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Bomere Heath Local Housing Needs Survey
In January and February 2003 the Borough Council in partnership with Bomere Heath and District Parish Council undertook a survey of local housing need in The Bomere Heath and District . The purpose of the survey was to help inform that needs review and to enable the Borough Council and the Parish Council to ensure any development proposals meet local need (if there is any)
522 questionnaires were delivered by hand to every property in the Parish and 300 forms were returned by the closing date a return rate of just over 57%.
Main Findings
Household profile.
The survey found that 84% of households in the area had two or fewer adults in the household with 27% being single adult households.
A stable community.
The majority of respondents had been resident in the parish for more than 5 years (81%) with very few new residents (only 7% resident for less than 2 years).
The suggestion that the community is relatively stable is strengthened by the fact that only 14% of respondents indicated that they would be likely to leave the parish in the next 5 years. Applying this percentage to the total number of properties in the parish (522) we can estimate that over the next 5 years around 73 properties will become available through people moving away.
Area is predominantly owner occupied housing.
The survey found that 80% of property was owner occupied, 10% privately rented and 9% housing association. This compares to a Borough wide picture of 15% housing association.
Strong level of housing need.
The survey found that a large number of respondents (101) (34%) felt that they would be in need of alternative accommodation in the next 10 years, 12 respondents indicating being in need now and a further 53 being in need in the next 5 years. 80 % of those people in need wished to remain in the same parish.
The main reason (41%) for being in need was due to requiring independent accommodation, for example currently living with parents. Of particular interest is that 28% of people indicating they were in housing need reported the reason being due to changing circumstances meaning no suitable accommodation available in the parish.
Even without factoring this percentage up for the parish we can estimate that around 25 respondents are in housing need within the Parish as a result of their being no other suitable accommodation available. Assuming 80% wish to remain in the parish this gives us a new housing need of around 20 homes (+- margins of error).
Even assuming that the 73 properties that may be put on the market in the next 5 years are sold to residents of the parish (a best case scenario) the figures suggest a net shortfall of around 9 homes.
The figures suggest therefore a shortfall of between 9 and 20 homes.
Main need for 2 bed bungalows and three bed houses.
The survey indicated that the strongest need is for elderly person accommodation and also a strong need for young single person accommodation. The preferred types of accommodation that featured highly was 2 bed bungalows for the elderly (25%) two bed houses (16%) and three or more bed houses (17%).
A - One-bed house/flat
B - One-bed bungalow for the elderly
C - One-bed sheltered accommodation
D - Two-bed sheltered accommodation
E - Two-bed house/flat
F - Two-bed bungalow for the elderly
G - Three-bed house/flat
H - More than three bed house
No strongly preferred tenure for those in housing need.
Of those responding to be in housing need no strongly preferred tenure was evident with 38% requiring owner occupied housing 30% rented and 28% not expressing a preference. Only 4% expressed shared equity as their tenure of choice.
Affordability.
Interestingly of those people responding as being in housing need 60% reported that they could only afford a rent of up to £60. This would be the equivalent of a round a £48000 mortgage. When asked the question as to what mortgage they felt they could afford 67% of respondents indicated they could not afford a mortgage over £70,000 and 30% could not afford a mortgage over £50,000. This level of affordability supports the evidence of preferred tenure with respondents being realistic in their tenure choice based on knowledge of affordability.
Strong support for a small scheme of affordable housing to meet local need.
The survey found overwhelming support for a small scheme of affordable housing to meet local need with 78% of respondents indicating support
The survey also found support for both owner occupied and rented tenure housing with 15% stating a need for rented accommodation, 24% for owner occupied and 57% suggesting a need for both.
Other comments.
A large number of comments were received and these are detailed below.
The comments have been grouped into four categories.
Support for affordable homes, particularly for young people and accommodation for the elderly
We do not need £250,000 plus housing, several small developments by local builders would be preferable to l00+ houses so as to give 'organic growth style'.
Further development should be kept to a minimum and should be affordable.
Housing available for young people.
Acute lack of starter homes for young people needs to be addressed.
The area is steadily becoming a village of retirement people - so it would welcome homes for young people who have left the village to return and start families.
I think the village should have more Housing Association small homes for young couples who can't possibly afford to buy on Shropshire Wages.
Affordable Homes for the younger people who wish to stay in the village.
We would support a small development of low cost housing for young people - but feel the Village is being over-developed. We have both lived in Bomere Heath for over 30 years.
