This section is about how the Council looks to deliver one of its priorities, Affordable Housing. The Council’s Housing Strategy 2003-2006 set out the key areas of need within Mid Suffolk and this was based on, amongst other data, the District Wide Housing Needs Survey 2003. Although the District Wide  Housing Needs Survey was updated in 2005, it is still based on data that is a number of years old, and therefore the Housing Strategy Team have recently, through a procurement process, employed Fordham Research to undertake a new survey.

Fordhams completed the first draft of this work in December 2007. The research will look to identify how much affordable housing is required within the district including size, type, tenure and any affordable housing needs for more vulnerable groups such as older people. This information will also support the Housing Market Assessment, which is a document that is required as part of the work being undertaken for the Local Development Framework. The Housing Market Assessment (HMA) looks to discover what drives the housing market within Mid Suffolk such as its relationship with Ipswich. The work for the HMA is being undertaken with a number of other local authorities in Suffolk and it is anticipated that this work will be completed in May 2008.

In addition to this, GoEast, who provide guidance on the writing of strategies and who also audit the documents are in the process of drafting new guidance that is likely to be published towards the end of 2007.

Therefore, we acknowledge that the Housing Strategy is out of date, but when we have the guidance, and the results of our research we will be in a better and, more informed position, to write a new Housing Strategy, if required, in 2008.

In the meantime, we would advise anyone that is looking to see how we endeavour to meet affordable housing in the District to look at the Regional Housing Strategy and in addition to this we have helped to develop, with others within the Greater Haven Gateway Housing Sub-region, the Sub-regional Housing Strategy.

In order to give our clients an idea of what we have achieved based within the Housing Strategy 2003-2006, we will shortly be updating the Housing Strategy Action Plan for 2007/8.

Please click the link below to be directed to the policies page where you can access the following document:

District Wide Housing Needs Survey 2003 - Supply and Demand Tables

Please click the links below to access the following documents:

East of England Plan
Key Affordable Housing Facts 2007
Suffolk Rural Deprivation Report

For more information please contact the Housing department using the details below:

Contact Details

Name: Julie Abbey-Taylor (Strategic Housing Manager)
Email: Julie.Abbey-Taylor@midsuffolk.gov.uk  
Address: Mid Suffolk District Council, Council Offices, 131 High Street, Needham Market, Ipswich, IP6 8DL
Telephone: 01449 724782