Is the retention of a village identity important to the people of Coxhoe?
You may have seen in the recent news that Durham County Council (DCC) recently adopted the County Durham Plan, including the modifications required by Her Majesty’s Government Planning Inspector to Policy 6 referred to in our last edition of the Chronicle.
90 percent of respondents to the Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan Survey in March 2017 said that they wanted a Settlement Boundary around the edge of the village, to protect from unrestricted housing development.
The County Durham Plan proposed by DCC effectively offered that protection, but as a result of the modifications required by the Inspector that protection will not be as strong. Coxhoe Parish Council is therefore recommencing work on its Neighbourhood Plan.
We believes that it is now necessary to complete a Neighbourhood Plan to supplement the County Durham Plan, especially in light of the Government’s White Paper on Planning.
Unfortunately, the response rate to our 2017 survey was poor. Therefore we are now asking you to confirm your views on some of the most important issues identified, and depending on the results, to draw up Neighbourhood Planning Policies based on your views for our villages.
This could be in the form of a new settlement boundary, to manage development within the village and protect the open countryside surrounding Coxhoe.
These Neighbourhood Plan policies would have to be taken into account in future planning applications alongside the County Durham Plan policies and the National Planning Policy Framework. Cassop-cum Quarrington Parish Council are in the process of doing the same to safeguard the village identities of Bowburn and Parkhill.
You can help shape these policies by joining the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group. Contact the Clerk using details on the Contact Us page if you would be interested.
There are a number of other stages that the policies and plan would have to go through to give them legal planning status. The Parish Council would have to consult you on the details of the policies to make sure that they do genuinely have public support and reflect your views. Durham County Council would then also have to do a formal consultation on them as the local planning authority. An HM Government Planning Inspectorate Planning Examiner would then also have to examine the plan and if that was satisfactory, finally it would be put to a public referendum, where the people of our villages would have to vote to accept or reject it.
On the basis of the research, consultation and works that we have done so far, we want your views on whether you think the green spaces within the village should be protected and whether the village should have a settlement boundary around the edge of the village to restrict further housing development. The plan above shows the last settlement boundary for the village from the City of Durham Plan 2004. This would need to be updated to reflect developments completed in the meantime and in progress.
To see other consultations, please visit our Consulting our Communities page.
Survey results
Thank you to all who took part. The results are summarised below.
These results will be used by the Parish Council to inform its considerations and decision making. It is clear that not everyone agrees however the Parish Council is committed to doing its best to represent the views of residents.
Many of these activities are longer term aims for an already busy Parish Council, which means that plans and considering resource requirements will take place over coming months and quite possibly years. They also involve working with partners and other organisations, which again takes time and consideration.
Most of the comments received are also below. Please note that identifying characteristics have been removed to remove the risk of people being identified, but the Parish Clerk is considering all responses, including those where a response was requested. The Parish Clerk will be contacting people who requested a response, and when appropriate those who said they would like to be kept informed; please bear with Officers while this takes place.
Coxhoe Neighbourhood Planning Consultation survey results
Is the retention of a village identity important to the people of Coxhoe?
Yes 229
No 52
Abstained 5
a) Would you support a settlement boundary around the existing village boundaries to protect the open countryside surrounding Coxhoe?
Yes 238
No 47
Abstained 1
b) Does the village need more housing to be built?
Yes 67
No 214
Abstained 5
c) If you do think the village needs more housing to be built, what kind of extra homes are needed and where?
Comments:
1. More Bungalows to free up social housing for the younger people.
2. Provision for the growing numbers of elderly so that they can continue to live in their own community. Two parish plans have confirmed the need but only a small number has been provided. More social housing needed.
3. I think houses should be built wherever the council see fit. I love that our village is growing and getting better. It’s fantastic for local business. Why would we want to stay a village?
4. Just where there’s space really
5. Affordable bungalows for the elderly and disabled.
6. Affordable homes and bungalows built on brown field and other waste ground
7. Two bedroom bungalows to rent should be a priority. The land behind Coxhoe Front Street, Old garage site in Linden Grove, land opposite Lilac Cottage and land at the bottom of Landsdowne Road, adjacent to the Churchyard would be ideal sites for the elderly to access all the village amenities.
8. “why isn’t this multiple choice with an option to add ‘other’ and then specify
give people options, then you can see everyone’s priority ”
9. All types of housing are required. If the village is going to continue to be successful, with a high street full of shops and young people bringing money into the area then housing is needed. Don’t let Coxhoe die because some people are selfish and don’t want development for others. People need houses and the village needs people to support local businesses and jobs.
10. If there has to be more housing I think it should be affordable bungalows/ or bungalows which could be rented (like council bungalows)
11. None except maybe some bungalows.
12. Wherever the council see fit. It’s a good thing our village is growing and not dying
13. More new builds on that building opposite the coop car park that was knocked down would be good. On the front street. Really though I just think the more houses built the better. I want our village to grow from strength to strength
14. The village needs as many houses as we can. Why wouldn’t we want more people to live here? It’s a good thing for our village especially local businesses.
15. None
16. More new builds
17. As many as possible. New houses are a good thing. Our village needs to grow.
18. It doesn’t, there are so many houses already being built around the village on all our available fields. There won’t be a blade of grass left in the village before long. Also the majority of houses aren’t bought by people from the village as they’re priced out of the market. It’s people who move here to access the transport links etc. They don’t use the pubs or shops and contribute very little to the village.
