Main points from the survey report (Full report can be found at the bottom of the page)
The Housing needs survey took place in autumn 2019 where each of the 1417 households in the Parish were sent a RHRP survey form. 228 responses were returned which is a 16% response rate. This is slightly below the average for the county, but is still a good return which allows us to make some well-informed assumptions about housing need in Pontesbury
The headline figures from the survey show there are 40 residents in the parish thinking of moving, and 34 of these wish to remain in the Parish. Our Home Point register (where those in need register their interest in a new how indicates there are 60 households on the waiting list, with 55 of these having a local connection to Pontesbury. So these two pieces of evidence
This is perhaps to be expected as the average house price in Pontesbury is £270,000 but the average household income in the parish is £37,000 giving an affordability ratio of 7.3. Most high street mortgages are only available at a rate of 4.5 to 5 times income, so for a significant percentage of households in Pontesbury the purchase of an open market property is outside their price range. (*Although other data from the survey suggests other factors than price is important)
So we do know there is a housing need in the Parish - but what does the survey tell us more specifically about need in the Parish? The following data helps us build up a picture of the type of need found in the Parish.
Who is in need?
Slightly unusually of the 40 residents who need to move 55% of them are home owners, but those in need were also in a range of other types of accommodation including private rent, renting from a housing association and living with friends or family. Household size also varied from 1 to 6 people, although the average size of household in need was 2.43 per property. Similarly the ages of people in need varied from 2 households containing at least one person who was over 75 and 5 who had children under the ages of 16.
These figures suggest a range of needs in the Parish
What need do they have?
It is striking in Pontesbury that a significant amount of need is based people wishing to downsize. Of those who expressed a need to move 41% said they wanted to downsize or their house was too large. A further 20% of suggested their existing home was too costly to heat or their rent and mortgage was too expensive. Around 10% said their current home was unsuitable for their physical needs.
Only around 12% of those who responded said they needed a larger property for a growing family.
What tenure of homes are people wanting?
This section of the survey also highlights a range of needs. The two most requested types of property was affordable homes to buy, closely followed by open market housing to buy. Of those who wanted open market housing to buy most were already home owners. But those wanting affordable housing to buy there was an even split between people we currently rented and who were home owners.
The next most popular type of housing was affordable housing to rent for local people and there is also some interest in self build properties. Of those wanting affordable rented properties only 2 were existing home owners, showing that even within the local rented sector there is a need for people to move properties.
A small number of people expressed a need for sheltered housing or supported living accommodation.
What types of property do people want?
53% of people looking to move wanted either a detached or semi-detached property, and of those who were home owners 56% wanted these types of properties. However bungalows were requested by 31% of respondents (of these 61% were home owners). As with the tenure of property section the survey suggests a small but significant need for retirement accommodation where some kind of support is available.
The size of property also varied between 1 and 4 bedrooms, but by far the most requested type of property requested was 2 bedroom properties (21) followed by 3 bedrooms (10)
When are people looking to move?
As with other results in the survey a range can be found in these answers - some are immediate, others are more long term. 2 needed to move within the next 6 months; 10 in the next 6-12 months and 15 in the next two years. 9 people were looking to move in the longer term - 5 years or more.
Affordability of rents and purchases
This final section of the survey again highlights the complexity of the housing need in Pontesbury Parish, and reflects the affordability issues in the Parish.
Around half of people looking for affordable rents said they could afford up to £390 a month, but a further third said they could afford between £391 - £520 month. Most people looking to rent were already in a form of rented property.
Where house purchases were being considered 11 people said they could afford over £180,000 but 10 of these were already home owners. A further 8 people suggested a purchase price of between £160,000 to £180,000 was acceptable. At the other end of the scale 5 people said they could afford up to £140,000 for a property.
Conclusions
These results seem to indicate that there is a housing need in the Parish, but possibly more with older people living in larger, older properties that are too large for them or difficult to heat/maintain. They would consider downsizing but currently don't have smaller properties to move to within the Parish.
There affordable properties are required they would seem to be of a smaller size, including bungalows. Some in need could afford to purchase such properties, but others would be looking to buy/rent on an affordable basis.
When thinking about new development it is important to consider whether these needs can be met through commercial development - such as Hall Bank where the majority of homes are sold on the open market, but a percentage are sold/let on an affordable basis - generally to local people. Anyone can buy the open market housing on these types of developments and its likely Pontesbury is, and will remain, an attractive place to move to.
Alternatively the Parish may consider a community led scheme. This could see land made available locally for affordable properties to buy, and a local criteria for who the homes was made available to local people only.