If you want to maintain a long term village identity, then it is vital that a cross section of the community stays.
I feel the need for rented flats, for young people to get back into the village they have been born into.
There is a need for starter homes in the village.
There is a need for 3 bedroom semi-detached, at a price people can afford! Not the same as 'Affordable Housing'. Affordable Housing to the people of Bomere Heath means house with 'no strings' which the locals can afford to buy!
Affordable Housing to keep our family in Village. Near to good school and village life, which they would enjoy.
More affordable homes for young families.
We need to attract young families into the Parish, a high proportion of the residents seem to be retired.
Village needs affordable housing for young couples/families not big five bedroom luxury homes.
Affordable first time homes are needed rather than large expensive houses.
Low cost housing, not in middle of village.
There should be more sheltered housing and renting association properties in the Village so that people don't have to move away to other areas.
A mix of affordable homes and retirement flats for older people so that they don't have to move to town.
There are a lot of single elderly residents and very few smaller places that owner-occupiers in large properties could sell to families and they themselves move within the Village.
No more large luxury houses, more smaller dwellings for the young and elderly, and no more houses overlooking bungalows.
Build more houses of all types - small, medium, big. The need is obvious.
Low cost housing.
Affordable housing for the younger generation otherwise the Village will fade away 4-5 bedroom homes is way beyond their means.
Affordable housing for the young ones growing up now.
There certainly is a need or rather there will become a need for affordable housing for younger people in the area.
Affordable housing, bearing in mind there are many bungalows in Boomer Heath and any new development needs to be in keeping.
Housing for young people - starter homes.
Bomere Heath needs starter homes at reasonable prices and sheltered housing (private) for the elderly.
I am a widow on my own and would very much like to live in sheltered accommodation.
We need housing for young couple's not further accommodation for older people - or young people with children - The Village is tending towards an old people's village, which is not healthy.
Do not support additional housing.
We do not want or need any more luxury-detached houses within the village itself. 1) Any further building should be related to the school's ability to take any more pupils 2) The drains cannot cope with any more building and No trees should be cut down within the Village.
We decided to make our home in Bomere 10 years ago. If the village grows in the same way as Baschurch, I shall think about moving to somewhere smaller.
I think that there are enough houses in Bomere Heath. There's already too many fields already being used up for housing around Shrewsbury/Telford.
Over populated already.
The road network into the parish is unsuitable for more traffic. The country lanes are 'too fast'. Lower speed limits need to be introducing in all hamlets surrounding Bomere Heath.
Any additional development would ruin the character of this lovely Village.
I think the services in the Village can not cope with more people living here. Children at the local school already spend far too much time being taught by classroom assistants and if more houses were built the school and local doctors would not be able to cope.
There is no further need for housing in Bomere Heath, other than in-fill. Why spoil what we have.
As long as the Village remains 'viable' - no more 'development'. Bomere Heath must stay a village and not become a satellite town of Shrewsbury.
I believe that there has been enough development in Bomere Heath over the last 20 years especially as we now have only 1 shop and no doctor's surgery or chemist.
This is a rural village and pleasant community and I want it to remain so. School and local services are well supported and do not need increased population!
There are already far too many houses in Bomere Heath. The Village has been spoiled by so much building.
Answer to Q1.3 - Do not want to move. Want to live in the Village but if developments were allowed Bomere Heath would be more like a small town so would have to leave. Answer to Q3.1 - Village should be left alone. Further comments - Village should be left alone. It has a natural balance and charm. It should not be ruined with modern characterless boxes as has happened at Baschurch, Ryton XI Towns, Ford etc.
This is a lovely Village with, in the main, honest hardworking residents. There are houses for sale on the market regularly, therefore I do not see the need to build more, certainly the school is not big enough to accommodate more families.
I feel the Village is perfect now, any more housing will loose the feel of the Village.
I feel the Village is becoming over populated. No more building should be allowed for Bomere Heath to remain a Village.
The Village is large enough!
Comments on location / style for new housing.
Boundaries extended to allow more individual homes.
We would prefer any houses to be built around the village and not in the middle of the village - using the only green space we have for wild animals and birds etc.
We feel that more individual properties could be built if the boundary was extended.
Development should be sympathetic to a village community, i.e. rural not urban and be of low DENSITY.
If any development takes place, it should include a mix of starter homes to exec homes. However, it should be of limited size.
Development of housing should be small scale and to meet the needs of the village and stay within existing Parish Boundaries.
The Pool Meadow must be the most unsuitable site in the Village.
