IMPORTANT NOTES WHEN COMPLETING THE HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY

Note only one person in a household should complete the Housing Needs Survey. (This is different from the Town Plan where we hope every individual, business or organisation will make a separate response.)

Q12 on the Housing Needs Survey form asks how many new homes you would support being built in Cricklade. Wiltshire Council assumes the answers given here mean homes which are to be built during the next five years. This means all types and sizes of homes, including those sold at market price and all forms of affordable housing (low cost, shared equity, social, etc.).

Q13 on the Housing Needs Survey form asks whether you support new homes for those with types of more specialist needs (most of which are likely to be forms of “affordable housing”). Note that answering this question does not necessarily mean only these types of homes will be built in Cricklade in the near future.

Proposed Wiltshire Council policy is for 40% of homes in new housing developments of 5 or more homes that fall within the existing built up area (called the “development limit” or “settlement boundary”) of Cricklade would be some form of affordable housing (with the rest being market housing). Wiltshire Council does not currently propose extending the development limit for Cricklade. However, if the community wishes and if it is for identified local need, Wiltshire Council proposes it may consider allowing the development limit for places like Cricklade to extend for small housing developments (10 homes or less) of exclusively affordable housing. Q15 asks whether there may be land available for this purpose.

What does this Housing Survey have to do with the Town Plan consultation?

The Housing Needs Survey is mainly for Wiltshire Council to find out demand for homes in Cricklade by asking households living (or with strong connections and a desire to live) here. Completed forms will be sent to and analysed by Wiltshire Council. A summary of the results will be provided to Cricklade Town Council who will then pass the information to the Town Plan Steering Group.

The Town Plan will capture the desires of Cricklade residents for the future of their town. It is being produced entirely by Cricklade residents, independent of both Wiltshire Council and Cricklade Town Council. It considers all the various elements of community life, how these interact and what could change for the best in the future. Future housing is one vital - but only one - part. The housing section in the Town Plan balances demand with the potential future supply of housing: how many more homes the community could accommodate and (if any) where these should be.

Do I need to reply to both this survey AND comment on the Town Plan?

YES! Results from the Housing Needs Survey will be one very important piece of feedback into the Town Plan but its main purpose is to directly inform both Cricklade Town and Wiltshire Councils. This information helps to ensure Cricklade gets the right sort of housing proposals coming forward and being accepted.

If you want to give more information, for example to say how much affordable or market housing you think should be provided in Cricklade, its size and type, and where you think this should be located, please tell us by responding to the consultation on the Town Plan.

PLEASE POST THE COMPLETED HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY ONLY TO WILTSHIRE COUNCIL to arrive no later than 2 March 2012 (or complete it online as stated on the survey form)

PLEASE DO NOT SEND THE TOWN PLAN QUESTIONNAIRE TO WILTSHIRE COUNCIL This should be returned to the Leisure Centre or the Cricklade Town Council Offices