Affordable Housing: Supplementary Planning Guidance
2003
Contents
1 Purpose and Status
2 Introduction
3 Affordable Housing Policies
4 Assessing Housing Need
5 Negotiating Affordable
Housing
Under
Development Plan Policies
6 Delivering Affordable Housing
Under Development Plan Policies
7 Rural Exceptions Schemes
8 Further Information
Appendix 1:
Calculation of Transfer Price/Off Site Contributions
Appendix 2:
Statement of Consultation Undertaken and Schedule of
RepresentationsReceived and the Council’s Response
Appendix 2 is available on request as a separate document
1 Purpose and status
1.1 The purpose of this document is to provide detailed guidance
on the implementation of the Council’s planning policies on
affordable housing. It will assist in delivering the objective of
both the Bath & North East Somerset Community Strategy and the
Council’s Corporate Plan to increase the availability of affordable
homes in the District. It was approved by the Council’s Executive
on the 3rd December 2003 as Supplementary Planning Guidance to
policy 35 of the Joint Replacement Structure Plan adopted in 2002;
policy H6 of the 1997 Adopted Bath Local Plan; policies and HO.8
and HO.9 of the 1995 Wansdyke Local Plan Deposit Draft as amended
at the Planning, Transportation and Environment Committee 21
September 2000; policies KCV 9A & 9B of the 1992 Adopted
Keynsham & Chew Valley Local Plan; and policies HG.8 and HG.9
of the Bath and North East Somerset Local Plan including minerals
& waste policies Revised Deposit Draft 2003. It will be a
material consideration in the determination of planning
applications.
2 Introduction
2.1 National guidance on affordable
housing is set out in PPG3 ‘Housing’ issued in March 2000 and
Circular 6/98 ‘Planning and Affordable Housing’. PPG3 states that
local planning authorities should plan to meet the housing
requirements of the whole community, including those in need of
affordable and special needs housing. Indeed such provision is
essential in meeting the Council’s vision for healthy and
sustainable homes for all and in contributing to the Government’s
drive for sustainable communities. A community’s need for a mix of
housing types, including affordable housing, is a material planning
consideration which should be taken into account in formulating
development plan policies and in deciding planning applications
involving housing. Where there is a demonstrable lack of affordable
housing to meet local needs, local plans should include a policy
for seeking affordable housing in suitable housing developments.
Circular 6/98 sets out more detailed guidance on the provision of
affordable housing. It defines affordable housing as encompassing
both low-cost market and subsidised housing (irrespective of
tenure, ownership – whether exclusive or shared – or financial
arrangements) that will be available to people who cannot afford to
rent or buy houses generally available on the open market.
2.2 Meeting housing needs and ensuring a
sufficient variety of house types and sizes to achieve mixed and
balanced communities is a high priority for the Council. Bath and
North East Somerset Council has adopted the following definition of
affordable housing in the context of housing development coming
forward on general needs sites.
‘The range of both subsidised and
market housing that will be available for those whose income
generally denies them the opportunity to purchase or rent houses on
the open market as a result of the local relationship between
income and market price’.
2.3 In the case of rural exception sites
(see section 7), only subsidised provision will be appropriate and
so a second definition for such sites has been adopted as
follows:
‘that provided, with subsidy, for
people who are unable to resolve their housing needs in the private
sector market because of the local relationship between housing
costs and incomes.’
2.4 It is not appropriate to set a figure
for what is affordable in monetary terms, as this would quickly
become out of date. Paragraph 9a of Circular 6/98 states that
definitions should be framed in terms of level of local incomes and
their relationship to house prices or rents, rather than to a
particular price or rent.
2.5 A corporate approach towards the
provision of affordable housing, involving both the Bath &
North East Somerset Planning and Housing Services is adopted. The
Housing Strategy Statement describes how the Council will use its
housing enabling powers to meet housing needs in the area. The
provision of affordable housing in both urban and rural areas is an
important objective of the existing and emerging Development Plan
(the Joint Replacement Structure Plan, Bath and North East Somerset
Local Plan Revised Deposit Draft, Bath and Wansdyke Local Plans and
other plans referred to above) which set out the Council’s approach
to this issue, in line with Government and Regional Planning
Guidance.
3 Affordable housing policies
3.1 2001 Regional Planning Guidance for
the South West Policy HO.3 states that local authorities should
undertake assessments of local housing need and that Development
Plans should include targets for affordable housing provision and
policies for meeting affordable housing needs in both urban and
rural areas.
