Winderemere housing needs survey

1:11pm Wednesday 5th December 2007

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A MAJOR independent survey is being rolled out across Windermere this weekend in a bid to create a true picture of the town's housing need.

Cumbria Rural Housing Trust and housing and regeneration consultancy firm arc4 have been commissioned by the Lake District National Park Authority to undertake the housing survey, the results of which should provide a detailed insight into the current housing need of those who live and work in Windermere.

Windermere Town Council and South Lakeland District Council are supporting the survey, which is being distributed to all households, holiday lets and businesses who employ people that cannot afford to live in the parish, and will use the information to try to improve the lack of affordable housing in the area.

Cumbria Rural Housing Trust manager Judith Derbyshire explained that the survey would provide evidence to back the affordable housing need already identified in Windermere's town plan.

"We are trying to assess the housing situation in Windermere," she said. "We know there are a lot of people who are living in Windermere and finding it difficult to find alternative accommodation, and we know there are people working in the town but cannot afford to live there. So we are really assessing the needs of those who have a need to live and work in Windermere.

"The survey is mainly to do with affordable housing, but it will also produce information on other aspects of housing need such as down sizing. After the survey, the town and district councils will be able to discuss with the LDNPA the way forward for local housing."

A similar district-wide housing survey was completed by SLDC in 2006, but did not provide enough detail to satisfy the requirements of the Housing Corporation, which provides funding for affordable housing.

"We can work out what exactly is affordable to people in the town if we have information from the survey about what they earn," added Ms Derbyshire. "It will show us the range of housing needed and the cost that local people can afford. The survey is specific to Windermere and we are urging all households and people that work in the town to complete it, so we have a better overall picture."

Mother-of-two, Nicola Beacock, of Windermere, is a typical example of the town's housing need after being on South Lakes Housing's waiting list for four years. She explained that after years of paying high rent for accommodation, she and her husband were desperate to find a permanent family home.

"All we really want is to get ourselves in to a good three-bedroom council house so we can start to save for a deposit on our own house," said Mrs Beacock. "At the moment we are having to basically stretch beyond our means to pay for rented houses and we have no real stability because the landlord has control."

Senior housing officer for South Lakes Housing Fiona Harrison said: "We are very much aware of the demand for low cost housing given the numbers on our waiting list. There is a very low turnover of properties becoming vacant at the moment and we find ourselves in a very difficult situation, which is very telling in Windermere. Anything that will help us identify the housing need and push it forward will help us."

The deadline for completed surveys is December 18 and additional surveys are available by contacting arc4 on 0161-228-1689 or online at www.windermereparishsurvey2007.info