Rock parish housing needs survey

Introduction and Background
Methodology
Responses
Housing Needs Summary
Results from the questionnaire
Current Accommodation
Current housing and facilities
New affordable housing
Alternative and Additional Accommodation
Housing Needs Results
House Prices
Conclusion
Appendix 1

Housing needs surveys are undertaken to identify whether housing is required to support the local needs of a parish and the type and mix of housing that may be appropriate to meet these needs.
A housing needs survey was conducted in May 2019 in the Rock Parish to establish what the expected housing requirements are for the Parish in the next 5-10 years.
Letters were circulated to all households in the Parish inviting residents or those with a local connection to the Parish to complete an online survey. The responses received have been analysed and used to inform this report. 

Background

The 2011 Census advised that Rock Parish had a population of 2443. The majority of the population being of working age (25-64, 51%) followed by a large proportion of older people (aged 65 years and older, 26%) and a lower proportion of younger people (24 years and under, 23%).

It can be seen that Rock Parish has a higher proportion of over 65’s (26%) in comparison to the district, region and nation and this is confirmed by the economic activity of the residents, with a
higher proportion of retired residents (23%) in the parish as compared to local and national figures. 

Rock Parish has a disproportionate amount of detached houses or bungalows in comparison to the
district, regionally and nationally and a significantly lower amount of semi detached and terraced
houses or bungalows and flats.

Rock Parish has a significantly higher proportion of outright home owners compared to regionally
and nationally, the amount of social rented properties is significantly lower.

Figures for tables 1-4 provided by the 2011 census, ONS Crown Copyright

Housing in rural areas

Property prices in rural areas are less affordable than in urban areas¹ forcing many local residents to move away from home towns and villages in order to find suitable and affordable homes. Houses in the countryside are now 20% higher than in urban areas despite wages being lower.

The number of people on waiting lists for affordable homes in rural England has soared to around 750,000². New household formation is stripping supply by 3 to 1 (source: Department for 3
Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Increasing house prices and the limited availability of
appropriate properties has resulted in local people being unable to find a home within their
community and there is a possibility this is happening in the Rock Parish.

Methodology

As part of the Rock Parish Neighbourhood Plan, Wyre Forest District Council wanted to establish
what the expected housing requirements are for the parish in the next 5-10 years. In order to gather
this information 1075 letters were circulated to households in Rock parish asking the residents to
complete an online survey. The Survey was also available to those who may have moved out of the
parish within the last 5 years but still had a strong connection to the parish and were looking to
move back.

The aim of the survey was to establish:

• The mix of housing need in the parish
• The tenure type (open market, subsidized, social rented or shared ownership)
• The size of the property and need by population (families, single people or older households)
• To make sure future developments are as far as possible in tune with the requirements of community.

The survey also gathered information from households that are likely to be subject to change in the near future, for example children looking to move out of the current family home but stay within the parish.

The letter inviting households to complete the online survey was sent out to all households in
Rock Parish early March 2019 with a deadline for completion before 22nd March 2019.
Respondents were asked to complete one survey per household with the opportunity of
attending two open days held at the Rock village hall or completing the survey over the phone
for those who didn’t wish to do so online.

Responses

A total of 1075 letters were distributed and 139 responses were received in return, giving a return rate of 13%. This is below an average level of response for a survey of this kind (normally approximately 26%). It should be noted however that only those people who have a housing need or are interested in a local needs development and general village life are likely to respond.

The majority of people who responded currently live in the parish (57%), the average length of time that residents have lived in the parish were 20 years (this ranged from less than a year to 84 years).

Responses were received from 307 people who formed 139 households and of those who responded 269 adults (88%) and 38 children (12%).

Housing needs summary

The results of the housing needs survey are detailed further on in this report however in summary:

• There were 42 households looking to move, find alternative housing or additional homes within the next 10 years and of those 18 in the next 5 years. 
• Of the 42 households that responded confirming they have or will have a housing need within the next 10 years, the majority have advised that they will require a 2 bedroom property with the highest need being a bungalow followed by a house.
• Of the 42 households that responded advising that they could foresee a housing need
  within the next 10 years, up to 13 would potentially have their housing needs met
  through a property that becomes vacant within the parish from another respondent to
  the survey who also wants to move. This is obviously subject to the property being
  suitable, becoming available at the right time and being affordable for the household in
  question.
•  In the next 10 years 35 homes will be required in the parish with 60% of the respondents
  advising that they would want a 2 bedroom property and 60% also advising that they
  will require a bungalow.

