Wolston Village Community Website

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Wolston Housing Needs Survey
Wolston Parish Plan
RBC Parish Plans, Local Needs Surveys and Village Design Statements
RBC Development Policies (hover the cursor over areas of the map - relevant policies and plans will be highlighted by area, click on an area of the plan to see thye relevant policies and plans

Proposed changes to Ward boundaries
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has made draft recommendations on new electoral arrangements for Rugby Borough Council. They propose new wards, boundaries and ward names for every part of Rugby. Instead of being part of the Earl Craven and Wolston Ward we would become part of ‘Wolston and the Lawfords’ ward. We would lose Binley Woods to the Revel parishes, continue to be linked with Brandon and Bretford and gain Kings Newnham, Church Lawford, Little Lawford and Long Lawford.

The LGBCE is now encouraging people to have their say on whether or not the agree with the draft recommendations.

It is very important that those people who oppose the draft should suggest alternatives, supported by evidence. Full details are available at the LGBCE website www.lgbce.org.uk.

The consultation closes on 20^th June 2011. Please do have your say about this important matter.

Housing Needs Survey

Housing Needs Survey 2011
The last Housing Needs Survey was carried out in 2004 (see below) with the purpose of identifying what
additional housing was required in the village to prevent local people being forced to move away. The result
showed there was a need for 8 affordable homes, but how accurate is that figure now?

As you know, there is a proposal for a development of up to 90 homes on a site bounded by Priory Road and
School Street and, if this gets planninging permission, Bloor Homes will be required to provide a percentage
of homes to meet any identified local housing need. It is therefore vital to ensure that we have an up to date
figure for the types and sizes of homes that local people need. We have asked the Warwickshire Rural
Community Council (WRCC) to conduct a new survey. All information given will be treated in strictest
confidence and the Parish Council will not see individual replies. When the survey is complete, the Parish
Council will consider the figures provided by WRCC and work with Rugby Borough Council to explore how the
needs can be met within the developer's proposals. When the Housing Needs Survey form comes through
your letterbox, please think about whether you can foresee any changes in your circum- stances that might
mean you will require larger or smaller premises to live in. If there is, please make sure you identify what
your need is and complete and return the form in the freepost envelope provided.

Update: The Housing Needs Survey is now complete and the report is here.

Housing Needs Survey 2004

In autumn 2004 the Wolston Parish Plan Team undertook a comprehensive Housing Needs Survey of the views and needs of people in the Parish. Questionnaires were distributed to every house and the views of all household members were sought. To supplement information gained from the main 'Parish Plan Questionnaire' a housing needs survey was distributed at the same time.

Rugby Borough Council's model survey form was used as the starting point for Wolston's form. The Borough Council's form is essentially an evolution of that devised by Warwickshire Rural Housing Association, a specialist provider of affordable housing in rural parts of the County and a working partner of the Borough Council.

A few minor changes were made to the model survey form to account for the circumstances of Wolston Parish and to avoid duplicating the content of the Parish Plan Questionnaire.

The purpose of the survey was to compile an age profile of residents and existing housing stock, but most importantly to identify unmet housing needs in the Parish. Both 'affordable' housing needs and open market needs were explored. Information was clarified by asking questions about income and the amount people could afford to pay for accommodation.

A copy of the survey form can be seen as Appendix 1. The form is arranged into three parts. The first part explores the age profile of residents and existing housing stock. The second part explores the nature ;of unmet housing need and seeks to clarify this financially. The third part is an equal opportunities and diversity awareness form.

Parish Plan Questionnaires and housing needs survey forms were distributed together in November 2004. Additional copies of the survey form were available from the Parish Plan Team to take account of:

· The need for more than one survey form per household, e.g. two children leaving home.

· People not currently living in Wolston but with a strong local connection.

Respondents to the survey were asked to return their completed forms in a 'Freepost' envelope directly to Warwickshire Rural Housing Association. This was done so that people could have confidence that no personal information would be seen by anyone in the Parish. The closing date for return of survey forms was 31 December 2004.

The housing needs survey was intended from the outset as supplementary to the main Parish Plan Questionnaire. The Questionnaire explores a wide range of issues relating to the medium to long-term sustainability of Wolston as a settlement. Importantly, the questionnaire also asks the opinion of Wolston residents towards further housing development in the parish.

The Rural Housing Enabler for Warwickshire, working in partnership with Warwickshire Rural Housing Association, undertook analysis of the returned survey forms in the first two weeks of January 2005.

Parish Plan

Guidance on Parish Plans
Wolston Parish Plan

The Wolston Parish Plan project was launched in the village in April 2004. The initial team of villagers who volunteered to be involved were:

Wendy Gunton, Catherine Lovett, Neil Kenney, Chris Rose, Richard Rose, Shaun Clayton, Victoria Rogers, Graham Fewkes, Brian Ell, Lorraine Ell, Keith Berry, Michael Davies, Jill Newman, Tim Harvey-Smith.

Virginia Neild, Clerk to the Parish Council, acted as Treasurer.

Nick Wongsam produced the map of the village featured on the back of the questionnaire. He also produced the finished version of the questionnaire and inserts that were included in it and liaised with the printer to get it produced.

Neil Kenney designed the front cover of the questionnaire and took the photographs - he also produced the DVD and video of the village that were sold to raise funds for the project. A model of the village was created by pupils at Wolston St Margaret's School.

A model of the village was created by pupils at Wolston St Margaret's School.

Parish Plan documents ready for distribution to every household in the Parish.

The Parish Plan – a young person’s perspective

In May 2004 the Clerk to the Parish Council, Virginia Neild, visited Wolston St Margaret’s School to talk to the pupils in Oak class (Year 5/6) about the Parish Plan project. She explained that a questionnaire would be issued to every household asking people what they liked and disliked about the village, and what improvements they would like to see. She suggested it would be good to know about the class's opinions, and asked Oak class to produce a presentation about the Parish Plan.

After the talk, the youngsters discussed how they might do their presentation. They wanted to include everyone’s thoughts, opinions and ideas, so they decided that they would produce their own quick and simple questionnaire and ask the whole of the Key Stage 2 pupils to take part. Christie, Stacey, Emily and Jenny designed the questionnaire.