onto utilities, impact on lanes – more traffic, state of surface poor already. Lack of public transport
Every village should by law have to build an agreed % of affordable houses. Even if only 2-3%. At least this would be fair for all.
13 affordable units already in village could not be filled with local people so do not accept there is a need
There needs to be the infrastructure to support (roads, public transport etc.)
I don’t think green belt land should be used, the village is large enough
Roads and drains will not support more homes. Road flooding will be aggravated by any new dwellings. Access roads are single track in many places
There is no infrastructure to support this type of development in this village – no bus links, shops, employment potential etc. This village also regularly has flooding problems
Which can limit access too. We are only 2 miles from Gloucester where there is affordable housing & proper infrastructure to support it.
The definition of “affordable” must be specified e.g. % of median income in this borough and this must be stated in any planning permission
How to know that it is only used for local people?
We are under the impression that there is currently nobody on a waiting list for affordable housing in Sandhurst
Need to ensure that roads & infrastructure can cope
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 11
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council I think Sandhurst has a good proportion of affordable housing for the size of the village, bearing in mind the roads are inadequate for more traffic, Sandhurst lane can be closed when flooded for a considerable amount of time – with only one way in/out. I’m sure the pumping station would also struggle with increased housing (comments after my research!)
There were 5 “affordable” houses built at Springhall, Sandhurst. These were never used for that purpose but were bought by “local” people. I believe they are privately rented out now, one has just been sold. If there was no need for these houses then by local people in the parish why build more? 3 flats at Hillview, owned by Severn vale are let to people not from Sandhurst. How many of the bungalows at Springhall are rented by Sandhurst people?
Provision is already in place for affordable housing
Sandhurst is a rural environment. It is on the flood plain and as a village, houses do flood and the village can be cut off. It is not a suitable area for affordable housing as there is not the infrastructure. Public transport is non- existent, sewage mains are already producing problems, lanes are not coping with traffic, and the list goes on.
There is always a need for some affordable housing, especially in rural areas/ villages in places similar to Sandhurst, for local people in the area, whether elderly, disabled, or on low incomes
If only Sandhurst people were allowed to live there it would be okay. Not to be used as an excuse for council to dump troublesome families into a peaceful and happy community
I do support the need for some of these houses but, to the already busy road through the village, am not sure the site in question is suitable.
Ideally small units to allow “under occupied” houses to be freed for larger families
Sandhurst has a flooding problem (serious 2007). Any fields are therefore valuable. Lack of public transport would/could cause problems in narrow lanes if traffic increased (very likely). Could sewage system cope? Schooling?
If there is a direct connection with the village for those in need it seems sensible. Design of houses needs to reflect the image of the village
This is a small rural village. The roads are very narrow, not maintained enough for the usage of the village today. If more houses are built this will cause many problems as well as the sewage pumps. Don’t take more of the village life away from what is here. 16 houses means at least 32+ more cars. There have been other affordable homes built which have ended up being purchased by people living in the village purely for renting out.
Affordable housing should be built in communities which can support the population, not rural areas such as Sandhurst. From personal experience Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 12
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council residents of affordable housing often have complex needs which cannot be supported in rural, country living. The road infrastructure is not appropriate for public transport. Something which is cherished by local residents.
The site proposed is agricultural land. The land is prone to flooding and the access road to Tewkesbury and Gloucester. Sewage capacity is a question mark. Very poor road surfaces in Sandhurst. Narrow lanes. Extra traffic already uses the lane to bypass A38 into Gloucester.
Sandhurst already has it’s 10% of affordable housing. I don’t believe there is a need
The roads are inadequate for the present level of traffic at the present time
The infrastructure of the area will not support large scale development. The access roads, sewage, drainage of flood water etc. is barely sufficient for the existing population. Any development at the church end of the village is not sustainable. We have one bus in and out of the village per day, so at least one car per household is essential. The roads cannot take any more traffic.
No issue with affordable housing. Do have issues with busy narrow lanes, poor sewage drainage, lack of mains gas and broadband. No facilities for community e.g. pub or shop
Inadequate infrastructure – narrow lanes, poor sewage, minimal bus service, no shops, schools or medical facilities. Unsuitable for those needing affordable housing.