At the time of this report being written, there was only one 2 bedroom property for sale this was a park home which has no housing need according to the survey results. Whilst two properties did fall under the preferred tenure costs of £150,000 to £189,000 both of them didn’t fall under the property type and/or bedroom need requirements. A full list of properties for sale and rent during May 2019 can be seen on page 16.

This indicates aspiration outstripping what people can afford and may indicate there is some potential demand for low cost home ownership products.

Results from the questionnaire

Section 1: Current accommodation

Do you...

• currently live in the parish?
• work in the parish?
• have relatives in the parish?
• have you previously lived in the parish?
• have another strong connection to the parish?

In total 231 positive responses were given to this question as some respondents selected more
than one answer or the total number of responses to the survey (139) 136 currently live in the
parish (98%).

Including yourself how many people are there in your household?

This question asked for a breakdown of how many adults and children were in the household, we received a total of 126 responses the tables below gives a breakdown of the responses. 

The most popular responses were 2 adults and no children (71) and 1 adult no children (13), this
indicates that the parish is comprised of mainly adult only households.

What type of property do you currently live in?

The majority of the households who responded currently live in a detached house (60%) followed by
a detached bungalow (18%).
The table below shows the breakdown of the 130 responses received.

How many bedrooms does your home have?

128 households responded to this question the majority of people lived in a 4 bedroom home (39%)
followed by a 3 bedroom home (35%).

Tenure type (Is your home...?)

This question looked at the tenure of the respondents current properties, in total 129 households
answered the question with the majority being owner occupier (94%) either owned outright or with
a mortgage. In comparison to the census figures there is an over representation of owner occupiers
(owned outright) and a under representation of households who rent from a Housing Association or
landlord in the parish.
The table below shows a breakdown of the responses in comparison to the 2011 census responses.

Has anyone from your family moved away from the Rock Parish in the last 5 years? If so what are their reasons for leaving.

130 households responded to this question 95 stated that no one from their family had
previously moved out of the parish, 35 answered yes, the table below gives a breakdown of the 8
reasons why their families had left. The highest percentage of people left due to take up
employment elsewhere.

Section 2: Affordable Housing

Do you feel that the parish has a suitable range of housing for the current community and the people who would like to live there?

129 households responded to this question, 47% believed that the parish already had a suitable
range of housing for the current community and 28% felt there wasn’t, if they answered ‘No’ we
asked them for reasons why they thought that there wasn’t a suitable range. We received
36 comments, the majority of the respondents (15) felt that there isn’t enough affordable
housing in the parish, closely followed by 13 respondents who felt that there currently isn’t
enough starter homes or smaller properties for the current residents to move into or downsize
too. The other 8 comments were regarding a shortage of homes in general or range of homes
and housing options.

Do you feel that the parish has adequate facilities e.g. shop/public transport for the current community and the people who would like to live there? 

128 responses were received regarding the current facilities in the parish, 54% felt there were
already adequate facilities and 40% felt that there wasn’t. If the respondents answered ‘No’ we
then asked them why they felt this. We received 42 comments about the poor public transport
currently operating in the parish, 26 comments were made regarding the existing shops stating
that more shops were needed or the existing shops needed to be improved with regards to
affordability and/or choice, 1 comment was made regarding the current poor utility services.

To what degree would you support a development of new affordable housing for rent/shared ownership within your parish for the people with a local connection?

We received 129 responses to this question with the majority of households opposing the
prospect of future affordable housing 49% and 38% supporting. The table and chart below
shows a full breakdown of the responses received.

Section 3: Alternative accommodation

This section of the survey asked the householders if they were likely to move home now or within
the next 10 years, if they indicated that they would be looking for alternative accommodation then
we asked what type of property they would prefer to move into, the tenure type and the
affordability. The responses to these questions were used towards the base of our prediction of the
future housing needs in Rock.

Are you the householder, looking to move into alternative accommodation within the parish within the next 10 years?

28 householders (22%) indicated that they would require an alternative home in Rock parish within
the next 10 years.
1 response advised that they would be looking to move within the next 12 months, 16 will be looking
to move in the next 13 months to 5 years and 11 within the 5-10 years.

The response to the questions confirming the types of homes that the householders will be looking for and vacating is detailed in the tables in appendix 1.

