Sturt close playing field

Wed 12 Mar 2008, 19:56

I'd get onto the councillors and the housing association Development group right away about this, as there is a real danger you might be permanently rehoused outside of Charlbury! They don't have any legal obligation to rehouse you in the immediate area unless I am mistaken, but there is a clear moral duty owed for a long term tenant. For what my opinion is worth. I've been in this position on the "other side" as a local politician and it was a real fight to get people rehoused back into the area after they had been rehomed all over the (London) borough - and beyond - whilst demolition and rebuilding went on. It is now even more "distanced" to have political influence or patronage as the council has ditched its housing management to an independant housing association who might not be so responsive to political and community pressure. If I were you I'd get your skates on right away, find out how realistic and imminent any plans are for redevelopment, and gain political and community support for a commitment to rehousing back into the Charlbury area if you have roots here and want to stay. Clearly Charlbury needs more affordable housing so that the local ("working class" in particular if one can still use an old fashioned phrase) next generation can remain in the area. The "town" is going to have to bite the bullet of releasing land around the town perimeter as well as "brownfield" infill sites such as this one - and broadly I am in support of the need for growth of an "appropriate" nature. There is too much influence of the chocolate box top artwork image rural dream (and usually well heeled) "CPRE" crowd and too little of the need to take steps to maintain small communities as places where people actually have to live engaged in various occupations and maintaining social and family links. I lived in a rural/small town fringe area as a young man in the 70s and watched this developmental tension in action and the end result of the "chocolate box" and "real living homes for people" tensions succeeded in creating a worst of all worlds situation before I headed off to the big city lights. Also, as a parting shot, these infill sites need to be treated with architectural caution as the housing pressures lead to "Town Cramming" rather than "Town Planning". We've seen enough rabbit hutch private developments around Oxfordshire generally. We don't want to see a high density future slum created out of site in some back yard for those who will be living here who don't have the benefit of high income occupations, but some good quality and ZERO ENERGY eco/green housing. There are plenty of good examples around in Europe to draw upon and a few developments in Britain now show what can be done. Fuel poverty is going to be a big issue when heating costs are 5 times what they are now IN REAL TERMS! That could be in not much more than a decade. Ouch. So look on the bright side - if you can get an assurance that you will be rehoused locally, get a zero energy eco house on a well designed (say Dutch style) development, why in 10 years from now you'll be toasty warm whilst the rest of us on lower incomes will be shivering by the light of a wind-up LED lamp or two! So find out as soon as possible what the real situation is, its probability of going ahead, and its likely timescale. Wishing you good luck!