Cheshire East Council is looking to build some affordable housing on a Council-owned site in the village, so in March they sent a housing needs survey to all households within Alderley Edge parish.
The purpose of the survey was to assess the need for affordable housing in Alderley Edge. 2,471 surveys were sent out and 736 were returned completed, giving a response rate of 30%.
The survey was conducted by Cheshire East Council's Research and Consultation Team, who have now processed and analysed the completed questionnaires.
Respondents were generally in favour of a small development of affordable housing being built in Alderley Edge, with 461 out of 736 (63%) being in favour. The remaining respondents were split equally between 'not sure' and 'no' with 135 out of 736 (18%) for each respectively. Five respondents left this question blank.
Of those respondents in favour of more affordable housing, some of the reasons given were:
- a need to support and encourage the younger population to stay within the parish. (50 respondents)
- a need for greater diversity within the community (32 respondents)
- a need to support the working population, which included those on lower pay and key workers (15 respondents)
- a need to help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder (16 respondents)
There were 13 respondents that were generally against any development (affordable or not) within the parish.
Some respondents also raised concerns about the location and size of the development, whether it would be located in the Green Belt and what type of houses would be built.
This was because when the survey was sent out the Council declined to reveal the location of the site but we have since been informed that the Green Belt site is Hole Farm (pictured above).
Engine of the North, a Cheshire East owned company which is responsible for bringing the council's strategic land assets to the market, is proposing to build 10 semis and two bungalows at the site of the derelict building, all of which would be affordable homes.
Councillor Craig Browne said "The results will be used to support a planning application by Engine of the North, later in the year."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
1. Why has it taken 6 years since Cabinet agreed to this to get it this far?
2. What agreements have been going on in the background?
I would now add more questions:
1. When and why was this survey set up?
2. A survey which declined to reveal the location of the site - when is a survey not a survey but an attempt to justify?
3. What land is it linked to in the Green Belt which the dreaded "Engine of the North" might be interested in?
The guidance is that 30% of houses built on sites 15 and above need to be affordable these being pepper potted across the site. So what was Cheshire East doing balloting on affordables? The answer is in the guidance. This site is not in the village. It is as far away as possible and smack along side a noisey main road. Not a place where developers would want to build two or three prestigious homes. Wrong sort of social engineering going on here.
'We just didn't ask the others as we thought they may give the wrong answer. Someone has been sacked for letting the 4 through blah blah....
Will there be any Joint-Ownership?
Why 10 Semis and 2 Bungalows? Bungalows for older applicants?
If there are more applicants than housing, how will the 'lottery' be organised?
Will there be any touch of 'Social Housing' involved?