Building 23 homes with Affordable Rent for Eastington People, in Claypits

The Board of trustees has been meeting fortnightly to push ahead with this scheme, bolstered by the many positive comments from our two drop-in events on 27th and 29th April. More than 50 people attended and we were pleased to gain extra members - we now have 109 people who have paid their £1 life membership.

May and June – gaining funding for making the Planning Application

There are considerable costs involved in gathering the professional advice needed for Planning. We spent a lot of time applying to Locality, a government agency, who gave us £40,000, matched with £4,000 from the Parish Solar Fund. As well as architect and solicitor’s fees, these grants cover:

   Highways access        Ground condition survey and soil analysis

   Location of Utilities  Ecology

   Engineering reports on drainage (run-off and sewer)

   Air quality analysis and  Noise attenuation

A key milestone was achieved when Aster Group’s investment board gave our scheme first stage approval.

Aster have to take responsibility for the building and eventual management of the homes.

  July – Revised layouts

 and plotting of underground services

Despite the presence of a maize crop 2 metres high, surveyors have been digging trial pits to prove the stability of the soil for foundations and roadways. As the name “Claypits” suggests, this is indeed very solid and stable clay – that’s the good news

More tricky is the number of underground pipes – water mains, fibre cable, national gas pipeline and BT cable ducts – which cross the field. Engineers and architects have had to plan the houses to avoid these utilities, resulting in a curving layout with a recreational space to one side.

August – Submission of Planning Application?

Hopefully, we will complete the technical reports before the end of August and hand in our application to the Stroud DC planners. With a fair wind, we could be active on site before winter.

For more details, see   www.eastingtonclt.uk