Sandhurst already has significant affordable housing
Too much traffic on narrow roads
The village traffic and road issues would need to be upgraded to support any developments, the village is used a lot as a route through and speed of cars is dangerous to existing residents
Obviously sewage would have to be upgraded and surface water would have to be addressed. Highways could be a problem – i.e. passing places
Sandhurst lanes too narrow for increased traffic. Properties would be on a flood plain – Drainage increasing water level. Lack of public transport – would require new residents (already on low incomes) to have cars – more commuters. How would you define people suitable for local affordable housing? No jobs available in Sandhurst – or other work opportunities
Not in Sandhurst, no bus to junior school. 1 bus to Gloucester a day, roads not very good or wide enough for more cars. Pumping station too small. Nothing for children in Sandhurst
Apart from the obvious e.g. inadequate roads, sewage, no gas, very bad flooding most years, there is nothing here to help people who would require Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 13
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council affordable housing. No bus (to speak of) No school, no shop, no nursery, no pub, very poor broadband reception
Affordable housing rarely goes to ‘local’ people and very often becomes a dumping ground for problem families that the council don’t know what to do with. If they were built with a specific local person/family in mind then that may be different
We would not support the development of ‘affordable housing’ as the current government policy of scale rather than rent means it will end up making a profit for private sector.
We’ve had ‘affordable’ houses built in the village before – both council and privately. They get sold for large amounts of money, and some become rented. Any development should be good quality – unlike some ‘low cost’ houses I’ve seen with plastic trimmings that become damaged quickly
It’s not as “affordable” as it is made out to be – self build sites may be a better option
Already have 13 house association properties and properties for elderly. I have been told it is hard to fill these with local people. Any affordable housing should be focused on young people maybe with shared ownership. Make it not possible to lose due to right to buy
Most affordable housing doesn’t tend to stay affordable. Think there needs to be a more certain way ensuring that it does long into the future. Also using affordable housing as a way of building large houses for people with too much money is not acceptable
Affordable housing should, by its very definition, be located in an area that provides amenities suitable to live an “affordable lifestyle”. A village that has next to no shop and mains gas does not fit with that lifestyle. People seeking affordable housing would not want to live in an area outside the village. There is therefore NO NEED for affordable housing in Sandhurst
As long as it remains the property of the housing association and not sold off to occupiers
What should be affordable houses in the village seem difficult to sell, access because of flooding will always be a problem and this will increase due to building in the local area and flood prevention schemes further up the Severn
No issues with affordable houses or any other type but not in a village that floods and has such poor access and facilities
If any additional housing is to be built in Sandhurst, including affordable housing, we feel it would be necessary to improve both the bus service and road access to the village. Although there are 2 buses a day, they are at an unsuitable time in the day for anyone needing to get to work, meaning they are reliant on their own transport. The lane is very narrow in places which Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 14
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council means that often vehicles have to pull in to the side of the road to allow others to pass, causing damage to the edge of the carriage way. This situation is compounded by the fact that many heavy farm vehicles use the road.
I do support the need for some of these houses but there is already a busy road through the village and not sure the site in question is suitable
Part B - Home Working
5.16 Question B1 asks....Does any member of your household carry out any paid employment from home? 22% of respondents said ‘yes’, 76% said no, and 2% did not reply.
Table H - Do you or any member of your household carry out paid work from home?
5.17 Question B2 asks...Do you work for your employer or your own business? Of the 24 respondents who answered ‘yes’ to question B1, 7 said ‘employer’ and 18 said ‘own business’. Some people answered both ‘employer’ and ‘my own business’.
5.18 Question B3 asks...How many hours per week do you normally work from home?
Table I – How many hours do you usually work from home?
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 15
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 5.19 Queston B4 asks...If you have your own business at home, what type is it? This question provided the following response:
Crafts/Arts 1 IT/ Knowledge based 2 Consultancy 7 Design 0 Agriculture/gardening 3 Other 5 No reply 1 19
‘Other’ included: Design & Print, Milkman, Contracting, Barrister, Training / teaching.
5.20 Question B5 asks....Would you like to work from home if you had the proper facilities to do so? 10 respondents said ‘yes’.
5.21 Question B6 asked....Whether or not you currently work from home, what working space do you / would you require to enable you to work?
Table J - What working space do you / would you require to work from home?
5.22 Question B7 asked .. What communication services do / would you require to undertake your work?
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 16
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council Table K- What communication services do you/would you require to work from home?
