Monday, November 01, 2010

New houses

Say NO to 900 houses in Swanage

Today (Nov 1) marks the beginning of the next round of 'Planning Purbeck's Future': Core Strategy Pre-Submission Public Consultation. The Core Strategy is the blueprint for planning policy in Purbeck between 2006 and 2027.

We have had plenty of debate about Herston Fields which was part of the previous consultation. Let's set that aside for the time being, and just look at the figures: PDC aim to deliver 900 houses (mainly in Swanage), between 2006 and 2027. Of these 900, 250 have been built already, 190 have planning permission, 260 sites have been identified under "character appraisal" (ie infill within the town), and the final tranche of 200 which the 'Where Shall We Build in Swanage & Corfe Castle?' consultation addressed. This last tranche of 200 houses are to be built on settlement extensions (ie greenfield sites such as Herston and other sites yet "to be identified")

34% of ALL new build in the whole of Purbeck has been in Swanage since 1996. These new 900 houses, would represent an expansion of the town of 20% and this seems to be an unfair burden. Truly affordable housing for local people to rent or buy is all that is needed in Swanage.

We all know that the A351 is already heavily congested, and a planning inspector recommended in 2002 that no further devlopment should happen in Swanage until the A351 problems had been addressed. Nothing has changed and it is clear that the infrastructure is not in place to cope with an increased population. Then there is also the question of where all these new residents are going to work!

How on earth this "Public Consultation" is even remotely accessible to anyone without an intricate knowledge of planning procedure is beyond me. Top down decision making is alive and well in Purbeck.

To try to take take part visit this address:
http://www.dorestforyou.com/purbeck_consultation

Oh, and if you need any help Purbeck District Council are offering 'briefings on how to complete these forms and the process involved' in Wareham (2) Swanage (1). See you at the Mowlem on the 18th November at 7pm.



Posted by Stephen Foote to swanageview at 2:46 PM
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28 comments:

Anonymous said...

We need house and homes in Swanage for Swanage folk.

Either build more, or make it undesirable for the second home weekenders.

Simple.

1/11/10 3:00 pm
Anonymous said...

You cant have more homes, where ever you want to build some one will object! ie Herston fields.

1/11/10 5:40 pm
Anonymous said...

What is the correlation between building more houses (for Swanage folk)or making it undesirable for the second home weekenders, and how do you suggest this aim is best achieved?

1/11/10 8:40 pm
Anonymous said...

Presumably we have all seen the latest unafordability league table putting Purbeck at about 12th place. This is not a local problem, it is a national one. Almost everywhere has an unmet demand for affordable homes. Persuading the con/lib coalition to abandon the free market in housing is an interesting notion, but not the most likely thing to happen.

1/11/10 10:03 pm
Anonymous said...

How on earth this "Public Consultation" is even remotely accessible to anyone without an intricate knowledge of planning procedure is beyond me. Top down decision making is alive and well in Purbeck.

What are you talking about? The consultation has been going on for months.

It is consultation, not some species of referendum. Our elected councillors will take a decision after considering what has come from the consultation. How do you think it should be done? On the basis of who shouts loudest perhaps?

2/11/10 9:13 am
Anonymous said...

Correcting Mr Footes link

www.dorsetforyou.com/purbeck_consultation

JIC

http://tinyurl.com/2vdu9sk

2/11/10 9:45 am
Stephen Foote said...

Apologies for the typo in the link.

2/11/10 12:32 pm
Anonymous said...

The reason why second homes legislation won't be forthcoming is that the Tories use second home ownership to win elections. It's how they increased their majority in West Dorset this year by 3,000. In South too they ran a campaign encouraging 2nd home owners to use their vote in Dorset where it would have more impact rather than in their home cities.

There is no way that PDC should be supporting more market housing, Central government needs to get its act together and implement policies that restrict second homes. Every market house that is built is a potential second home. Even the ex council houses at Herston, and housing in Richmond and Osborne road have become second homes. These could have been available for local families. Do PDC have a written agreement from potential developers that they will build the promised 50%/50% of market/affordable housing.

I don't agree that everyone will object to more homes being built, but each and every Parish Council should research the number people that are in 'need' of an affordable (rented/social) home.

Exception sites can be used for 100% affordable housing. Also Low Impact Development is another way of achieving affordable housing that also encourages employment in the countryside. Come on PDC think outside of the 'greedy developers and landowners' if you search a little you will find some a bit more generous.

