Please note: This new parish council website
provides much greater flexibility than the former website. This has
allowed us to make minor changes to the layout of updates, to ease
reading. The content has remained the same, other than minor
adjustments to aid clarity. The original update, as released in January
2020, is available at the end.
January 2020 update: Investigation
into the provision of affordable housing and car park
Dunsford Parish Council are investigating the provision of more affordable
housing in the village. The parish council are keen to state that at this
stage we are purely gathering information. Our community will make the
final decision about whether to go ahead with such a project.
Stage 1 - Assess the need for affordable housing: In early 2019, Devon
Communities Together contacted all households in the parish and asked them to
complete a survey regarding their housing situation and their housing
needs. Devon Communities Together's report on Dunsford's Housing Needs
Survey is available here: Dunsford 2019 Housing Needs
Survey.
The survey highlighted a need for ten affordable rental properties in the
village.
Stage 2 - Consider potential plots of land: The parish council are working
with Dartmoor National Park Authority and Teignbridge District Council to
consider potential sites around the village. Discussions with the
planning authorities and landowners are ongoing. Dartmoor National Park
Authority conducted a Land Availability Assessment (LAA) in 2017 and the three
Dunsford sites can be downloaded here: DNPA 2017 Land Availability Assessment - Dunsford section
Stage 3 - Project viability: If there are landowners who are agreeable to
such a potential development then the parish council will conduct a basic
consideration of the viability of each site. Overcoming some challenges
such as flood-risk mitigation may make some sites financially unviable.
Stage 4 - Parish consultation: If any sites look potentially viable after
considering Stages 2 and 3, then the parish council will work with planning
authorities and organisations like Devon Communities Together to prepare a
public consultation. This consultation will probably be initially formed
of a public meeting to discuss the idea of providing more affordable housing,
the potential sites, the strengths and weaknesses of each site and the
financial viability of such a project, including where the funding stream(s)
will come from. We expect that this would be a community event held in
the village hall. Feedback received at that public meeting will determine
the next stages of the project.
January 2020 update:
Affordable Housing Research January 2020 Update (original version)