Part C - Housing needs
5.23 18 households completed Part C: Housing Needs of the survey questionnaire self identified themselves in need of more suitable housing.
5.24 Taking into account people’s income and deposit, 11 of the 18 respondents needing to move home are regarded as having financial means to buy a suitable accommodation on the open market in Sandhurst. Account is taken of a household’s net monthly income, maximum monthly rent or mortgage afforded, deposit afforded and local house prices. Thus rendering 7 households in need of affordable housing.
5.25 Of the 7 households in need of affordable housing, 2 respondents indicated a need to move within 2 years, 4 respondents indicated a need to move between 2 & 5 years and 1 respondent indicated a need to move within 5 years.
5.26 None of the 7 respondents in need of affordable housing indicated they were on the District Council’s housing register (Gloucestershire Homeseeker). These are comments made by persons in need of affordable housing, who answered ‘no’ and who were asked to explain why they were not on the housing register:
No - not needed up to now No - don’t know what it is. Haven’t looked into it. No - unaware of scheme
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 17
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 5.27 Respondents provided the following reasons for needing to move home:
1 household indicated a need to move to nearer amenities 1 household indicated a desire to buy a home 1 household indicated a need to smaller accommodation 4 households indicated a need to set up an independent home
5.28 Below is a description of the 4 households in need of rented accommodation:
Couple ages not given Single person age not given (requesting ground floor flat) Single person aged 20 yrs Single person aged 21 yrs
5.29 Below is a description of the 3 households who could afford intermediate/ shared ownership housing:
Family with child aged 1 yrs Single person aged 76 yrs Couple aged 22 yrs & 24 yrs
11 households in need of market housing
5.30 As was stated in paragraph 5.24 above, there are 11 households who can afford to buy suitable housing on the open market: Couple aged 46 yrs & 53 yrs seeking a smaller house Couple both aged 74 yrs seeking a smaller house/ bungalow Couple aged 65 yrs & 60 yrs wishing to downsize Single person aged 65 yrs Couple aged 69 yrs & 67 yrs Single person aged 70 yrs Couple aged 82 yrs & 80 yrs Couple both aged 65 yrs Single person aged 91 yrs Couple – ages not given Couple aged 69 yrs & 70 yrs
6. AFFORDABILITY
6.1 A household’s income, savings and the state of the housing market are key factors for assessing a person’s need for affordable housing.
6.2 In simpistic terms assessment of how much a household can afford requires information on incomes and savings measured against prices of
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 18
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council property of a suitable size, type and location, whether rented or home ownership. However, depending upon tenure there will be additional factors that will impact upon costs of acquiring the right to occupy the property.
6.3 For home ownership, these costs include: mortgage interest rates, mortgage indemnity premium. mortgage application fee, legal fees, stamp duty tax, legal fees and search fees etc.
6.4 For rented, these costs may include: rent deposit and rent paid in advance.
Home ownership
6.5 In order to investigate affordability, further research has been carried out on house prices in the area.
6.6 Sandhurst breaks from the norm when it comes to type of dwelling in a Gloucestershire rural parish. Table L below demonstrates that Sandhurst has a substantially higher proportion of detached houses than average and very few flats and terraced houses.
Table L - Dwelling types according to Census 2011
6.6 Using information gained from HM Land Registry it is possible to obtain the average property prices in Sandhurst. The average price of properties sold in Sandhurst in the 2 years to August 2015 are shown in Table M below.
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Gloucestershire Rural Community Council Table M - Average Prices of residential properties in Sandhurst parish sold in the period 2 years to August 2015 (according to HM Land Registry) Average House Prices in Sandhurst Parish (£) House Type Price Number of Sales Detached £453,000 5 Semi-detached £232,000 5 Terraced - none Flats - none All £342,700 10
6.7 The number of house sales are for new and existing properties where the sale details registered with the Land Registry are in Sandhurst Parish.
Figures were obtained from “www.rightmove.co.uk” with data supplied by HM Land Registry.
There are sometimes delays in registrations of sales and this may result in under counting of property sales.
6.8 Unfortunately, the number of bedrooms in each property is not specified.
6.9 The average price of properties sold does not necessarily reflect the average value of all dwellings in the parish.
6.10 HM Land Registry tells us that the average price of residential properties sold in Gloucestershire is £190,809 in September 2015.