2/11/10 11:24 pm
Anonymous said...

Its a terrible old cliche but what goes round comes round. Council house sales are now generally seen as a disaster, embarked on as a political gimmick. In fairness I have to add that some conservative members of the town council were against it. We also have the delights of the "enterprise culture" and find those who had a bit of enterprise often devote their gains to buying a seaside or country second home. And of course some of those savings the virtuous middle class were piling up were injected into the mortgage market by their banks and insurance companies driving prices ever higher insurance companies. The whole thing is a free market disaster, brought about by what looked like good ideas at the time.

3/11/10 9:42 am
Anonymous said...

"There is no way that PDC should be supporting more market housing,"

I am puzzled by this statement, but then I am puzzled by a lot of things. If no new market housing is built surely the price of the existing stock will be forced up and so it will become even less affordable to local people. The only solution is to build lots of housing and meet the demand.

3/11/10 5:14 pm
Anonymous said...

Yep. Couldn't agree more. It's sad that homes are commodities, but when we live in a society that knows the cost of everything, but not the value ....... well.

Now that Education Swanage have got a grip, maybe tenuous, on the Grammar School site, then Herston Fields is now Numero Uno, unless a land owner has made a new proposal

3/11/10 5:21 pm
Anonymous said...

We do need affordable housing, and we also live in a place which people like to live. PDC claim to "protect Purbeck", but not, apparently from themselves. 900 houses is a lot of houses. Where will the occupants of these houses work? Where will they shop? where will they park their cars?. All that extra infrastructure will need to be built. Cliche: Pave over paradise, put up a parking lot!

The danger here is that PDC will kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Then no-one will want to live here because they will have wrecked the place

3/11/10 8:18 pm
Anonymous said...

Here is an alternative view that probably most posters will not agree with.
We have to face the fact that Swanage is a very desirable place to live and nothing can be done to stop "outsiders" wanting to buy here. Supply and demand will govern what will be paid and the failure to build property for them will probably force the cost of existing property even higher, so driving even more locals out of the market, unless more commercial type houses are built.
Over the last 30 odd years I have dealt with many local businessmen and seen 3 distinct factors emerge.
1 > The hotel trade has declined but holiday makers (who bring much needed money and therefore local jobs, both direct and "knock-on") still want to come here, so they need accommodation. This must not however be discounted.
2 > No significant amounts of new industry has come and stayed, so very few new well-paid jobs have been created. New businesses seem to be prepared to come to the outskirts of Poole and areas such as Holton Heath, but not to Swanage due to us being out on a limb and without decent broadband services.
3 > The ratio of earnings to property prices is still a hopeless situation for most young couples.
Even with the small number of ex local authority houses for sale there is still a big problem. Even these are selling at c£200k for a family home (much less than an equivalent private development home), so the "Bank of Mum and Dad" is going to have to find the initial deposit which is usually in the region of £40k. Not many locals can afford this. Then there are the monthly repayments needed which will probably mean an annual salary of £30k is needed - there are not many of those in Swanage. Finally, there is often a covenant on these properties which seems to frighten off many lending institutions.
This means that the majority of young local families are going to be forced to rent for the forseeable future unless new property is sold at a discount, which won't go down well with existing homeowners who have to pay full "market-value" loans and then, in these dire financial times, have to pay additional council tax or what-have-you to subsidise new-builds.

3/11/10 8:21 pm
Anonymous said...

I agree, but so many words to tell us what we already know.....

Build to meet demand, 50% Affordable, problem solved.

Shame that we'll lose a view or 2.

3/11/10 9:08 pm
Anonymous said...

Affordable housing for the needy. Thats what is called for. There are 229 people(or maybe its households) who currently live in Swanage on the housing list. The real question is this, of those how many NEED affordable housing, and how many DESIRE it? Presumably if they are currently living here they are either in rented accomodation, or they may be youngsters with kids and are still living with their parents. There aren't a lot of people sleeping on the street in Swanage. I'm not saying that doesn't mean they shouldn't be housed. I seem to remember hearing that the urgent need for housing related to around 28 households (this would be people at risk)

3/11/10 9:14 pm
Anonymous said...

Be interesting to know where you get your numbers from.

4/11/10 7:28 am
Anonymous said...

The numbers come from PDC

4/11/10 8:27 am
Anonymous said...

"There aren't a lot of people sleeping on the street in Swanage."

