UPDATED ON 7th APRIL, 2024
DON'T FORGET!
UPDATED ON 4th APRIL, 2024
[What follows is a response to John Hambley's history (dated 11th March below) of the development proposal. John drafted the village questionnaire in 2018/19 which eventually led to it.
[Unfortunately Andrew McDonald's email happened to arrive in my Junk folder at the same time as two scum/nuisance emails entitled "Planning permission" and concerning payment for a planning application, so was summarily deleted. Humble apologies to the author.
[The flyer reproduced below, from the Parish Council, is currently being circulated around the village to advertise next Wednesday's meeting. As two views of this issue have now been aired, I respectfully suggest a moratorium on this blog in the meantime. Thank you. — Steve Stocks, Webmaster]
Subject: Rural Exception site planning in Snape
From: Andrew McDonald <snapevillage@gmail.com>
Date: 27/03/2024, 17:20
Hello dear webmaster,
I read John Hambley’s letter on the site this morning, as well as Hastoe’s timeline, and wonder whether you would publish a reply to Mr Hambley?
Mr Hambley’s letter is a little unfair to those who disagree with the actual force of the evidence behind Hastoe’s current plans to apply for permission to build affordable and market housing on a greenfield exception site in Snape. And we are by no means anonymous — just email the address given on the bottom of the first leaflet — but would it be so sinister if we were?
I am one of those who is not convinced that a clear case has yet been made for what is after all by definition an exceptional proposal — and even Hastoe accept that the housing needs survey is now out of date and will need to be re-compiled. The original survey was returned by only 98 of the 395 households asked to respond, with 297 (just over 75%) not wishing to take a view. And there are of course other arguments, for and against, that will be tested if and when a planning application is made for a community-led development — I hope they will also be tested openly and vigorously in the village over the next few months.
That is for later debate. As one of the not-really-anonymous authors of the [first] leaflet, my purpose here is just to say rather gently that to descend straight away to the ad hominem or ‘nimby’ argument is a little disappointing, and won’t really help us along the path to a good community decision. And Mr Hambley’s well-meant advice to ‘learn more about the plans’ also assumes that there has been rather more information available between the survey outcome and last October’s ‘consultation’ meeting than there has been. The plan has indeed been managed so carefully that it has been near-invisible to some — perhaps many. Statements that ‘the land will be owned by the Parish Council and the houses managed by a Housing Association’ appear in the PC minutes, but without any record of public debate or assent to the model proposed. But we shall know better when the planning application is made, and our debates will be more engaged if they are in public.
Villages thrive in a number of ways. East Suffolk DC has a local plan with the grimly-named ‘settlement hierarchy’ showing in part (and a very important part), what is expected of Snape in the way of additional housing to meet the Council’s carefully calculated target for the county as a whole. The figure for Snape, as Mr Hambley will know, is zero.
Best wishes
Andrew McDonald
Priory Road, Snape
UPDATED ON 14th MARCH, 2024 —
HASTOE OPEN MEETING/Q&A
Wednesday 10th April at 6:00pm
Hastoe Housing Association has been working with Snape Parish Council (SPC) since 2021, and is proposing to build a small development of 17 affordable homes. Following their visit in November 2023 (see below), Hastoe will be returning to the Village Hall on 10th April.
Representatives from Hastoe, East Suffolk Council and SPC
will be on hand to answer any queries you may have.
You can download the poster above by clicking upon it, perhaps to display in your window.
If you have any questions that you would like raised at the event,
or are interested in one of the proposed homes,
please let Hastoe know via eastdev@hastoe.com.
UPDATED ON 11th MARCH, 2024
Click here to read "Housing: A Letter to Snape"
from John Hambley (who drafted the village questionnaire in 2018/19), and
a response from the Hastoe Group itself,
"Frequently asked questions re proposed Affordable Homes in Snape" —
to summarise the background to the issue ...
UPDATED ON 6th MARCH, 2024
—
Flyers have been distributed to many addresses around the village by "a small group of Snape residents [who] are planning to distribute a questionnaire in the village, to get an understanding of people's reactions and preferences". "Have you been consulted on it?". Yes, you have — on 24th October last year [see below], in relation to "the ongoing work of the Parish Council that followed the creation of the Snape Village Plan [in 2019] and the Housing Needs Survey" — which was reported back in January 2020, just before the Covid pandemic.
Hastoe have been invited to answer and explain the issues raised by the flyer.
As an aside, it is important to make clear that the flyer's contact email address, snapevillage@gmail.com, has NO connection whatsoever with this website, NOR with the Parish Council — and nor is it clear who is the recipient of any replies to that address. However, as stated on this website's homepage, although the Parish Council supports the site and pays for its provision, the website may not always reflect the Council's view.
POSTED ON 29th SEPTEMBER, 2023 by Tim Beach, Snape Parish Council:
Open Drop-in re proposed affordable housing in Snape
—
On 24th October from 3:00pm until 7:00, we are holding a drop-in event that represents the ongoing work of the Parish Council that followed the creation of the Snape Village Plan and the Housing Needs Survey.
Hastoe Housing Association has been working with Snape Parish Council since 2021, and is proposing to build a small development of affordable homes. The properties will only be available for local people or people with strong local connections – priority for these dwellings will be given to applicants from Snape. [At the drop-in, Hastoe will share details of the development's location, with the plans, and some of the Parish Councillors will be in attendance too.]
There will be drinks and refreshments available at the event. All are actively encouraged to attend, including those who may have existing links to the village and are looking to live here in the future.
If you are unable to attend, but would like further details,
please contact Hastoe Housing at eastdev@hastoe.com
Regards,
Tim Beach
Parish Councillor
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