6.11 The latest figures show that for Gloucestershire there has been a small fluctuation in average house prices between 2011 and 2013. House prices began to rise more significantly from end of 2013. During the period of 12 months leading up to September 2015 house prices rose on average by 4.3%.
6.12 House sales volumes in Gloucestershire fell significantly from a peak of 1,475 in June 2007 to a low of 436 in January 2009. Sales numbers have risen again to 1,017 residential property sales in July 2015. Winter is traditionally a time of fewer house sales.
EXAMPLE CALCULATION FOR A MORTGAGE
6.13 Typically, a household can obtain a mortgage of 3.5 times their gross annual income, and in today’s financial market would expect to pay a deposit of at least 15% towards the total purchase price.
6.14 To afford the least expensive semi-detached house (£171,500) sold during the past 2 years in Sandhurst a household would require at least £25,725 as a deposit, and their annual gross income for mortgage purposes would have to be at least £49,000. Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 20
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 6.15 At the time this report was published mortgage lenders offer first time buyers standard variable annual rate interest rates from as low as 4.5% APR upwards. Applying a 4.5% interest rate to a mortgage of £145,775 equates to £819.24 per month for a repayment mortgage (repayment of captital and interest) over a 25 year period.
Gross annual earnings for employees (full and part-time) in local authority areas
Area Median gross Median gross annual earnings annual earnings (residents in local (place of work in authority area) local authority (£) area) (£) Cotswold 18,099 18,224 Forest of Dean 21,151 19,178 Gloucester 20,456 19,880 Stroud 22,239 21,921 Cheltenham 24,208 21,530 Tewkesbury 23,468 24,264 Gloucestershire 21,727 20,778 South West 20,095 19,934 Great Britain 21,965 21,965 Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2013, Office of National Statistics – revised and released 19th November 2014
The median (50th percentile) in the table above shows gross annual earnings of residents in Tewkesbury Borough (£23,468) is more than the corresponding regional figure (£20,095) and the national figure (£21,965). However, the median for earnings of employees in Tewkesbury Borough (£24,264) is greater still than the regional (£19,934), and the national figures (£21,965).
Considering the prices of homes sold in Sandhurst Parish during the 2 years up to August 2015 a household on a median income living in Tewkesbury Borough (£23,468) would be unable to purchase a property without a substantial deposit of at least £89,362 (based on a house purchase price £171,500 and a multiplier of gross annual income x 3.5).
Many potential first time buyers struggle to meet the costs of buying their own home.
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 21
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council Private rented
6.16 Information gained from ‘Rightmove.com’ provides the starting prices of rents for the following property types in Sandhurst area in October 2015 as follows (there is very little residential property to rent in the private sector in Sandhurst parish):
One bedroom flat (Gloucester)……………………….£365 per calendar month
Two bedroom maisonette (Gloucester)...... £525 pcm
Two bedroom terraced house (Sandhurst).……….…………£550 pcm
Three bedroom bungalow (Longford)………………….…...... £750 pcm
Three bedroom house (Gloucester)…………………………..£725 pcm
6.17 It is generally recognised that a household’s housing costs should not exceed 25% of a household’s gross income. Based upon this assumption a minimum gross annual income required to afford the rent on the above properties would be £17,520 for a one bedroom flat in Churchdown, £25,200 for a two bedroom maisonette (Gloucester), £26,400 for a two bedroom terraced house (Sandhurst), £36,000 for a three bedroom bungalow (Longford), and £34,800 for a three bedroom house (Gloucester). Of course, the rent does not include running costs e.g. council tax, fuel bills etc.
6.18 By comparing the monthly costs of private rented property with home ownership, it is significantly more expensive to buy than to rent a similar starter-type home (if there are any such properties available).
What is affordable rented housing?
6.19 The Government’s National Planning Policy Framework describes affordable housing as:
Social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market.
Social rented housing is owned by local authorities and private registered providers (housing associations) for which guideline target rents are determined through the national rent regime.
Affordable rented housing is let by local authorities or private registered providers and is subject to a rent of no more than 80% of the local market rent (including service charges, where applicable). For many parts of Gloucestershire affordable rents are higher than social rents.
Intermediate housing is homes for sale and rent provided at a cost above social rent, but below market levels. These can include shared equity (shared ownership and equity loans), other low cost homes for sale and intermediate rent, but not affordable rented housing.
