APPENDIX 3
RELEVANT FINDINGS
FROM CHESHIRE
COUNCILS' HOUSING
NEEDS SURVEYS
1. Chester, 2004, David Couttie Associates
(DCA).
(a) 50% of concealed households cannot afford
private rent levels in the locality.
(b) 75% of concealed households cannot afford
to buy, even though 12% of them have income above the national
average.
(c) 12% of concealed households express
a preference for privately rented accommodation; an additional
12% would prefer to rent from an RSL or other social landlord.
(d) 40% of all existing households cannot
afford even the lowest private rent levels, rising to 65% in rural
areas.
(e) 1,400 existing households state a lack
of affordable rented housing as a barrier preventing them from
moving, even though they would like to.
(f) 951 new affordable dwellings are needed
annually, both in the rented and sales sectors, equating to approximately
nine times the estimated current delivery. It is recommended that
75% of this figure be social rented housing.
2. Congleton, 2004, David Couttie Associates
(DCA).
(a) 60% of concealed households cannot afford
private rent levels in the locality.
(b) 80% of concealed households cannot afford
to buy, even though 10% of them have income above the national
average.
(c) 10% of concealed households express
a preference for privately rented accommodation; an additional
10% would prefer to rent from an RSL or other social landlord.
(d) 18% of existing households cannot afford
private rent levels.
(e) 20% of existing households and 5% of
concealed households state a lack of affordable housing as a barrier
preventing them from moving, even though they would like to.
(f) 441 new affordable dwellings are needed
annually, both in the rented and sales sectors, equating to approximately
three times the estimated current delivery. It is recommended
that 70% of this figure be social rented housing.
3. Crewe and Nantwich, 2005, David Couttie
Associates (DCA).
(a) 54% of concealed households cannot afford
private rent levels in the locality.
(b) 75% of concealed households cannot afford
to buy, even though 23% have above average incomes.
(c) 75% of concealed households earn less
than £20,000 per annum and 9% express a preference for privately
rented accommodation over home ownership.
(d) 10% of existing households state a preference
for privately rented accommodation and many existing households
wishing to move state a lack of affordable rented housing as a
barrier preventing them from doing so.
(e) 655 new affordable dwellings are needed
annually, both in the rented and sales sectors, equating to approximately
three times the estimated current delivery.
4. Ellesmere Port and Neston, 2003,
David Couttie Associates (DCA).
(a) 44% of concealed households cannot afford
private rent levels in the least expensive areas within the borough,
rising to 57% in the more expensive localities.
(b) 33% of concealed households earn less
than £10,000 per annum and cannot afford to buy; only 15%
of concealed households earn more than the national average.
(c) 200 existing and concealed households
express a preference for privately rented accommodation.
(d) 24% of concealed households would prefer
to rent their home from the council and an additional 4% from
an RSL.
(e) 32% of existing households wishing to
move stated a preference for renting from the council or other
social landlord; a further 10% recorded a preference for privately
rented accommodation.
(f) Concealed households showed very little
interest in shared ownership or other forms of affordable property
ownership; only 1.4% of these households stated a preference for
affordable ownership schemes.
(g) 1,066 new affordable dwellings are needed
annually, both in the rented and sales sectors, equating to over
three times the estimated current delivery. The housing needs
survey shows that there is a demonstrable need for affordable
rented property in the borough, "Analysis shows that the
housing market excludes many families and single person households
who are currently seeking access to local housing | If there is
a problem | it is a demand for affordable rented housing".
5. Macclesfield, 2004 David Couttie
Associates (DCA).
(a) 68% of concealed households cannot afford
private rent levels in the locality.
(b) 95% of concealed households cannot afford
to buy, even though 12% of them have income above the national
average.
(c) 9% of concealed households express a
preference for privately rented accommodation; an additional 8%
would prefer to rent from an RSL or other social landlord.
(d) 18% of concealed households intending
to move within the next year indicated a preference for social
rented accommodation.
(e) 20% of existing households state a lack
of affordable rented housing as a barrier preventing them from
moving, even though they would like to.
(f) 15% of existing households wishing to
move stated a preference for rented property; 7% require privately
rented accommodation and 8% prefer to rent from a social landlord.
(g) 41% of existing black and ethnic minority
households state a lack of affordable rented housing as a barrier
preventing them from moving; 32% of these households indicate
a preference for rented accommodation (6% private and 26% from
a social landlord).
(h) 20% of key workers indicate a preference
to rent from a social landlord.
(i) 803 new affordable dwellings are needed
annually, both in the rented and sales sectors, equating to over
three times the estimated current delivery. It is recommended
that 65% of this figure be affordable (social) rented housing.
6. Vale Royal, 2003, Fordham Research.
(a) 31% of concealed households cannot afford
to buy or to rent privately in the locality.
(b) 41% of all existing households cannot
afford even the lowest private rent levels and have no access
to home ownership in the district.
(c) 68% of existing households state a lack
of affordable rented housing as a barrier preventing them from
moving, even though they would like to.
(d) 127 new affordable dwellings are needed
annually, both in the rented and sales sectors, equating to over
five times the estimated current delivery. It is recommended that
54% of this figure be social rented housing.
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