Minutes of the Charsfield Parish Council Meeting held in Charsfield Village Hall on Wednesday 24th. October, 2012 at 7.00p.m.

Those present

Councillors:   Mrs J Pedgrift, Mr E Winkworth,  Mrs F Moor, Mrs D Murray

Sunila Osborne – Consultation & Community Support Officer, (Rural, Affordable Housing) Suffolk ACRE

Chairman – Mr E Winkworth

In attendance – Mr R E Osborne, Clerk to Parish Council

1.      Apologies – Mr P Holloway, Mr A Reeve, Mr R Wright.

2.      Presentation by Sunila Osborne

3.      Outline of points discussed

  •          Exemption sites outside the village envelope would be for people with local connections.
  •          Tenants would own 80% of the properties.
  •          To provide housing planners need documentation hence housing surveys.
  •          Shared ownership – the provider can by back the 80% if a person with local connection cannot be found to purchase the property.
  •           If the property is vacated and cannot be re allocated to someone with local connection then it could be offered to adjoining parishes.
  •           Joint Ownership – Tenant can have mortgage and pay rent
    •          Ratio of one ordinary property to three social houses can be allowed for sites outside village envelope to encourage landowners to provide sites for provision of housing. This is to recompense the landowner for the difference that land within the village envelope is worth compared to outside the envelope.
  •           Social housing can be used for local people to downsize
  •           Housing survey document sent by hand to all houses in village, cost to Council being approx £1 per household. Time to reply usually two weeks.
  •           ACRE would provide the housing survey document.
  •           Postage would only be charged by ACRE for surveys returned to them. On average 30%.
  •           All work on providing the labour and software to analyse the survey would be provided by ACRE protected by the Data Protection Act
  •           If a need for housing is identified by the survey ACRE would forward a request for a third of the housing identified this being a practical level with the time scales involved in providing the properties.
  •           ACRE would progress possible sites through Housing for English Villages. The next funding would be available in 2015 so ACRE would progress the planning on behalf of the providers.

2.2       Documents circulated to Parish Council.

  •              These amplify the points discussed in 2.1
  •              Suffolk Acre – Supporting Local Communities in Suffolk
  •              Specimen of survey document – these are tailored to parish being surveyed
  •              Suffolk Acre – Housing for English Villages
  •              Suffolk Acre – What is Local Needs Housing?
  •              Suffolk Acre – Introductory letter sent out with survey to parishioners.
  •              The Chairman thanked Sunila Osborne for her presentation who then left the meeting.

3.0    Annual  review of documentation

 3.1    Standing Orders – this had been previously agreed, no alterations recommended.

 3.2    Risk Assessment – this had been previously agreed, no alterations recommended.

 3.3    Code of Conduct (new) – this was discussed and agreed as a working document.

 3.4    Freedom of Information (new) – this was discussed and agreed as a working document.

          It was noted that all these documents need an annual review but can be updated at any meeting     providing it is an agenda item.

4.0    Any matters of information

4.1    None

Meeting closed 8.00p.m.