When you see the prices of these properties – How many people in the rural village can afford these?
Affordable Homes for village people? Like hell they are.
This is happening at this end of the former village of Alfold at The Crossways/Horsham Road on the A281. The former home of the popular Wyevale Garden Centre – Kerching!
Just wait and see what will be coming soon to the agricultural land off Loxwood/Dunsfold Road with Thakeham Homes. It will make this circa 150 New Homes look like nothing.
A 3 Bed House for 1.29 Million! Really??
The affordable prices quoted are our Alfold mole’s figures based on the 70% of Market value… Not exactly “Affordable”, are they?
The Waverley Web hopes the purchasers of these new homes realise that they will have 86 New Neighbours on the East side of the Field… As for the proposed development of The Wildwood Golf Club just across the road? Who knows what could be coming there? Another garden village, perhaps?
If the Thakeham bullies get their evil way with the planners – or more likely a Government Inspector – then added to the 99 homes already approved on the Loxwood Road in Alfold – another 66 will be coming soon due to a current planning application in the pipeline. Then, that is just the thin end of the Alfold wedge – as Thakeham has already revealed to residents at a recent consultation that it intends to build even more on the Merchant Seamen’s land. In return for a couple of measly footpaths and perhaps a few buses cancelled by Stagecoach, no doubt.
So far, the stampede of developers trousering cash for building in Alfold has given back to the village – ZILCH! And if Liz Truss is true to her word, no doubt there will be fracking heading its way under Alfold too?
With the last remaining Alfold village shop closed – and the nearest shop and post office at Loxwood shutting any day soon – God help the residents referred to by /Waverley planners as…
“Poor old AWfold.”
Why have we drifted into this planning inequity?
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY STUDY DECEMBER 2021 JG CONSULTING
https://www.waverley.gov.uk/Portals/0/Documents/services/housing/housing-enabling/Waverley%20Housing%20Affordability%20Study%202021.pdf?ver=RZJRvAdAt-l3kH59D7wlJQ%3D%3D
“Waverley is one of the least affordable local authorities in England; as of 2020, the average house price was 17 times the average income of people working in the Borough (and 12 times the income of people living in the area). The relatively low incomes of people working in the area is a particular concern in affordability terms.”
NATIONAL HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/housingaffordabilityinenglandandwales/2021#toc
1. In England in 2021, full-time employees could typically expect to spend around 9.1 times their workplace-based annual earnings on purchasing a home; this is an increase since 2020, when it was 7.9 times their workplace-based annual earnings.
2. In Wales in 2021, full-time employees could typically expect spend around 6.4 times their workplace-based annual earnings on purchasing a home; this is an increase since 2020, when it was 5.8 times their workplace-based annual earnings.
Land is also a critical issue as Mark Twain wisely advised buy land, they’re not making it anymore.
Don’t forget WA/2022/00211 the additional 9 New homes if they get approval to demolish Medland House – which I have no doubt they will get as it will just be seen as an extension of Alfold Gardens!
These developers are not stupid and they certainly have the funds to pay for some pretty High Flying Legal Eagles when applications go to Appeal and of course while the Inspector is reviewing Local Plan P2. If he decides the plan is not sound then we truly are up Sh1t-street, as it will be a Free-for-all for the developers to concrete over villages like ours that only have Greenfield land and Countryside Beyond the Greenbelt.
The fact that these properties are beyond the means of most people in the area doesn’t matter, the fact that they are not providing anything for the villages apart from some very basic improvements to the pavements and bus stops. I won’t go on about the Demand responsive Bus service…waste of breath.
This is the Blurb on the Website:
LOCATION INFORMATION:
“Situated within a semi-rural location, Alfold Gardens is ideal for those who desire country living, while appreciating the benefits of nearby market towns and excellent transport links to central London, just 40 miles away.
Nearby Guildford is amongst Surrey’s most desirable towns…………. Even closer are the cosy coffee shops, vibrant farmer’s markets and lively restaurants of Cranleigh whilst a few minutes drive can take you into the Surrey Hills.
Alfold Gardens benefits from excellent transport links with nearby Farncombe station offering direct rail services to London Waterloo in under an hour, and faster trains to London from Guildford.
For car journeys, the A3 ……. is close at hand……”
EXCELLENT TRANSPORT LINKS!!!!!
If “nearby” means an approx 10mile car journey to Farncombe, or 9.5miles to Godalming, 8miles to Witley, 10miles to Shalford, Milford is 9miles. These car journeys are on mainly small B Roads so travel time can be considerably longer than one would think for such relatively short distances.
As someone who drives from Alfold to Clapham every week.. I can confirm travel time varies from 1hr 15mins during School Holidays to 1hr 45mins on a normal run and I have taken 2.5hrs when there have been roadworks on the A281
and finally to end my Rant – They do Not mention that the nearest and ONLY shop in the village is M&S at the BP Petrol Station, or that there is no Village Pub, just a small Restaurant that only opens a couple of days a week.