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Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Trevor Maroney (4th Jul 2018 - 11:13:38) At the Community Forum on 19th June I asked what had happened to the money paid by the developers of Bramshott Place Village to avoid having to build affordable housing in Liphook. My question was minuted as follows: Mr Maroney enquired as to when the Aitken Report Traffic Survey for Liphook would be released and asked how the £1.75 million of developer contributions in lieu of providing affordable housing on the Bramshott Place Village development would be spent. Yesterday I received this answer: Bramshott Place Developer Contributions: The sum of £1,700,000 was payable by Helical (Liphook) Ltd, the developer of Bramshott Place Village, as the Affordable Housing Contribution, in lieu of on-site provision. It was payable in four tranches, prior to implementation of the development and prior to the 45th, 90th and 130th occupations. In order to provide maximum flexibility, it was not tied to any specific parish and could be spent across the district. To date, it has been used to: Fund the provision of temporary accommodation and affordable rented flats at Prospect Place, Alton; Top up an affordable scheme at 34 Havant Road, Horndean; Top up an affordable scheme in Lymington Botom Road, Medstead; Top up an affordable scheme in Lovedean Lane, Horndean; Top up a new wheelchair accessible bungalow in Links Close, Rowlands Castle; To date, £376,346.00 remains to be spent on future schemes later this financial year. This sum must be spent by 17 March 2022. So the money has been spent on affordable housing elsewhere without our knowledge. If I remember correctly, when we produced the Parish Plan there were about 140 people, with local family connections, on the social housing waiting list in Liphook. I would therefore ask why this money, which under normal circumstances would have been spent on providing social housing in Liphook, wasn't spent to benefit local residents. I would also ask why our district councillors allowed this to happen.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Caroline (4th Jul 2018 - 11:42:57) This is appalling! Who decided that the money is not tied to a specific parish? Liphook residents have to put up with huge amounts of development, but receive no benefits?

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Rölli (4th Jul 2018 - 13:13:58) My initial reaction to this was one of shock and anger but then I considered matters in a less insular way. Liphook has actually had quite a lot of social and affordable housing built recently. Going back a bit there are the homes on the Midhurst Road spur opposite the Millennium Green as well as the properties in Larch Rise. More recently there have been homes provided in Lark Rise, Silent Garden and Maple Park and more social/affordable homes are currently being built in Oak Park. All of these are within walking distance of the village schools, shops and amenities. Perhaps we in Liphook need to be a little less self focussed as a community, ease up on our sense of entitlement and persecution and perhaps look at the bigger picture. A bit of attention on what we do have rather than don't may make us a happier bunch

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Helen (4th Jul 2018 - 13:21:40) It is time to tackle the district Council as they took the money from the developers.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Ian (4th Jul 2018 - 14:19:30) Is there a lack of social housing in Liphook? 3 council estates and plenty of affordable and social housing in the recently built developments! What would you like, a Leigh Park built in the village! No thank you!

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Ann (4th Jul 2018 - 14:51:55) Ian, 4 council house estates!

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Ian (4th Jul 2018 - 15:03:34) Thanks Ann, forgot about The Mead!

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Rölli (4th Jul 2018 - 15:17:19) Just found this on the Lib Dem site. "Trevor is deeply concerned about the imposition of more housing on our small community" So Trevor are you against more housing development in Liphook or do you just want more affordable housing built?

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Adrian (5th Jul 2018 - 10:45:22) Liphook is getting overcrowded and it would be difficult to fit more social housing in, but the money SHOULD have been spent in Liphook. We have to put up with the extra housing we should get some community benefit. I think at least some of the remaining money could be used to build a good quality skateboard park, for the village youth, there are good examples of this sort of thing at Bordon and Petersfield.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Rölli (5th Jul 2018 - 11:33:58) Adrian - the money is a contribution for social/affordable housing, nothing else!

