Issue - meetings

The Chair welcomed Nigel Moore from Opinion Research Services (ORS) to the meeting.

The Panel considered a report of the Housing Strategy and Delivery Manager, which provided details on the Tresham Garden Village Housing Needs Study 2021.  The report was marked as agenda item 4 on the agenda.  The report was supported by a presentation from ORS.

The Panel was informed that Tresham Garden Village (TGV) was a proposed new Garden Village development on the site of Deenethorpe Airfield.  The study had been undertaken by ORS and Three Dragons to inform housing needs associated with the TGV Development.

During discussion, the following principal points were noted:

i.             There had been a notable change in house prices in the study area with properties increasing in price, including closing the gap with the national average house price, also with a significant premium on new build dwellings.

ii.            The data modelling had assumed that TGV would deliver 1500 or 1900 dwellings.  1500 was the minimum number needed to meet the requirements of Homes England as a Garden Village.  A viability study had stated that a (policy compliant) scheme of 1500 dwellings was not viable, albeit one at 1900 dwellings could work (inclusive of policy requirements) if Homes England funding (grant rather than loan) could be secured for up-front infrastructure.  The 1900 dwellings scheme was therefore included in the ORS report to reflect these viability headlines for expediency.

iii.           Aspiration had not been factored into the affordable housing sector, but the market housing sector did have potential for aspirational development.

iv.           Stakeholder feedback was that the custom and self-build target of 20% of the development was ambitious, but something the Government was keen to promote, in support of small/medium housebuilders, dependent on viability.

v.            Work on TGV had not progressed for a while and engagement needed to start with Members on how to take the project forward.  The agreed Masterplan may need to be updated and perhaps needed to be supported by the development of a Supplementary Planning Document.

The Chair thanked Nigel Moore for attending.

RESOLVED that:

The contents of the Housing Needs Study and the presentation provided by Opinion Research Services be noted.