Section 4: Additional households

This section asked the respondents if any current members of their household would be looking to
move within the next 10 years to create a new separate household within the parish. If they
indicated that there would be members looking to create a new household then we asked them for
more information including the property type that they would prefer to move into, the tenure type
and affordability.

Do any of the current members of your household wish to form a new household inside the parish within the next 10 years?

13 respondents (10%) indicated that members of their current household will be looking for an
additional home(s) within the next 10 years.

8 of the respondents stated that they will need 1 additional home, 2 will need 2 additional homes
and 3 will require 3 additional homes.

2 responses advised that they will require additional homes within the next 12 months, 8 in 13
months to 5 years and 11 in 5-10 years.

The breakdown of the responses regarding the types of properties required and the tenure type is
detailed in tables 1-6 in appendix 1.

Results

The tables in appendix 1 detail the responses received to those households that indicated that they
will be looking for alternative accommodation and/or additional accommodation in the next 10
years. Respondents were asked to identify what they felt is needed in terms of property type and
size together with a preferred tenure type. In reality it may not be possible to meet aspirations of
each respondent, income and likely property prices are considered in order to ensure that any
proposed future homes would indeed meet the needs of those to be housed. Therefore a “likely
allocation/purchase” is suggested to outline realistic provision.

Homes required within the next 12 months.

Table 1 and 2 in appendix 1 show the housing needs for the next 12 months, Table 1 shows the
responses of the respondents who will be looking for an additional home(s) and what homes they
are likely to purchase or be allocated with. Table 2 shows the responses of the respondents who will
be looking for an alternative home, the home they will be vacating and what they are likely to
purchase or be allocated with taking into account the affordability amounts in comparison with the
property/rental prices from the last 12 months on Right Move. After matching up the homes that will be vacated to any that will be required (these properties are highlighted) the following housing need will be outstanding in the next 12 months:

1 X 3 Bed Bungalow Owner Occupiers
1x 2 Bed Bungalow Private Rented

Therefore there will be a demand in the next 12 months in the parish for 2 homes:

• 1 Property required in the open market for local people to purchase
• 1 property required in the private rental market to rent.

Homes required in the next 13 months - 5 years.

Tables 3&4 in appendix 1 show the housing needs for the next 13 months-5 years. Table 3 shows those that will be looking for additional homes and what homes they are likely to purchase or be allocated with, again we have suggested a likely allocation/purchase based on the financial information that the respondents stated in comparison to the rental/sales market on Right Move (see link above) for the past 12 months. After matching up the homes that will be vacated to any that will be required (those properties are highlighted) the following housing need will be outstanding in the next 13 months to 5 years:

6 X 3 Bed Bungalow- Owner Occupier
5 X 2 Bed Bungalow- Owner Occupier
1 X 3 Bed House Shared Ownership
1 X 2 Bed House- Affordable Rented
1 X 2 Bed House Supported Living- Affordable Rented
1 x 1 Bed Supported Living- Affordable Rented
1 x 4 Bed House- Affordable Rented

Therefore there will be a demand in the next 13 months-5 years in the parish for 16 homes:

• 11 properties required in the open market for local people to purchase
• 1 property required for shared ownership
• 4 properties required for affordable rented for local people to rent in social housing.

Homes required in 5-10 years.

Tables 5&6 in appendix 1 show the housing needs for the next 5-10 years. Table 5 shows those that
will be looking for additional homes and what homes they are likely to purchase or be allocated with, again we have suggested a likely allocation/purchase based on the financial information that the respondents stated in comparison to the rental/sales market on Right Move for the past 12 months. After matching up the homes that will be vacated to any that will be required (those properties are highlighted) the following housing need will be outstanding in the next 5-10 years:

3 X 2 Bed House- Owner Occupiers
5 X 2 Bed Bungalow- Owner Occupiers
2 X 3 Bed Bungalow- Owner Occupiers
3 X 2 Bed House- Shared Ownership
1 X 2 Bed Supported Living
1 X 2 Bed Bungalow Affordable Rented
1 X 1 Bed Flat Affordable Rented
1 X 2 Bed House Private Rented.

Therefore there will be a demand in the next 5-10 years in the parish for 17 homes:

• 10 properties required in the open market for local people to purchase
• 3 properties for shared ownership
• 1 property required for Supported Living
• 3 Properties required for affordable rented for local people to rent in social housing.

Total of dwellings required in the next 10 years.

The highest need regarding the amounts of bedrooms required by a large proportion is 2 bedrooms
60% of the demand, followed by 3 bedroom properties with 29%.