3.2 The adopted Joint Replacement
Structure Plan policy 35 encourages the provision of affordable
housing and allows for rural exception sites to come forward. One
of the guiding principles of the Joint Replacement Structure Plan
Policy 1 is the provision for the housing and social needs of the
population by residential development of a mixture of types. Policy
35 intends that Local Plans will include policies and targets for
specific locations and/or sites to meet affordable housing needs
and provide for the release of small sites for affordable housing
in rural areas which would not gain consent for general market
housing (rural exceptions schemes).
3.3 The Bath Local Plan includes the
provision of affordable housing in the urban area as an objective
and sets out in Policy H6 the detail relating to substantial
housing sites. The Wansdyke Local Plan Deposit Draft as amended
includes the provision of affordable housing in urban and rural
areas as an objective and sets out two policies on the issue.
Policy HO.8 relates to substantial housing sites either allocated
or coming forward as windfall sites and Policy HO.9 is a rural
exceptions policy. It sets targets on a number of housing sites
allocated in the Plan. The Keynsham & Chew Valley Local Plan
makes similar provisions in policies KCV 9A and 9B. The Bath and
North East Somerset Local Plan Revised Deposit Draft placed on
deposit in 2003 policies HG.8 and HG.9 seek affordable housing on
suitable sites and rural exception sites respectively. The Plan
will eventually replace other local plans covering the
District.
4 Assessing housing need
4.1 Government guidance on housing and
planning has emphasised the requirement for local authorities to
assess housing need, create complementary strategies to address it
and to coordinate effort in a corporate approach to their strategic
and enabling role. In December 1999, Bath & North East Somerset
Council commissioned a detailed district-wide assessment and
projection of housing need as the basic building block in informing
housing, planning and care strategies for the future.
4.2 The assessment process was conducted
to ensure that it is rigorous and able to withstand scrutiny, as
outlined in Circular 6/98 and in the Planning Policy Guidance Note
3 (PPG3). A copy of the full report is available on the Bath and
North East Somerset web site at
http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/housing/SupportedLiving/Housing-Survey/survey.htm
Study Methodology – Postal Survey
Questionnaire
4.3 The questionnaire was compiled in
consultation with Bath & North East Somerset Council housing
and planning officers and coded to facilitate data input onto a
computer base, essential for a survey of this scale, into 37 ward
areas. 8% of all resident households in Bath & North East
Somerset responded.
4.4 The questionnaire was comprehensive,
seeking information in two separate sections. Part A, completed by
all respondents examined:
-
Existing housing type, tenure and
amenities
-
Household characteristics
-
Adequacy of the dwelling
-
Special needs and care issues
-
Plans to move home
-
Housing costs and incomes.
4.5 Part B, completed only by households
planning to move or containing one or more
members likely to seek alternative
separate accommodation within five years, sought to identify:
-
The nature and quantity of future housing need by
type, size, tenure and location
-
The scale of concealed households in need of
affordable housing in the district.
4.6 The survey report concludes that
there is a need for some 1,730 subsidised affordable homes in the
district in the period 2000 – 2006. In addition there is a need for
250 lowcost market houses some of which may meet affordable housing
needs of those who cannot afford to rent or buy houses generally
available on the open market.
4.7 The survey identifies the type of
dwellings required as being smaller one, two and three bedroom
properties.
5 Negotiating affordable housingunder development plan
policies
Thresholds
5.1 Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 and Circular 6/98 make it
clear that local plan policies should seek affordable housing in
‘suitable’ housing developments. Site size thresholds are set out
in the circular but it allows for lower thresholds where this is
justified and adopted through the local plan process. The Bath
& North East Somerset Local Plan sets out a justification for
lower thresholds in the District.
5.2 For allocated sites or proposals coming forward as windfalls
in Bath, Keynsham, Norton-Radstock, Saltford, Peasedown St.John and
Paulton the Bath and North East Somerset Local Plan Revised Deposit
Draft 2003 sets the threshold for housing developments at 15 or
more dwellings or residential sites of 0.5 hectare or more. In
villages with a population of less than 3,000, where there will be
more limited opportunities, the site threshold will be residential
developments of 10 or more dwellings or residential sites of 0.5 ha
or more.
5.3 For allocated sites or proposals coming forward as windfalls
in Bath, the Bath Local Plan seeks affordable housing on
substantial residential developments including mixed use schemes.
The Bath Local Plan indicates that defining substantial residential
developments will be guided by the latest Government advice. This
is 25 or more dwellings or 1 hectare or more. However the Bath
& North East Somerset Local Plan approved for use for
development control purposes at the 17th July 2003 Full Council now
defines new thresholds for sites coming forward in Bath as set out
above.
5.4 Within the former Wansdyke area the thresholds are set out
in para. 9.52 of the Wansdyke Local Plan Deposit Draft as amended.
