Cashes Green Hospital has been empty since it closed in the early 1990s. The site has recently been transferred to English Partnerships and is allocated for housing in Stroud District Council's Local Plan which states a minimum capacity of 40 houses with a percentage of those being affordable. A figure of 60 homes is being mentioned as suitable for the site.A proposal by Gloucestershire Land for People to acquire the site for affordable homes has been welcomed by many including the local Parish Council. The proposal incorporates a unique new form of tenure known as Mutual Home Ownership which if agreed will be the first scheme in the country which looks at the provision of affordable housing in this way (i).
I have been involved in consultations with Cainscross parishioners over this site as part of helping to develop their Parish Plan. I have also attended a half-day meeting earlier this year (see photo above) to learn more about this project. I was therefore keen today to see the very draft plans being put forward at an open afternoon at the Scout Hut in Randwick.
This does seem like an interesting proposal which could lead to a revolution in housing provision. Under the scheme the land will be passed to Gloucestershire Land for People who will hold it in perpetuity for the benefit of local people wishing to purchase houses in the locality but unable to do so given current high property values.
The Gloucestershire Land for People have consulted widely with the community about the provision they are proposing and what is needed by the community. They seem to have taken on board the wishes of the community to preserve green spaces and have some community facilities.
This pioneering project is one of the first to address the issue of affordable housing in a fundamentally new way - it builds on ideas by the New Economics Foundation and housing provision schemes in other countries like Norway.
One concern I, along with others, have already raised is that this project must benefit people in Cainscross. In the past this area has been seen by many as having housing 'dumped' on it. It has the highest concentration of housing in the District and fewest green spaces. The affordable housing should go first to those living or working in the Parish. It would seem they have taken this on board. Another issue I raised was the hope that the scheme maybe adapted to include renewable energy and much higher specifications regarding the sustainability of the build.
This week Stroud District Council also unveiled their view that "the local community should presented with a range of options." They outlined desired outcomes and how the community can achieve these in a 10 point plan for the site and other public land holdings in Cainscross:-
1. Additional land for the provision of additional Affordable homes
2. A new Doctors’ surgery
3. A tenure range of Affordable Homes including rent, shared ownership and the Government’s Homebuy scheme all allocated “off-plan”
4. A new Local Equipped Play Area
5. More allotments
6. A coalition of local companies for a Modern Methods of Construction pilot project
7. A Housing Legacy fund ring-fenced for the people of Cainscross, to help future households afford the first step into owner-occupation
8. Reduce the opportunity for unauthorized use of public land
9. Providing shared equity solutions that are proven and which households understand
10. Giving a choice to the local community to enable the benefit of alternative proposals to be properly evaluated.
At first glance there are many elements that are similar between the proposals, but there are also some different suggestions. They have for example a different approach to achieving affordable housing, 12 new allotments rather than the 24 suggested by the other scheme and also suggest some of those may go on the Cainscross car park site or perhaps that could take 8 new affordable homes.
At the moment these are only ideas as I understand that English Partnerships only have the Gloucestershire Land for People's proposals under consideration. We shall have to wait and see what proposal comes forward and what it all entails - both schemes appear to have merits but we really need to see details.
See also news release re concerns about contractors cutting trees on the site
Notes:
(i) The land is effectively taken out of the market and separated from its productive use so that the impact of land appreciation is removed, therefore enabling long-term affordable and sustainable local development.
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