Research Methodology

The data which shows the numbers of applicants waiting in individual parishes as a measure of housing demand has been collected and presented in two different ways:

1.      As the parish or 'group of parishes' on its own

2.      As that parish or 'group of parishes' plus any reasonably close surrounding villages.

A new affordable housing scheme in any parish, whether this would be a rural exception site or within the existing village development boundary, could reasonably be expected to attract demand from its neighbouring villages.

In some locations, for example Gestingthorpe, there are seven 'surrounding villages'. Whereas in others, such as Feering, there is only one ‘surrounding village’ to include. These surrounding villages have been based entirely on their geographic proximity to other villages within the Braintree District.

In the case of the Key Service villages (the six larger villages in the villages in the District – Coggeshall, Earls Colne, Kelvedon, Hatfield Peverel, Kelvedon, Sible Hedingham & Silver End) these have not been included as ‘surrounding villages’ to ensure that the numbers from these larger villages does not overwhelm and hide the housing need for the smaller parish in question.

For example, in the data for Colne Engaine, Earls Colne is not included as one of the surrounding villages. However, the Earls Colne data is provided separately in the Earls Colne section and can be added into any considerations fairly easily. Had it been included with Colne Engaine all along, it could not then have been separated.