For settlements with a population of 3,000 or fewer it is
residential developments of 10 or more dwellings or 0.5 hectares or
more. Elsewhere, it is development of 25 or more dwellings, or
residential sites of 1 hectare or more. These thresholds are also
changed by those in the Bath & North East Somerset Local Plan
Revised Deposit Draft 2003.
5.5 Provided the development is at or above these thresholds
then an element of affordable housing will be sought where a
demonstrable need is identified. This applies to sites allocated in
the local plans as well as to unidentified (windfall sites) and
conversions which may come forward. Sites that are deliberately
sub-divided or reduced unrealistically to avoid the threshold will
still be expected to provide an element of affordable housing. The
provision of affordable housing on smaller sites is also
encouraged.
Level of affordable housing provision
5.6 In the light of the considerable housing needs which exists
throughout Bath and North East Somerset, the Council will negotiate
for the provision of 30% of the total dwellings proposed to be
affordable housing.
5.7 Developers are advised to take affordable homes provision
into account in negotiating the purchase of land for development.
The Council will take account of any abnormal site costs associated
with the development that may justify a reduction in the affordable
housing requirement. Developers will be expected to submit details
of such costs at the earliest opportunity. Standard development
costs such as demolition works, landscaping, noise bunds,
archaeological and ecological surveys and works, drainage and flood
prevention measures will not generally be considered as abnormal
site costs.
5.8 In seeking affordable housing on appropriate sites account
will also be taken of the proximity of local services and
facilities and access to public transport and whether the provision
of affordable housing would prejudice the realisation of other
planning objectives that need to be given priority in development
of the site.
Priority for on-site provision
5.9 The Council will take account of the suitability of the site
for affordable housing and the type of development proposed but
will generally seek the affordable housing provision to be provided
on-site as part of the development in order to create balanced
communities. In very exceptional cases a financial contribution
towards provision on an alternative site within Bath and North East
Somerset will be considered in lieu of on-site provision.
Type of affordable housing
5.10 The size and mix of affordable dwellings to be provided on
a site will depend on the identified housing needs of the area in
which the scheme is located. Generally a mix of units including
family housing as well as provision for smaller households will be
sought. All affordable housing provision should be built to Housing
Corporation Scheme Development Standards. Where there is an
identified need, the Council will negotiate for the provision of
housing for key workers, older people or to meet other specific
needs groups within the affordable housing element. Self build
housing may also be appropriate where it can be secured as
affordable in perpetuity.
Tenure
5.11 The Bath and North East Somerset Housing Survey 2000
identified the greatest affordable housing need in the area is from
households on incomes of less than £17,500 per year. The provision
of affordable rented housing by a Registered Social Landlord (RSL)1
will consequently be the Council’s preferred form of tenure and
will be sought first on all suitable sites to meet this identified
need. A copy of the full report is available on the Bath and North
East Somerset web site at
http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/housing/SupportedLiving/Housing-Survey/survey.htm
5.12 Shared ownership schemes controlled by RSL’s enable
occupiers to part-buy and part-rent the property until such time as
they can afford to buy it outright when they staircase to full
ownership (staircasing is where a shared owner purchases further
shares in the house so that they become the sole owner). Shared
equity schemes are similar although the RSL retains a stake in the
property. Such schemes may be acceptable as an alternative or
addition to the provision of affordable rented housing and will be
sought where appropriate.
In some cases a limited number of low-cost market homes for
purchase may be appropriate. However it will depend critically on
the relationship between local incomes of those in need of
affordable housing and the local house prices.
Design
5.13 The Council will seek a high quality of design, including
layout and landscaping for all affordable housing built. Affordable
housing developments should respect the character and local
distinctiveness of the area in which they are located and be
indistinguishable from general market housing provided on or
adjacent to the site. All relevant Structure and Local Plan
policies and national planning guidance must be complied with.
Where dwellings are provided as part of a development, they should
usually be dispersed throughout the development and not
concentrated in one area. All schemes should comply with the
current Housing Corporation Scheme Development Standards.
5.14 It is particularly important that local plan policies and
national planning guidance dealing with archaeology, the historic
environment and ecology are complied with and acted upon at an
early stage in the design process. Such constraints can sometimes
lead to delays and can have cost implications for a project.
Developers are advised to contact the Council’s archaeological,
ecological and historic environment officers for advice and
information.
Accessibility
5.15 All residential development schemes should be easily
accessible to shops and facilities by modes of transport other than
the private car. As occupants of affordable housing tend to have
lower levels of car ownership than occupiers of general market
housing, it is particularly important that schemes are within easy
walking/cycling distance of a local shop, post office, doctor’s
surgery and a primary school, and should have reasonable public
transport access to major employment areas and other services and
facilities.
Affordable Housing: Supplementary Planning Guidance 2003 -
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