19. Large executive homes
20. No more houses
21. No more houses to be built
22. Large executive type homes because there aren’t any in the village.
23. More new builds, family houses
24. it has enough housing, the village infrastructure cannot withstand more housing
25. Just where there’s space and the council see fit really. I certainly trust our actual council more than our parish council. More housing is definitely needed in the village.
26. I’m glad to see so many new build plots appearing around the village. I support these and would favour any others the county council see fit.
27. If any further housing this should be limited to bungalows for elderly and or disabled.
28. I’d like to see more luxury/larger new builds similar to what is being built in wynyard and sedgefield. I’m hoping this would attract a better demographic into Coxhoe.
28. More quality housing.
29. More nice, family size new builds. More cheap new builds for first time buyers to get on their feet.
30. The land at the back of the Coxhoe town football field is a bit of an eyesore due to litter and should be used for mixed affordable housing. The road up to the recycling site should be improved.
31. While I love all of the new builds that are being built in the area, most so far are out of my budget as a first time buyer. I would like to see more affordable, smaller 2 bedroom houses to support first time buyers like myself.
32. More new builds around Coxhoe to grow our village into a town. I’m so pleased to see Coxhoe is a desirable area to live in and it is continuing to grow and get bigger
33. Mixture of executive houses and or self build plots
34. 2 Bed Bungalows
35. I don’t think we need more houses, but if we did it would be (cheaper) bungalows.
36. Coxhoe is very short of 2 bedroomed bungalows .The field at the back of the Grove towards Station Road .
37. Cheaper homes social housing and bungalows
38. Council houses
39. More new builds to help our village to grow and improve
40. New builds to help first time buyers get on the property ladder. Attract more families to the village to support local services and businesses. I was Coxhoe to grow and become a town.
41. I don’t think the village as the infrastructure in place to support all new building going on. Parking, traffic, small high street and school facilities will not cope.
42. Social housing is needed, within Coxhoe across the area
43. We live in [], any improvements to the area, would be welcome, there appear to be pockets of land that is not maintained and properties that could be improved.
44. In past community consultations the public have consistently said that only housing for the elderly and affordable housing is needed.
45. More new builds in a variety of sizes to support a variety of people. This will attract more people so our village can continue to grow and local businesses can succeed.
46. I love all of the new builds popping up around the village. It is fantastic to see that our village is desirable and continuing to grow and develop!
47. More 4 bedroom council houses
48. Just where the council sees fit really. They know what is best for our village or TOWN unlike the parish council. They need to move with the times
49. Reasonably priced family homes, in areas that are free from anti-social behaviour
50. No
51. Affordable, central
52. None
53. more new builds
54. If must more family size affordable homes
55. People need houses to live in so more new builds are needed. Where do you expect people to go?
56. Bungalows for rent
57. There is a need for more affordable housing, to help young people step onto the property ladder. Maybe near the football ground
58. A broad mix of house types – bungalows, assisted-living and family. 1,2,3, and 4 bedroom homes.
59. Smaller developments of bungalows, smaller affordable homes or flats. The village has plenty of ‘Executive’ style estates of 3 or 4 bedroom family homes.
60. A wide range of houses from starter homes to large family homes should be built on the outskirts of the village rather than trying to fill all available spaces within the village
61. There is far too much building going on the village Doctors and school cannot cope as it is
62. I’d like to see more luxury/larger new builds in our village. I feel this would attract the right sort of people into our village.
63. I’d like to see more new builds like the ones that have already started popping up. They are just what our village needs to successfully grow and develop.
64. None
65. More family houses so new families can buy there first house in Coxhoe
66. No further housing is needed.
67. I don’t think there needs to be more homes built but if there had to be, maybe 2 bedroom or starter homes. There seems to be a lot of 3/4 bedroom which may be unsuitable for first time single buyers.
68. New housing to help first time buyers to get on the property ladder
69. I support all of the new builds that have appeared in our village recently. I think they are fantastic and I cannot see why the parish council have a problem.
70. Bungalows and starter homes.
71. 2 and 3 bedroom houses
72. Affordable homes for local people
73. High quality homes 4-5 bed detached to attract affluent home owners, combined with affordable housing so that local people are not priced out if the market. They in turn will spend more money in the local businesses. The village should be aspirational and should be looking to be as attractive a place to live as High Shincliffe but with the quality amenities of Sedgefield. Insular thinking will prevent this and Coxhoe will remain a “village” full of tanning shops and fast food takeaways.
74. Affordable housing and rentable bungalows
75. Brownfield sites renovate/replace board up properties
76. Council houses.
77. We definitely don’t need anymore housing. Too many planning applications have been approved already.
78. None
79. Yes bungalow for old people and people in wheelchair
80. More than enough already.
81. More large new build plots which will then help first time buyers to get on the property ladder but stay in the village if they want to
82. Yes, I support all of the new housing developments and would welcome further plots. They are good for our village
83. The village is at bursting point there should be no more houses built as the roads ,school. Parking Doctor’s surgery etc are all affected by more housing being built
84. Bungalows
85. Cheaper. North of Cornforth Lane and behind Tarka
86. No
87. Definitely not
d) Should the green areas around Coxhoe and Quarrington Hill be protected and improved?
Yes 248
No 38
Abstained 0
286 responses