Just as well really. When PDC's homelessness service was audited it provoked the response that it was so dreadful that is was doubtful councillors would recognise a good service if they saw it.

Council statistics measure what councils want them to. Single people get the worst deal- in fact no deal at all, unless they have chronic health problems or are old they have no entitlement. It is hardly surprising the more easily offended and moralising newspapers regularly run stories about young ladies having babies in order to get housed. Not an option available to middle aged men though.

4/11/10 9:41 am
Anonymous said...

Yep, and so far as I'm aware, no 'body' would ever release how many people/families were 'in need'.

229 in Swanage - low - as in on housing list

4/11/10 7:02 pm
Anonymous said...

Shame.

Our person who gets figures from PDC has had a night off.

Still, nice for her or him.

4/11/10 9:28 pm
Anonymous said...

"There is no way that PDC should be supporting more market housing,"



'I am puzzled by this statement, but then I am puzzled by a lot of things. If no new market housing is built surely the price of the existing stock will be forced up and so it will become even less affordable to local people. The only solution is to build lots of housing and meet the demand.'

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots more housing !! What is the point and where is it going to end. If there is no policy to discourage second homes then if the market housing value decreases, then cash buyers will guzump locals, so how will this work ?

How many houses would you need to build before the value comes down to eg. 50,000 to enable local families to afford a home. I cannot agree with your way of thinking. Not unless there is a covenant on every market house to home local people (or those that wish to live and work here).

We cannot build our way out of this problem. We should not support any more market housing until government has sorted out a way to tax second homes at least 200%. The extra tax could then be used to build local housing. What is the point of building more market housing. A house, should be a home, a shelter not a commodity.
How ever much market housing is built in Purbeck it will remain high and unaffordable for locals. We are 2 hours drive away from London, easily accessible for weekend trips away. How may houses would need to be built to bring the prices down?!! There is plenty of market housing available for sale at the moment..has the price come down (much) no. Supply and demand is the speak of the banking fraternity that have got us in this mess. They have encouraged people to borrow beyond their means. The aim should be to fill every house with people that live here full time. Young families should also be welcomed. It is now possible to run a business from home via the internet. No problem. Despite previous negative comments about young people moving away from this area, there is in truth a whole new generational attitude, and its great to see, young families choosing an alternative way of life, prioritising quality of life for their families rather than being driven necessarily by high city incomes. We need young people and its great to see so many young families moving to Swanage.

I hope we will see more 'blue sky thinking' with regards to housing development to meet the needs of local people. Land is precious and we will need it to grow crops and build homes for locals.

Keep Purbeck special, for the people that live here and for our children. They will not thank us for covering Purbeck in concrete.
Visitors can be encouraged and welcomed to return once more to camping, hotels,guest houses or B & B, this would then bring additional employment to this area.

There is another way.

5/11/10 10:28 pm
Anonymous said...

"There is no way that PDC should be supporting more market housing,"



'I am puzzled by this statement, but then I am puzzled by a lot of things. If no new market housing is built surely the price of the existing stock will be forced up and so it will become even less affordable to local people. The only solution is to build lots of housing and meet the demand.'

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots more housing !! What is the point and where is it going to end. If there is no policy to discourage second homes then if the market housing value decreases, then cash buyers will guzump locals, so how will this work ?

How many houses would you need to build before the value comes down to eg. 50,000 to enable local families to afford a home. I cannot agree with your way of thinking. Not unless there is a covenant on every market house to home local people (or those that wish to live and work here).

We cannot build our way out of this problem. We should not support any more market housing until government has sorted out a way to tax second homes at least 200%. The extra tax could then be used to build local housing. What is the point of building more market housing. A house, should be a home, a shelter not a commodity.
How ever much market housing is built in Purbeck it will remain high and unaffordable for locals. We are 2 hours drive away from London, easily accessible for weekend trips away. How may houses would need to be built to bring the prices down?!! There is plenty of market housing available for sale at the moment..has the price come down (much) no. Supply and demand is the speak of the banking fraternity that have got us in this mess. They have encouraged people to borrow beyond their means. The aim should be to fill every house with people that live here full time. Young families should also be welcomed. It is now possible to run a business from home via the internet. No problem. Despite previous negative comments about young people moving away from this area, there is in truth a whole new generational attitude, and its great to see, young families choosing an alternative way of life, prioritising quality of life for their families rather than being driven necessarily by high city incomes. We need young people and its great to see so many young families moving to Swanage.

