Community driven housing project secures planning permission for 20 new homes after nearly 4 years of hard work

Plans for 20 new homes in the village of Lympsham near Burnham-On-Sea have been given the go-ahead. Sedgemoor District Council has approved plans by Westco Properties Limited for the new development in West Road, Lympsham.

https://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/plans-for-20-new-homes-in-lympsham-given-final-go-ahead-by-district-council/

The residential development of 20 dwellings includes 40% affordable housing provision with associated landscaping, car parking and ancillary infrastructure including the formation of a new access onto West Road.

Securing planning application represents the culmination of several years hard work on the part of Sedgemoor District Council's Housing Development Team, Lympsham Parish Council, EG Carter and more recently Westco Properties Limited.

The Council’s Housing Development Team (“HDT”) has been working closely Lympsham Parish Council (“LPC”) over the past few years. This working relationship has resulted in a shared ambition of building more affordable homes for local people. Housing proposals such as this are about more than simply providing a roof over people’s head. When built, the affordable homes will provide local people a chance of a home to enjoy both now and in the future.

The LPC have been involved in this project from the outset - they have helped co-ordinate community engagement, site selection, influence the form and nature of development and agreeing the local letting plan. Without the LPC support, this project would probavly not seen the light of day. This project is testament to Sedgemoor's commitment to work with local communities when bringing forward new homes, especially in rural communities.

Owner occupation is the overwhelming dominate tenure in the village, where choice and availability of other housing tenures is limited. Local house prices are often out of reach many local people. There are a growing number of local families unable to get housing ladder, often resulting in the young moving away. The housing affordability gap continues to grow and adds to the increasing loss of younger adults and families who often support and contribute to local rural communities. Local shops, schools and transport services can be affected as young people and families are forced to look for more affordable places to live.

The underpinning principle associated with a proposal of this nature is that the construction of open market homes (such activity would not ordinarily be granted) on land outside the village settlement boundary must be seen as a means to an end to address a defined community requirement (typically affordable housing). The market homes will provide financial resources to build the affordable homes. Without this cross-subsidy, the affordable homes could not be built.

Duncan Harvey (Service Manager - Housing Development) said "It is important to remember that the proposed affordable homes are aimed at local people who cannot afford the cost of a suitable home on the open market to get a home at a price they can afford where they were possibly born / grew-up or have support, social networks or work in. It is important to remember that the housing need exists now, and the affordable homes should be built as soon as possible to address this need..........this will be fantastic news for the village as a whole and local people looking for a home in the village.