Surrey Hills Affordable Housing Summit

On 24th September 2019, English Rural hosted their Affordable Housing Summit in the beautiful surroundings of the Denbies Wine Estate in the Surrey Hills. The conference brought together a variety of stakeholders on affordable rural housing issues.

Speakers included:

Clive Smith, Planning Adviser, Surrey Hills AONB
Caroline Dibden, Vice-Chairman, CPRE Hampshire
Georgia Kirby-Watt, Associate Director (Land Management), Strutt & Parker
Louise Williams, Rural Housing Enabler for Surrey
Andrew Smith, Head of Housing Delivery and Communities, Waverley Borough Council
Pauline Rose, English Rural Resident

Speakers addressed issues such as planning, conservation, the benefits of affordable housing to the rural economy, working effectively with local communities and perspectives from English Rural residents.

One of the highlights of the day was the launch of a new report, commissioned by English Rural and supported by Strutt & Parker which revealed that properties within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are, on average: –

• 34% more expensive than those in surrounding areas, and
• Almost 23 times the average household income

The report ‘The Surrey Hills: A Case for Affordable Rural Housing’ focused on the 42 rural parishes that lie wholly or partly within the Surrey Hills AONB – the most expensive of the 46 English AONBs in which to buy a home.

The research found that only 14% of properties in the Surrey Hills are in the lowest three council tax bands and around 660 (2%) affordable homes need to be built to meet current local housing need across the 42 rural parishes. Building to meet just half the need would equate to 330 homes – 8 in each parish. The report also highlights that the consequences of not meeting the housing needs of residents are significant for individuals, for the future viability of communities, and for the local economy.

The consequences of a lack of affordable homes in the Surrey Hills reach far beyond just the housing market – impacting on individual households, particularly young families. The viability of rural communities, and the sustainability of local business also depends on communities housing a range of age groups and income earners. For rural communities to thrive, we believe local people deserve to live in high-quality, well-managed homes that are comfortable, safe, and affordable. This report shows that the Surrey Hills has a well-evidenced need for affordable homes and that we need to work together with Local Authorities, Parish Councils and importantly the local community to build a legacy for the future of villages that provide opportunities beyond housing.

Photographs from the event can be found here, but you must credit ‘Matt Pereira Photography‘ if you use them and please let us know where they have been used.

Speakers on the day:

Martin Collett, English Rural’s Chief Executive welcomes delegates

Clive Smith, Surrey Hills AONB Planning Adviser, talks about housing challenges in the Surrey Hills

Caroline Dibden, CPRE, talks about Balancing Landscape Conservation and the need for Affordable Rural Homes

Georgia Kirby-Watt, Strutt and Parker, talks about The Value of Affordable Housing to the Rural Economy

Nick Way, Vice-Chair English Rural, Chairs the afternoon session

The late Mark Tillson & former Chair of English Rural reflects on the day

Louise Williams, Rural Housing Enabler, Surrey Community Action talks about The Role of the Rural Housing Enabler

Andrew Smith, Head of Housing Delivery and Communities, Waverley Borough Council talks about The Value of Strategic Leadership

Alison Thompson, Senior Regional Development Manager, English Rural talks about Working with Local Communities to build Affordable Rural Housing

Nick Hughes, Regional Development Manager, English Rural talks about Working with Local Communities to build Affordable Rural Housing

Pauline Rose, English Rural resident talks about her experiences

Speakers take the floor for a panel Q&A session