Housing updates and Commoners’ Dwelling scheme

This report by New Forest CDA member Sam Dovey was first published in the CDA’s annual report for 2024/25.

Towards the end of 2024, two Forestry England properties became available for rent and, in line with the 2020 FE Housing Review, were offered to commoners based upon the agreed terms and rental formula that forms part of the agreed review.

The timescale for commoners to make the application was relatively short, and it was disappointing that the association were not notified directly of these properties becoming available so that it could notify members.

However, with the powers of social media and the usual Forest communication networks, we were pleased to hear a number of applications were received, confirming the ongoing need and demand for commoners housing. We are also aware that early this year FE have offered both properties to practising commoners.

Since the adoption of the FE Housing Review in 2020, a number of properties have been let to commoners following the agreed policy statements contained within, and those already occupying FE properties have also gone through the transition process to follow these principles.

The association continues to monitor the ongoing implementation of the agreed policy. We have, once again, requested dialogue with FE to understand how the implementation process has been going from its perspective, and to be able to feed in insights given to the committee from members.

Commoners’ Dwelling scheme

This year, the New Forest National Park Authority is planning a partial review of its adopted 2016 – 2036 local plan. An initial consultation took place in early spring on the proposed ‘direction of travel’ and scope of this review, with the review itself commencing later this year and into 2026.

We understand that the review will not give rise to a rewrite of the adopted local plan, it will be an interim five-year review to see how things are going, and if any adjustments need to be made since implementation, responding to any changes in circumstances since the previous adoption in 2019.

It will also help the Authority to understand if more significant changes would be required for future local plans considering a change of national administration and planning policies.

The Commoners’ Dwelling Scheme (policy SP29) will of course be included within this review, and looking at the initial paper, it is currently assessed as green noting: ‘the importance of commoning to the New Forest National Park justifies a bespoke policy which will be reviewed based on the experiences of applying the current policy since 2019’.

In addition, the current plan for the consultation includes reference to the scheme under the ‘Vibrant Communities’ section, asking if consultees agree with the Authority’s intention to retain policies focusing on commoners’ dwellings and Estate workers’ dwellings.

The association intends to respond to the full consultation and to confirm the importance of the commoners’ dwelling scheme. We urge members to also respond, supporting this unique and special policy of exception for commoners contained within our local plan.

Sam Dovey, New Forest CDA committee member