Issue - meetings

Councillor John Thomson, Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Communities and Housing, introduced a report which sought approval to use a small parcel of Wiltshire Council land to provide some much needed new housing in Sherston in partnership with GreenSquare.

It was noted that GreenSquare had undertaken to provide accommodation for the owners of the existing properties during construction, and that planning permission as still required for the scheme.

Resolved

That Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee:

1.    Delegates authority to the Service Director for Strategy and Commissioning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to approve and execute the transfer of Council land valued at £7,500 to GreenSquare for £1, subject to the planning permission and full agreement of the owners of numbers 11 and 12, Easton Square.

2.    Authorises officers to work up the scheme with GreenSquare to enable the delivery of a mixed tenure scheme subject to planning permission.

Reason for Decision

The Council’s land has been independently valued at £7,500 and is undevelopable without neighbouring owner occupiers contributing some of their surrounding land to deliver some new housing.  The owner occupiers of number 11 and number 12 Easton Square approached the Council to work together to achieve this.

In December 2011 a rural housing need survey was undertaken with the support of the Parish Council and identified 21 households seeking an affordable home in Sherston. The Parish Council are keen to see some more affordable housing for local people. The proposal also makes good use of undevelopable land.