Housing

fig. 6 – Opinions on
new housing

TThe village has recently seen the addition of a 49-property housing development, which will further impact on our findings and future needs and, as was illustrated in fig. 3, the village is growing and changing constantly. This is of concern to some in the village who feel that there is a risk of the existing facilities (shops, doctor’s surgery, etc) becoming over-stretched. This was reflected in the responses we got from the questionnaire.

Most people (71%) seem to be in favour of more housing being built in the village, but the nature of that housing should be limited to small scale developments and single dwellings.

fig. 7 – Types of housing acceptable to the parish

Fig. 7 shows that only 10% of the village were in favour of developments of more than 10 houses. Far more acceptable was the idea of either converting redundant buildings within the parish, building single dwellings or building small developments of less than ten houses.

When asked what intended use new housing should be built for, the opinions were very mixed. There was a slight inclination towards housing for families and sheltered housing for the older generation, but no-one part of the community was perceived to have a greater need for new housing than any other. Regardless of the use to which it is put, the parish was in broad agreement that any new homes should be built with environmentally friendly standards in mind, maximising heat efficiency and meeting eco-standards.

Of the existing housing, virtually all is privately owned and averages 2.83 bedrooms per house. The main exceptions to the high level of home ownership are the two travellers sites in the parish and the council-owned housing stock.

Another interesting statistic to arise from the questionnaire, which applies to both the housing and traffic sections of the plan, is the fact that each house in the village has an average of 1.6 vehicles. It is also apparent that one-in-ten properties have a van, truck or tractor. Not surprising, due to Parson Drove being an inherently rural community.

Given that most properties only have enough parking for one vehicle, on-road parking is becoming more prevalent in the village. Add in the farm traffic, that occasionally needs the entire width of the road, and the potential for problems caused by on-road parking is obvious. This fact needs to be taken into account, both in the provision of new housing and by those dealing with traffic issues, within the parish.

Points To Take Forward

• Whilst the village is generally in favour of new housing, it should be in small groups or individual houses
• There is a concern that rapid expansion of Parson Drove will lead to village resources being over-stretched
• The increased traffic in the village should be taken into account when planning off-road parking for any new houses