Last updated 14:29, Friday, 04 July 2008

I WOULD like the opportunity to correct some points written by David Stewart in his letter ‘Home plans”, published by your newspaper (Courant, June 20, 2008).

He writes that there are two new initiatives running in Allendale to provide affordable housing, one of which is in the private sector providing mainly low-cost housing. The alternative ‘private sector’ proposal which is being put forward by Oaks from Acorns Homes is not a new initiative.

The company met with Tynedale Council’s housing department approximately 18 months ago, and received valuable advice as to the numbers and type of dwellings which were and still are needed in Allendale.

Oaks from Acorns Homes followed this advice, including arranging for Home Group housing association, which already has a presence in Allendale, to purchase 25 per cent of the properties.

The Tynedale Council Allendale Housing Needs Report, dated September 1, 2007, identified housing need on the Housing Register as totalling 57, of which 34 people had a local connection.

The report also stated that the need was growing by 20 per cent per annum. These figures closely match an earlier study which was carried out by Northern Consortium in 2004/5, which at the time identified an annual need of 15 units to be delivered each year for a period of five years, resulting in 75 units.

Oaks from Acorns Homes had prepared a scheme to deliver a mixture of 40 family homes – two, three and four bedroom houses – but following a public meeting held at Allendale village hall on May 16, the company removed two houses and introduced four flats.

It is intended to deliver these houses as a mixture of rented and discounted prices in partnership with Home Group – not low-cost housing – over a period of 18 months and in accordance with Government policy to deliver affordable housing as a rural exception site.

At the public meeting over 20 families completed application forms for these houses and in the intervening period more applications have been received. A more recent housing needs survey has been taken; however, as at the date of a formal planning application made by Oaks from Acorns Homes, the results of this survey had not been published.

Furthermore, there is no evidence that any affordable houses have been built in the last 18 months to reduce the established need. The numbers could be even larger since any survey conducted does not ask for the opinions of previous inhabitants of Allendale who were forced to move out due to a lack of affordable housing.

The Tynedale Housing Needs Study in 2005 identified a need for 2,285 affordable houses or flats. Oaks from Acorns Homes will study this need on a district wide basis.

PAUL GALSWORTHY,

General Manager,

Oaks from Acorns Homes,

Chestnut House,

Bickerton Road,

Oxford