Public consultation event
We held a Public Consultation event on 24 October 2023 in Snape Village Hall. Our Development Team at Hastoe presented our proposed affordable housing layout along with our architect. They were able to answer any queries on the day. We also had representatives from East Suffolk Council and our Housing Team at Hastoe, who assisted with anyone interested in one of the new homes.
This page presents all the information from the in-person consultation. An online consultation for those unable to make the event was held for one month to allow feedback on the proposed affordable housing layout.
Housing need
In 2019 Snape Parish Council carried out a Housing Survey with Community Action Suffolk to determine the level of need for housing across all tenure types in the parish. The aim of this survey was to understand the existing and future needs for Snape residents including family members (not necessarily living in Snape) and other members of the household. The study was also designed to understand Snape’s current housing stock and whether this is affordable to local people.
The key findings of the report was from 98 surveys completed (25% return rate) that 10 households responded with a current need totalling 13 people. The survey is now 3 years old and there has been significant changes in housing need over the past few years, our aim of the consultation event is to gather more up to date information of the needs in Snape so we can ensure our proposal meets these needs.
Our proposal
We are proposing 17 homes on the site, 14 of these will be affordable with a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership homes with 3 being market sale homes.
The homes range from 1 bed bungalows to 2 and 3 bedroom houses, we will be constructing the homes to our Hastoe New Build Standard. This is a fabric first approach going above the 2025 Building Regulation standards with Air Source Heat Pumps and electric charging points. More information on our new build standard can be found here.
The consultation on the 24 October 2023 was to discuss the sketch scheme and to consult with the community on our site so we can take this into account as we progress the development into a Planning Application.
Local connections
We are proposing to develop on a site outside of the village boundary under the Rural Exception Site Planning Policy, a Rural Exception Site can only be delivered if a local housing need can be identified within the local area and any new homes will be restricted to prioritise the residents/former residents of Snape. A typical local connection policy for anyone wanting to live in one of the new homes would be:
The Affordable Dwellings for Rent are to be allocated to a person nominated by the Council in line with its Allocation Policy who is considered by them or it to be in need of such accommodation and unable to compete in the normal open market for property. Before nominating an applicant the Council will be satisfied that the applicant
(a) Has continuously lived in Snape for the preceding 3/5 years, OR
(b) Has continuously had a principal place of work in Snape for the preceding 3/5 years, OR
(c) Has parents or close family (i.e. mother, father, son or daughter) who are over 18 and who have lived in Snape for the preceding 3/5 years.
If there are no persons who qualify under the above the Affordable Dwelling shall be allocated to person nominated by the Council who:
(a) Has continuously lived within 10 miles of the Site for the preceding 3/5 years, OR
(b) Has continuously had a place of work within 10 miles of the Site for the preceding 3/5 years, OR
(c) Has parents or close family (i.e. mother, father, son or daughter) who are over 18 and who have lived within 10 miles of the Site for the preceding 5 years.
Rent levels
Affordable rent can be set to 80% of the market rent for any area but prefer to explore Local Housing Allowance rent levels which are much lower and more suitable to a household on an average income. The selection of the rent levels for this site will be confirmed during the planning application with East Suffolk. The Local Housing Allowance rent levels in Snape (Oct 23) are 1 bed £490 per month, 2 bed £610 per month and 3 bed £715 per month.
Interest in a home
A Housing Need Survey was completed in 2020 and more feedback was gathered on Housing Need at the Public Consultation on the 24 October 2023.
If you or know anyone with a Housing Need and they meet the criteria of the below please contact us at eastdev@hastoe.com. We ask anyone interested in one of the homes to complete a Housing Interest form so we can guide them through the process and keep them informed of our progress.
Next steps
October 2023 - In-person consultation event
October/November 2023 - Online consultation event
December 2023 - Detailed design
January/February 2024 - On-site surveys
As part of Hastoe’s development plans for a Rural Exception Site in Snape, we have undertaken a ground scan of the site to understand the archaeology of the land. Our ground scan has identified numerous areas of interest and we will need to explore undertaking trail trenching with Suffolk County Council before we progress any further with our development. As such, the planned Public Consultation event in April 2024 will be postponed until the archaeological works have been completed. We are estimating that these works, along with other surveys, will put the Public Consultation back into Autumn 2024. If you do have an interest in one of the affordable homes, please email us at eastdev@hastoe.com for further details.
TBC - Consultation on our proposals pre-planning application
TBC - Planning Application submission
TBC - Planning Determination
TBC - Start on Site
TBC - Estimated completion
