Cambridgeshire ACRE was commissioned to carry out a Housing Needs Survey in Guilden Morden in September 2014. This survey was carried out on behalf of Cambridge Housing Society, South Cambridgeshire District Council and the Parish Council. The aim of the survey was to gauge opinion on the value of developing affordable homes for local people in the parish and to determine existing and future levels of affordable housing need.
In total, 109 completed forms were returned giving the survey a 27 per cent response rate. This is slightly higher than typical in the Cambridgeshire villages.
The survey and related research determined that there is a shortage of affordable properties on the market with only five properties been sold in Guilden Morden for under £200,000 in the last three years, making the challenge for new entrants to the Guilden Morden property market is as much about availability as affordability.
Seventy four per cent of respondents supported the principle of a small development of affordable homes for local people in the parish.
To fulfil all current and immediate housing need in Guilden Morden, 18 new affordable homes would have to be built, comprising a mix of 1, 2 3 and four bed properties. This scale of need would typically justify a scheme of up to a dozen dwellings. However, the scale, design and location of any scheme will need to adhere to the planning policy contained within the Local Development Framework for South Cambridgeshire District Council on rural exception sites.
The full report is available here.