CCA is funded by Defra up to March 2025 to provide a Rural Housing Enabler Service that can help your town or parish council identify and address local housing needs by acting as an independent advisor through the process.

We are inviting all town and parish councils to fill in a short survey to learn more about the drivers and barriers to addressing housing need from a parish and town council perspective.

CLICK HERE TO FILL IN OUR 2 MINUTE SURVEY

As Rural Housing Enabler I can help by:

  • Speaking to your councillors about the process of how to develop affordable housing
  • Carrying out housing needs surveys (to collect new data from households via a questionnaire), and assessments of secondary data (a desk exercise to analyse census, planning and housing data) or combination of the two, to identify households in need in your area (e.g. downsizing, specialised accommodation, homes for first time buyers and affordable housing).
  • Supporting you to identify sites including which sites may be acceptable in planning policy terms
  • Advising on delivery options – e.g. working with a housing association or taking a community led approach to development
  • Advising on planning policy tools that can enable affordable housing development e.g. neighbourhood plan policies and neighbourhood development orders

If you would like to have a conversation with me about addressing housing needs in your area, please get in touch via email john.heselwood@cheshireaction.org.uk

For information to Cheshire West parish and town councils: CWaC is currently consulting on a new Housing Strategy which is open until 1st April: https://participatenow.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/housing-strategy-engagement