Public Services Management: Enabling more people to enjoy country life - Paul Gosling examines the importance of housing needs assessments in planning and providing new low-cost homes in rural areas

RURAL life is in demand. Villages are home to increasing numbers of commuters and retirees, and with tight planning restrictions limiting the number of new homes, property prices have boomed, driving out young families.

Providing social housing is a priority for the Rural Development Commission and the county-based rural community councils. 'Rural community councils are involved in housing provision not just for the housing, but for the knock-on effect on everything else,' says Teresa Gittins of Sussex RCC. 'Schools, buses, employment: these services will not be provided. There must be enough youngsters to make up the local cricket team, and things like that.'

Mrs Gittins is one of a growing number of 'rural housing enablers' who put together the package of commitments needed for new housing in the countryside. 'My role in West Sussex is as independent adviser or advocate to parish councils to address the problem of the shortage of low-cost housing in villages. My job is to get agreement with landowners, councils and developers. The first part is to get housing needs assessed,' she explains.

Housing needs assessments have become common in recent years as a basis for planning future low-cost housing provision in rural areas and have several purposes. Most obviously, they demonstrate the real need for new housing for local people.

'The normal route for assessing housing need is a waiting list, but they are less accurate, particularly in rural areas,' says Valli van Zijl, author of an Institute of Housing book on housing needs assessments. 'Few houses are available, largely as a result of the 'right to buy', so people don't bother to put their names forward.

'Where they do and are asked to nominate a rural or urban area they are more likely to choose the urban area because they know there are no houses (available) in the rural areas.'

The initiative for a housing needs assessment often comes from the parish council, which can determine not only the extent of the problem, but also the attitude of the community to finding a solution. 'Using housing needs assessments, parish councils felt they had the views of the local people,' says Mrs Gittins.

Where they have been used in Sussex, all villagers have been asked if they support the provision of low-cost housing. 'We have stressed that the accommodation would only be available to people who have a local connection. We have always had over 80 per cent support for a proposal,' Mrs Gittins explains.

However, those who do oppose are often vociferous. 'The division is often between longer-term residents and those who have moved in recently,' says Mrs Gittins. 'Those who have lived in the village longer term say they must keep the village as a community. They say, 'We've already lost our shop, we mustn't lose our school as well.'

'Others say, 'We mustn't have these people here, it will reduce our house prices.' The parish councils vary. Those that came to see me were the ones who want to be involved. But there have been some sticky public meetings where parish councils have had to defend themselves.'

In a two-year project in mid-Sussex, where most parish councils were visited by Mrs Gittins, 10 housing needs surveys were conducted. These led to the identification of more than 40 potential sites, which have been whittled down to eight probable sites. Housing associations have been brought in and are involved with six schemes. Finance has been arranged for three sites, with building just starting on one of these. 'I don't think any of this would have happened without a housing enabler,' adds Mrs Gittins.

It can take several years before the building work starts, even after need is determined. If land is identified at an early stage it may no longer be available by the time the resources are obtained.

The solution to this is the creation of a land bank trust. Margaret Clark, director of strategy and planning of the Rural Development Commission, explains: 'The land bank trust takes an option for two to five years on a piece of land where the landowner is not willing to give it, or to sell it at less than market value. When a suitable housing association has been found the site can be purchased. The land bank trust acts as a broker, it doesn't need to hold the land.'

There are now six land bank trusts around the country, with six more about to be set up. The first to be established was in Devon, overseen by Noel Lakin, housing officer at the Community Council of Devon. 'It arose out of our concern that small settlements were having problems with housing. We were also aware that housing associations were reluctant to build isolated units,' he says. As a result of the initiative there are 22 homes already lived in, with another 44 to be occupied by the end of the year.

An independent evaluation of the Devon Land Bank Trust found that it increased the number of sites available for low-cost housing, speeded up their development, improved efficiency, reduced costs, and raised the commitment of those involved.

Progress towards low-cost accommodation is too recent to have much effect so far on the formal policies of district councils, which have responsibility for housing provision. However, with 78 housing needs surveys already conducted, they can be expected to influence increasingly the composition of local plans. Once the district councils accept the necessity of social housing in rural areas, there should be less difficulty in obtaining planning consent, and the process towards building low-cost accommodation in the countryside should prove easier and quicker.

(Photograph omitted)