Open Meeting 11 April
An Open Meeting was held in Thorverton Memorial Hall on Thursday 11th April to hear a presentation by members of the Steering Group; over 50 members of the public attended.
Using a PowerPoint format (see copy here) six speakers were able to give further details on the following items:
- The background to the Affordable Housing project.
- The Aims and Vision of the CLT.
- Which type of CLT might be the most appropriate for Thorverton.
- How to become a member of the CLT.
- Details of the potential site(s).
- What progress has been made on funding.
Each presentation section was followed by a break for questions which were handled by various members of the speaking group. A summary of all the Q+A is shown below.
The final slide asked the audience the following questions:
- Should we adopt the suggested Aims?
- Should we proceed with the formation of Thorverton Community Land Trust?
- Should we continue with the investigations into the two Silver St sites?
There being no objections to any of these proposals the meeting closed, with the Steering Group now being given approval to proceed.
SUMMARY OF QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES
Question:
Might there be any conflict of interest if any of the Directors of the CLT wanted to own/rent one of the proposed properties?
Response:
It is possible for Directors of the CLT to own or rent one of the properties; this had happened in Beer.
Question:
Will share certificates be issued?
Response:
TCLT does not intend to do this. The final running of the Membership scheme is still to be confirmed; this will be done after the CLT format is finalised.
Question:
Has the land north of Silver Street been classified as contaminated land?
Response:
This will be part of the survey process.
Question
Might it be possible to continue the pavement/have a footpath all the way down to the cricket pitch?
Response:
This would be ideal, but recent investigations into this have shown it to be a very costly exercise.
Question:
Has the significant potential for rain water run-off from the fields above the land north of Silver Street been considered?
Response:
The site surveyors will definitely take this into consideration.
Question:
Does the blue dotted line on the plan signify the flood plain?
Response:
Yes, as identified by the MDDC maps that were used.
Question:
Has consideration been given to the sodden state of the land south of Silver Street?
Response:
This will also be an important part of the surveys that will be held.
Question:
How many houses might it be possible to build on each of the sites?
Response:
The Housing Needs Survey (HNS) identified the requirement for 19 homes. The Steering Group therefore consider a number between 15 – 25 is likely.
Question:
Might it be possible to use the drainage tank which was constructed on the south side of Silver Street for the Court Barton development, if our development was on the north side?
Response:
The tank is the property of the Court Barton residents; it was not known if this could be used, but again the survey would investigate the need for another tank.
Question:
Will there be a mechanism for ensuring that green spaces and trees are not lost at the expense of more housing?
Response:
The ‘design potential drawings’ highlighted the planting of more green spaces.
Question:
If it is possible, as it looks as though it might be, to get 19 units on the land north of Silver Street, why is it necessary to consider the land south as well?
Response:
The SG wants to keep all options open; the final project could be based on either the north or the south, or indeed a mixture of both.
Question:
Has the potential impact on the already over-crowded school been considered?
Response:
MDDC has already referred to this and it will be part of their planning approval.
Question:
Has the capacity of services, such as the sewage works, been taken into consideration?
Response:
Court Barton was a recent development and it may be that the infrastructure that was installed at that time will be sufficient. Again, the site surveys will determine this.
Question:
What type and mix of dwellings are being considered?
Response:
A mix of one, two, three or even four bedroom homes were identified in the HNS.
Question:
If discounted ownership at 50% is being offered, who “owns” the other 50%?
Response:
Discounted market sale can be offered at a range of %s - commonly in the range of 30% - 50%. No-one owns the remaining %. The buyer has exclusive control of, and responsibility for, their property but is limited to buying and selling at the given % of market value.
Question:
How will decisions be made about who buys/rents the houses and who makes those decisions?
Response:
The priority of local people can be part of the initial planning approvals; Upton Pyne has run a system which does this and was cited as an example.
Question:
If self-build is being offered, what will be the safeguards in terms both of design and selling on?
Response:
Self build is still only a possibility at this stage; it ws agreed that safeguards will need to be built into any agreements.
Question:
If the land south of Silver Street is developed, how will there be access to the Millenium Green – will a new bridge be needed?
Response:
The design potential drawings included the building of a footpath from the south side through The Millennium Green to the village; a new bridge will be required.
Question:
Might refugees be housed in the new development?
Response:
Those who were shown to be in need of Affordable Housing in the HNS will be priority.
Question:
Would it be possible for the Powerpoint presentation to be uploaded onto the website so that those not able to attend can view it?
Response:
Yes, it will be available.