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Agenda item

Discussion of the Brookside Development

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed residents of the locality, officers from Monmouthshire County Council and Monmouthshire Housing Association and their representatives to the meeting to discuss the Brookside development.

 

Officers from Monmouthshire Housing Association spoke of their general housing stock and the need placed upon it. When asked by a resident regarding their provision for the elderly we were told;

 

·         The demand for property varied greatly with the most demand currently for general needs homes.

 

·         When advised available they would receive an average of 7.6 bids for a property for suitable for the OAPs and 65.8 bids for a non OAP property.

 

·         33% of their stock was currently for OAPS.

 

·         Monmouthshire Housing Association are currently working with Cardiff University looking at future provision.

 

·         30% of Monmouthshire Housing Association’s bungalows are in the Caldicot area.

 

Residents voiced their dissatisfaction regarding the consultation process as they felt it was insufficient. Monmouthshire Housing Association answered that all necessary consultation had taken place and that 350 letters were hand delivered to all neighbours impacted by the development.

 

In answer to question asked about access and the positioning of a footpath by a resident we were told that the footpath will be positioned to provide access and but will be left open as following guidance by Welsh Government and Secure by Design they did not want to create an alleyway.

 

County Councillor Easson said that he had no objections to the properties but had concerns in respect of traffic management.

 

A question was asked about the building contractor’s vehicles on site and the perceived disruption they would cause the residents. Monmouthshire Housing Association answered that when tendering for contractors they only use those who are part of the ‘considerate construction’ scheme. They will be required to submit a traffic management plan and will be regularly inspected.

 

Reverend Hall praised Monmouthshire Housing Association for the project and asked what support will be in place for residents once they move into their new homes, in answer we were told that Monmouthshire Housing Association operate a tenancy support scheme which provides robust support with new residents monitored and helped by the new homes team for the first twelve months of their tenancy. They also offered an employment coaching scheme, advice on domiciliary care and other relevant support.

 

A resident raised concerns about properties 1&2 which overlooked his bedroom window and hoped that the orientation of the houses could be rotated. An officer from Monmouthshire County Council answered that it was compliant with Development Quality Requirements for social housing which required the distance between properties to have a 21 metre distance for directly facing habitable room windows between existing and new dwellings (living rooms and bedrooms), in this case there is 28 metres.

 

It was commented that when a new build development took place, money would be given by the developer to fund improvement of the local area and asked if this would this be the case. Monmouthshire Housing Association explained as they are a social housing builder S106 money would not be payable, however they do have an environmental works programme with a separate budget circa £300,000 which they use for community improvements.  

 

The Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and advised the meeting that the development would be submitted to the Monmouthshire County Council’s Planning Committee on the 7th February 2016 at 2pm.