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Julian (5th Jul 2018 - 12:17:53) There are also other areas where the funds could have been spent locally; − Recreation grounds − Support of bus services within the area − Improvements to pedestrian infrastructure − Improvements to roads − Cycle routes linking up Liphook to surrounding areas, i.e. Liss, Petersfield, Bordon, Passfield, etc − Cycle parking − Traffic Calming & speed reductions − Financial contributions to deliver community services - Town planning! Julian.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - penny (5th Jul 2018 - 13:18:42) As Rolli said this money has to be spent on affordable housing and as other posters have pointed out there is quite a large amount of affordable and social housing already in Liphook. I think Mr Trevor Maroney is trying to stir up anti district council/councillors feeling particularly in view of his statement previously quoted but no harm in quoting again ""Trevor is deeply concerned about the imposition of more housing on our small community". He doesn't seem to know what he wants. I would suggest he contacts one of our 3 excellent and dedicated district councillors, namely Angela Glass, Rebecca Standish or Bill Mouland or speak to EHDC directly.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Dee (5th Jul 2018 - 15:36:28) Hi The councils estates as in a previous post, a lot of the houses were sold to the tenants, therefore are no longer council houses. Just an observation

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Trevor Maroney (5th Jul 2018 - 16:24:13) Penny I believe that Rolli has been very selective with his quote. Why don't you ask him for the the rest and where he got it from. I think you will find that it relates to a statement I made on addressing our infrastructure needs - power cuts, flooding (sewage and run-off) and traffic jams - before housing. The existing village power supply, drainage and road network were not designed to take all the extra housing. SSE are addressing the former by cutting down trees alongside power lines, Thames Water are hiding behind HCC on flooding issues (long story) and I don't know what EHDC are doing to the supposedly independent Liphook traffic survey. (It has been re-written three times.) I do know that the developers of Lowsley Farm paid HCC a lot of money for the traffic survey. As has been pointed out, I did ask district councillors at the Community Forum and was told it had to be written answers. The original statements, highlighted in yellow boxes, in my initial posting have been extracted in full from official documentation. They are the answers the public should have been given at the forum. I have no reason to doubt their accuracy.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Rölli (5th Jul 2018 - 17:21:50) Trevor, put as much spin on it as you like but you know and we know you are just trying to stir it up! Now please answer this question; on top of all the housing already being built or recently completed locally, do you want even more social and affordable housing crammed into Liphook, Yes or No?

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Trevor Maroney (5th Jul 2018 - 20:29:02) Yes, there is clearly a need for more social and affordable housing in Liphook.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - helen (5th Jul 2018 - 23:39:50) The reason the neighbourhood development plan was started was to find more housing sites for Liphook, no point spending all the money on it otherwise! The government are looking for the south east region to take more houses, that is why all the local plans are required everywhere. It is not just Liphook which will be taking more houses. Waverly district has to find 10 thousand I believe over the next 10 years or so.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Dawn Hoskins (5th Jul 2018 - 23:43:26) I suppose the real question is: was this money for affordable housing stated officially to be only spent in Liphook - or - was it for EHDC to spend anywhere withing EHDC on affordable housing? If it was officially earmarked only for Liphook and has been squirreled away to other areas, then that isn't acceptable. If it was always going to be spent within the district - then we can't do anything about it, as it has indeed been spent with the bounds of East Hants. Some people clearly have an agenda here.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Rölli (6th Jul 2018 - 08:46:58) Trevor - as you well know, the most likely way Liphook will get more social and affordable housing will be on the back of large scale private sector development. Whichever way you look at it, this will mean a substantial enlargement of the village, is this what you want? Alternatively you are advocating stand alone social / affordable housing development in Liphook which, cost considerations aside (more taxes, borrowing etc) would mean a fundamental change in the social makeup of the area which would no doubt benefit those to the left of the political spectrum. As Dawn said, no doubt there is an agenda here! You also seem to be ignoring the fact that the village has already seen a large increase in the amount of social and affordable housing being built.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Ian (6th Jul 2018 - 08:49:09) Blimey, we need more social housing in Liphook like we need more estate agents!!