The highest need regarding types of properties is bungalows with 60%, closely followed by houses with 29%. The higher demand for bungalows reflects the population living in the parish at present with being a higher percentage of over 65’s in comparison to the district, region and nation.

The highest need regarding tenure type is owner occupier with 66% of the demand, followed by affordable rented (17%), shared ownership (11%) and finally private rented (6%).

Comparison of properties being vacated and housing need.

The amount of properties that would be available naturally through the residents moving on and
finding alternative accommodation in the next 10 years is 28. The total amount of these properties
taken up by natural churn is 13 therefore the amount of properties that will still be available to
purchase or rent as there wasn’t a need for them from the respondents of the survey is 15.

Would you/the prospective householders expect to be?

This part of the survey asked the respondents that indicated that they would be looking for either an
alternative home or an additional home what type of tenure they will be looking at to finance it.
There were 49 responses to this question in total the table below shows a breakdown of the
preferred tenures selected.

The majority of respondents (82%) would prefer to be an owner occupier followed by rented from a
Housing Association (10%).

House prices

Respondents who indicated that they would have a housing need in the next 10 years were asked
how much they felt they would be able to afford if either renting or purchasing a property.
If they answered that they would be looking to rent they were informed that “it is normal to consider one third of the households’ net income for the period, please do not include housing benefit”.

If they answered that they would be looking to purchase a property then they were informed that “it
is normal to consider three times the households gross income for mortgage purposes plus any savings and equity the household may have in any property.”

There were 49 responses in total 41 for purchasing and 8 for renting the tables below show a
breakdown of the responses given.

The highest response rate in the affordability category for purchasing was £150,000 to £200,000
with 22% of the responses; this was followed by £400,000 to £500,000 and over £500,000 both with
15%.

The highest response category for respondents looking at renting was £391-£520 per month with
50% this was followed by £221-£300 per month with 26%.

Overall based on the average for all of the home types, for those looking for an alternative home to
buy the most common range households felt they could afford was over £500,000 (23%). Amongst
those looking for an alternative home(s) for members of their current household the most common
price range was £150,0001 to £200,000 (53%). The most preferred rental price for both categories
was £391-£520.00 per month.

 As of May 2019 (source: www.rightmove.com) there were 9 properties for sale in Rock Parish and 1
property for rent. The majority of the properties advertised during this time fell into the larger
category regarding size and over the preferred cost bracket of £150,000 to £200,000. Whilst some of
these properties may be suitable for those looking for an alternative property they would not be
suitable for those households looking for an additional property as they fall both outside the size and
affordability brackets.

This indicates there is some disparity between what people could afford to purchase in the parish
and the actual house prices (the affordability gap) which isn’t uncommon in rural areas and would
probably indicate a need for a greater number of low cost homes and other affordable forms of
housing.

Map of properties for sale/rent in Rock Parish (May 2019)

The table below shows the types of properties for sale and rent as of 3rd May 2019 and the asking
price.

Conclusion

There was a response rate of 13% to this survey. Out of the responses received 42 residents
indicated that they would be looking to move of need additional homes within the next 10 years.

From these 42 responses, 13 of the homes required would be met by natural churn and 1 is a self
build, therefore 28 additional homes will be required within the parish within the next 10 years.
However not all of those whose housing need can be met by natural churn will be able to afford the
properties that become available within the parish and therefore the need for new affordable
housing will be greater.

In total within the next 10 years the following new homes will be required:

• 23 Owner Occupier properties: 14 x 2 Beds and 9 x 3 Beds
• 4 Shared Ownership properties: 3 x 2 Beds and 1 x 3 Beds
• 6 Affordable/Social rented properties: 1 x 1 Bed, 3 x 2 Beds and 1 x 4 Bed.
• 2 Private Rented properties: 1 x 1 Bed and 1 x 2 Beds.

The findings of the Housing Needs Survey supports the view in the Neighbourhood Plan that, if any
development opportunities should arise, then the accommodation to be built needs to include
affordable housing for rental or shared ownership and this should be a mix of sizes and types. The
affordable housing should meet the requirements of the Council’s rural Local Connection Policy
around local connection.

Appendix 1 

¹Halifax Rural Housing Review 2016: “the average property price in rural areas is 7.4 times the average annual earnings with a ratio of 6.4 in urban areas. Return to housing in rural areas.

²National Housing Federation, Rural Housing research report 2016. Return to housing in rural areas.