I hope we will see more 'blue sky thinking' with regards to housing development to meet the needs of local people. Land is precious and we will need it to grow crops and build homes for locals.

Keep Purbeck special, for the people that live here and for our children. They will not thank us for covering Purbeck in concrete.
Visitors can be encouraged and welcomed to return once more to camping, hotels,guest houses or B & B, this would then bring additional employment to this area.

There is another way.

5/11/10 10:28 pm
Anonymous said...

"There is no way that PDC should be supporting more market housing,"



'I am puzzled by this statement, but then I am puzzled by a lot of things. If no new market housing is built surely the price of the existing stock will be forced up and so it will become even less affordable to local people. The only solution is to build lots of housing and meet the demand.'

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots more housing !! What is the point and where is it going to end. If there is no policy to discourage second homes then if the market housing value decreases, then cash buyers will guzump locals, so how will this work ?

How many houses would you need to build before the value comes down to eg. 50,000 to enable local families to afford a home. I cannot agree with your way of thinking. Not unless there is a covenant on every market house to home local people (or those that wish to live and work here).

We cannot build our way out of this problem. We should not support any more market housing until government has sorted out a way to tax second homes at least 200%. The extra tax could then be used to build local housing. What is the point of building more market housing. A house, should be a home, a shelter not a commodity.
How ever much market housing is built in Purbeck it will remain high and unaffordable for locals. We are 2 hours drive away from London, easily accessible for weekend trips away. How may houses would need to be built to bring the prices down?!! There is plenty of market housing available for sale at the moment..has the price come down (much) no. Supply and demand is the speak of the banking fraternity that have got us in this mess. They have encouraged people to borrow beyond their means. The aim should be to fill every house with people that live here full time. Young families should also be welcomed. It is now possible to run a business from home via the internet. No problem. Despite previous negative comments about young people moving away from this area, there is in truth a whole new generational attitude, and its great to see, young families choosing an alternative way of life, prioritising quality of life for their families rather than being driven necessarily by high city incomes. We need young people and its great to see so many young families moving to Swanage.

I hope we will see more 'blue sky thinking' with regards to housing development to meet the needs of local people. Land is precious and we will need it to grow crops and build homes for locals.

Keep Purbeck special, for the people that live here and for our children. They will not thank us for covering Purbeck in concrete.
Visitors can be encouraged and welcomed to return once more to camping, hotels,guest houses or B & B, this would then bring additional employment to this area.

There is another way.

5/11/10 10:28 pm
Anonymous said...

Do you seriously think this government, or a labour one for that matter, is going to abolish the market in housing or is this one of those "wouldn't it be nice" remarks?

5/11/10 11:54 pm
Anonymous said...

It is a 'wouldnt it be nice remark' and I know Swanage will never support high incomes and the price of houses will never fall to £50,000. Life aint fair but there is a world of opportunity for those wishing expoit the internet or to leave Swanage and make a good living. If you stay you enjoy the wonderful area but yes life is tough. Do I see it changing any time soon? No.

14/11/10 5:36 pm
Anonymous said...

Bring on all the market housing! with a wee bit of affordable. Cover Purbeck in concrete, and keep all market house prices high that only the 'rich' and famous can afford.

I wonder how some people think that Swanage will survive with a wee bit of affordable housing. It will house only a few urgent cases, what happens to everyone else (the majority) in between urgent and the rich and famous.

It's strange when others criticise that they rarely come up with answers or suggestions themselves. Ok smarty pants what is your solution ?

We have two extreme views, a Swanage one that suggests that the Core Strat is thrown out and another that suggests it should be carried. Hope that someone knows what's best for Purbeck !!

17/11/10 8:51 pm
Anonymous said...

Best to leave if you cant find a job which supports the lifestyle you desire. For example, Derby has jobs for many and affordable houses too. On the doorstep of the Peak District National park and with good road and rail links. Not bad eh? There are too many people sitting and waiting for something to happen in Swanage. History tells you it wont!

18/11/10 10:14 pm
Anonymous said...

On the topic of what history shows us you will find that the population of Swanage grew between every census except in the 1920s. It is hard to believe that this has come to an end and that when finance for property development becomes available once more Swanage will be passed by.

According to the OECD's figures recently UK property is still 40% above its long term relative average price. This is going to take a long time to correct unless there is a general collapse but it dhows this is not a "Swanage problem" in the sense that a local solution can be applied to make it go away.

20/11/10 10:04 am

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