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 22
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council Homes that do not meet the above definition of affordable housing, such as “low cost market” housing, may not be considered as affordable housing for planning purposes.
6.20 A household’s entitlement to housing benefit takes into account number, age and gender of members of household, income, savings, number of bedrooms and other circumstances. The amount of Housing Benefit a household may receive may cover a part or all the rental charge depending upon personal circumstances.
7. EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK
7.1 Tewkesbury Borough Council transferred all its housing stock into the ownership of Severn Vale Housing Society around 10 years ago. SVHS has 14 rented dwellings in Sandhurst parish:
2 bedroom 2 bedroom 3 bedroom 4 bedroom Total bungalows maisonettes houses houses
7 4 2 1 14
8. SANDHURST PARISH HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY FEBRUARY 2010
8.1 Previously in February 2010 GRCC carried out a housing needs survey of Sandhurst parish. The 2010 survey revealed 7 households in need of affordable housing, these included 3 single persons, and 4 families requiring a range of house sizes (1 x 2 bed house; 1 x 3 bed house; 1 x 4 bed house & size not known).
8.2 The number of households in need of affordable housing has remained the same although there are now more single people and couples, and fewer families compared to 2010.
8.2 Also the 2010 survey revealed 5 households seeking alternative accommodation who could afford suitable housing on the open market. Whereas the recent survey captured 11 households seeking to move home in the private sector, 7 of whom wish to down size.
9. SUMMARY
9.1 Part C of this survey is aimed at persons who are seeking alternative housing, in particular those who cannot open market prices and therefore require affordable housing (rented or shared ownership).
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 23
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council 9.2 The information gained from this survey is a key element of assessing local needs. Other useful sources of information include Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Housing Register (known as Gloucestershire Homeseeker and which operates county-wide). Some key issues arising from the survey are:
It is notoriously difficult to get accurate data on the housing need of young people, and surveys of this type tend to underestimate the figures.
Those who have expressed a genuine need have been considered in the recommendations.
Housing development in Sandhurst parish should take account of future anticipated housing need as well as the number of households in immediate need.
There is a shortage of affordable properties in Sandhurst for rent.
The survey indicates 87% of dwellings in Sandhurst have 3 or more bedrooms, and 12% have 2 bedrooms. There are no 1 bedroom properties in Sandhurst.
Of the 18 respondents to the questionnaire who are seeking a move home, 7 households require affordable housing, and 11 households can afford market housing. In the current financial market some potential purchasers, particularly first time buyers, are experiencing difficulties obtaining a mortgage. The Bank of England Base Rate has remained at an all time low of 0.5% since March 2009 (last reviewed in October 2015). However, mortgage lenders often charge high rates of interest to first time buyers and require substantial deposits, sometimes 15% or more of the purchase price as well as charging arrangement/administrative fees.
Table N - Households in need of affordable rented accommodation
Couple - ages Single persons aged 20, Sub-Total not given 21 yrs & age not given
1 bedroom 1 2 3 house/ flat/ bungalow
1 bedroom - 1 1 ground floor flat
Total 4
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Gloucestershire Rural Community Council Table O - Households in need of intermediate or shared ownership housing
Family with Single person Couple aged Sub-Total child aged 1 aged 76 yrs 22 yrs & 24 yr yrs
3 bedroom 1 - - 1 house
2 bedroom - 1 1 2 house
Total 3
10. CONCLUSION
10.1 This survey has determined that there are 7 households with a local connection who have self identified themselves in need of affordable housing in the parish.
10.2 In addition to local households in need, consideration should be given to turnover of the existing social housing stock in the parish when determining the number, type and tenure of additional affordable dwellings required to meet the parish’s need. Also, consideration may be given to forecasted changes in the demographics and the impact of Government policies e.g. housing benefit regulations. It should be noted that some existing affordable housing may be allocated to persons in greatest housing need throughout the District rather than priority awarded to local people.
11. RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that:
a) Those people in housing need are advised how to apply on the District Council’s Housing Register (Gloucestershire Homeseeker) and Help to Buy South. b) The Borough Council is provided with the Housing Needs Survey Report. c) The Rural Housing Enabler produces an executive summary of the survey report for publication in the parish newsletter.
Sandhurst Parish Housing Needs Survey Report (October 2015) 25
Gloucestershire Rural Community Council