Following the Neighbourhood Plan Local Housing Demand Survey, which was conducted across Hurst Green from March to May 2019, we’re pleased to share the results. We are grateful to the many residents (over 40% of households) who returned the survey, and to the community cafe and the local businesses who served as collection points for the responses.

The design, the hand-delivery of each survey and the subsequent analysis was freely undertaken by volunteers from the Neighbourhood Plan and by Parish Councillors. This meant that whilst this survey delivers high value, it was produced at a very low cost to the taxpayer, around £130 to print and staple the surveys.

The last local housing survey of this type was conducted ten years ago. Indeed the data driving Rother District Council’s Housing Plan (published in January 2019) is based on the ‘Rother Housing Needs Survey’ which was conducted 14 years ago in 2005, and was updated in 2012.  So as well as being many years out of date, the previous District Council studies only looked at Hurst Green in the context of an area described as ‘rural Rother’. This area also included Burwash, Etchingham and Ticehurst and used only a limited postal sampling methodology – so an updated survey was somewhat needed to help understand the housing needs of local people in Hurst Green, and we think it has delivered.

Summary of results, as of May 2019:

• 72% of households say that the Hurst Green area is their preferred place to live.
• 22% of households are living in accommodation that is not suitable for their needs.
• 28% of households say that the Hurst Green area is not their preferred place to live. Top reasons being: a) limited facilities, b) road noise and traffic and c) it being difficult to meet people and make friends. 
• 23 local households are looking for homes within Hurst Green village.
• 3 local households are looking for homes in the Silver Hill area.
• 4 local households are looking for homes elsewhere within the Hurst Green parish boundaries (rural Hurst Green).
• Taking into account homes currently on the market and the likely migration of new residents into Hurst Green village (based on analysis between 2014-2019) there is an oversupply of flat/ maisonette/ apartment/ bedsit homes and an oversupply of non-detached homes.
• Taking into account homes currently on the market and the likely migration of new residents into Hurst Green village (based on analysis between 2014-2019) there is a specific local demand now for 16 new dwellings, including 6 new detached dwellings, 3 new bungalows, 2 new sheltered / retirement dwellings and some 5 new additional dwellings.

Read the full survey results:
Evidence #35 – Hurst Green local housing demand survey