I would not like to see housing extend into the green area outside of the current Village boundary, as this would spoil the environment, which the residents currently enjoy.
There are already several developments in Bomere Heath inside the Village boundary. Once developments are allowed outside the boundary it will open the floodgates to a multitude of development applications in future years. Bomere Heath could easily be ruined like Baschurch. Please develop the brown field sites in Shrewsbury without taking more countryside.
I believe the village would benefit from some more expensive/executive type housing.
It is important that the houses don't spoil the character of the Village or swamp it.
Depends where it would be sited. I think there are enough houses in the centre of the Village. Any new houses ought to be built on outskirts of Village.
I am not of favour in housing development towards Shrewsbury/Harlescott. Small housing developments within the Village or towards Merrington would be acceptable.
I think it is time to look at small scale housing at hamlets such as Walford, Oldwoods, Preston Gubbals.
See note about new housing being in keeping with existing - do not build houses opposite bungalows. Give dwellings piece of garden - do not build high density.
Road network to Shrewsbury from Bomere Heath not suitable to take much more traffic, limited development only not more than 50 houses.
I am opposed to any development, however small, outside the village development boundary. Once this boundary has been breached it will open the flood gates to mass development as was proposed some years ago, I.e. 5-600 houses, which brought about the inquiry which resulted in the boundary being established. In my opinion, any further development of Bomere Heath is impracticable until something is done regarding access to the village from outside. Some of the roads into the Village are so narrow that two vehicles are unable to pass safely, whilst the main access road is Huffley Lane. The name speaks for itself, and how many accidents there have been along this lane in the last twenty years I don't remember, but it is a lot, a significant number of which have resulted in fatalities. To walk or cycle along this road at rush hour or at night is a risk I do not care to take, as it must be one of the most dangerous roads in the county.
Comments on the need for increased facilities
As well as housing the young people will need increased transport (bus/train services) to enable them to work nearby.
We think we could do with another General Store for competition purposes.
No comments on housing. I think the Village needs a better shop to cope with old people.
We are in desperate need of an open space for children 7-16yrs as there is currently only Cornfield Close.
The school and other facilities are at 'full stretch'. It would need increased amenities before additional housing. Street lighting and weight restriction on Huffley Lane to prevent current accidents.
If more housing is to be considered the question of parking at Village shop and Village Hall should be addressed.
The Village does not need any large scale expensive houses development. We also need an improved road system before we can cope with any increase in traffic building would involve.
We desperately need a teenage area - for football, basketball/netball or just hanging out. There is nowhere at all for them to go. This should be done before any more housing is put up, which would only make the problem worse.
Not only housing required in the Village but also 'green' areas. Stop Village decay and this should be taken into consideration to stop pollution by cars etc.
If longer developments take place, services should be provided accordingly, e.g. Health Clinic, Playing Fields etc.
More housing would destroy the Village. The narrow roads leading from/to the Village will not support more traffic. They are death traps now especially with all the hgv traffic. More traffic would be virtual murder.
Other comments
This is a very nice place to live in.
Townies need to be discouraged from moving from the South East up here They are unwanted.
In recent years the so-called 'Affordable Housing' in local areas has often meant the unwanted social element of the town's council estates being moved into rural areas. This is not wanted or needed in our Parish!
Bomere Heath has, over the past 35/40 years, had a good feeling of care and community amongst residents, and we hope this will continue. Whilst we must progress and serve local needs, too much housing might upset this balance.
Families would be 'around' if housing and work available - means extra help and care within families. Extended answer to Question iv) If work available - general opinion.
The Village does not need to expand too much but does need a population large enough to support the school, Post Office, Shop, Village Hall and Churches.
The Village of Bomere Heath has lost its identify. It is now little more than a transit station where people move in for between 2 and 5 years and then just move on.
Look at previous planning errors in the Parish before allowing further development.
Conclusion.
- The housing needs survey indicated strong support for a small development of affordable housing to meet local needs particularly starter homes for young families.
- The survey suggests a need for around 20 additional homes over the next 10 years to meet local need split between rented and owner occupied.
- The survey suggests the main need in the next five years is for 4 bungalows, 6 two/three bed houses and 2 three+ bed houses.
- The survey suggests a need for around 6 rented properties with affordable rents below £60 per week and a need for 6 to 8 low cost owner occupied properties with a purchase price of less than £70,000.
A.T.Goldsmith
Housing and Community Regeneration manager
Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council
April 2003.