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Trevor Maroney (6th Jul 2018 - 10:54:12) EHDC's Local Plan (formerly the Joint Core Strategy) requires all developers to provide 40% social and affordable housing within their housing schemes. Bramshott Place Village avoid this by paying £1.7 million thereby, as Rolli points out, changing the social balance. I believe that the money should have been used to restore that balance in Liphook. And that our elected representatives should have ensured that it happened.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Julian (6th Jul 2018 - 12:34:39) As Dawn suggested, the money was for the District, not for Liphook.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - helen (6th Jul 2018 - 17:23:14) There is a big difference between social housing and affordable housing. Affordable housing these days means a property with an ownership split or the estate agents and developers providing mortgages at a preferential rate for first time buyers etc etc. So really the phrase is meaningless anyway!

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Ian (6th Jul 2018 - 19:59:32) Sorry Trevor, you are all over the place and completely lack credibility.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Dawn Hoskins (6th Jul 2018 - 23:10:44) Trevor has shared information with us, which as a community we should all be interested in. Why? Why do people feel the need to attack him? It is the people making these horrible comments that lack credibility! You know what, some people have a view other than your own. You're not wrong - they're not wrong - that's the thing with 'opinions' they are personal to the holder. Please, let's just be nice to each other!

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Penny (7th Jul 2018 - 11:54:24) Dawn, this is not about differing views. IMO Trevor Maroney is trying to stir up trouble and ill feeling against EHDC and our local councillors and why because it is a Conservative run council and our councillors are Conservative . He asked two questions at the Community Forum on 19 June and the councillors present could not provide answers on the spot. Whether they should have been able to is another matter, but not everyone has all the facts all the time and it is better to defer rather than give an incorrect answer. This is exactly what they did and Mr Maroney had his answers on 3 July with which apparently he did not agree, so what does he do. He posts the answers on Liphook Talkback where there is no guarantee the powers that be would read them and even if they did would not be able to respond. What he should have done if he is serious about making a difference is to refer the matter and his questions back to the apppropriate authority be that our district councillors or EHDC.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Rölli (7th Jul 2018 - 12:24:25) Dawn, what horrible comments do you refer to? Trevor is a big boy who has put his viewpoint out into the public domain. I absolutely would defend his right to do so but will also defend the rights of those who disagree with him to express their position. I believe Trevor's stance on social/affordable housing in Liphook is not in the best interests of the village and his OP was designed to stir it up rather than just inform. If that is being horrible to Trevor then so be it, please feel free to be horrible back to me!

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - R (7th Jul 2018 - 18:42:10) I personally know Trevor and what I see is a man trying to better our community , we all have different views on what would benefit our community but that is why you get a choice in elections ! I don’t see why people are saying if there are more social and affordable housing in liphook it would become Leigh park because I live in social housing in a 1 bedroom top floor flat and I have severe knee issues and a 2 year old ! There is no difference if you can afford to own your home or rent you are still people with your own personality ! I do believe there should be more social housing because I know people that are generally suffering from the housing crises , I know a one couple that ended up living in a garden shed because they could not afford rising rent costs and they work really hard ! Coast of living is going up and social homes are going down do the maths ! It is a lot harder for young people to buy there first home than what it was 50years . I do believe people need to start reading on the reality’s of life

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Trevor Maroney (9th Jul 2018 - 12:54:05) My original reason for asking this question was that if this money had not been spent within, I believe, 8 years - and there was no evidence in Liphook that it had - EHDC would have had to have repaid it to the developer.

Re: Reasons for lack of social housing in Liphook - Rölli (9th Jul 2018 - 13:32:49) Really Trev, your original post ended with " I would therefore ask why this money, which under normal circumstances would have been spent on providing social housing in Liphook, wasn't spent to benefit local residents. I would also ask why our district councillors allowed this to happen. ." Can't see any mention of repayments to the developer!. Seems to me you are just wanting to stir it up, which is fine, but how about being a bit more transparent and honest?

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