Affordable Housing
Appendix A
Revised Draft Local Plan Policy 34
Policy 34. Affordable housing
Development proposals involving 20 dwellings or more, or on sites over 0.6ha, will be expected to contribute to the Local Plans target of providing 2130 affordable dwellings between 2001 and 2011. The City Council will seek 35% affordable units on qualifying sites. The precise numbers of affordable dwellings may be the subject of negotiations with developers to reflect individual site constraints or opportunities
The following criteria will be considered in determining the scale, nature and location of provision: -
- The size and type of dwellings provided shall reflect the needs of those households requiring affordable accommodation
- In highly accessible locations a greater level of provision may be sought.
- Provision should be made on site, however in exceptional circumstances, off site provision may be acceptable if there is a clear justification.
- In the case of difficult to develop sites, particularly in relation to environmental or heritage constraints, a lower level of provision for affordable housing may be acceptable.
- The economic viability of individual developments
Reasons for the Policy
The policy aims to ensure that developments of significant size make a contribution to meeting the affordable housing needs of the city, usually by direct provision on site but occasionally through financial contributions to provision elsewhere.
This may be the case for example where the existing area is dominated by a particular type of dwelling, or tenure, and the development would result in the overall mix of units in the area being improved, thus contributing to the balance and sustainability of the community. In such cases, the City Council will prioritise investment in vacant properties, consistent with its overall planning strategy.
Affordable housing for this purposes of this Plan is taken to mean housing which meets and continues to meet the needs of people on low and middle incomes who would otherwise not be able to attain housing locally on the open market.
The preferred means of delivery of affordable housing in order of preference is
- social housing either for rent, or through shared equity schemes.
- Subsidised low cost market housing for sale or rent. - Whilst this provides benefits for some, does not address the needs of the majority of people in need of affordable housing in the City.
- Off site provision - This is only considered suitable in exceptional circumstances, and can be offered via land, buildings, or financial contribution. This will be controlled with a planning obligation.
The need for provision of affordable housing was highlighted by local people through the Community Planning Study process as an important local issue.
This was confirmed through the findings of a Housing Needs Study undertaken for the City Council and South Hams District Council in 2000.which estimated that 55% of new development should be affordable homes. Preliminary findings from an update of the Study due to be published Spring 2003 has demonstrated that there is a significant shortfall of 562 affordable dwellings a year which reflects the growing gap between income and property prices. This equates to 69% of the total annual housing requirement of 815 dwellings as identified in the study.
The amount of affordable housing that is proposed to be delivered within the plan period via this policy of 2130 dwellings will not meet the overall affordable housing need of the city. The normal activity of Registered Social Landlords can be expected to deliver a further 150 affordable dwellings a year (1500 in the plan period) which would give a total of 3630 affordable dwellings leaving a shortfall of 1990 affordable dwellings.
This is an acceptance of the fact that the majority of allocated development sites in the city are on previously developed land which is generally more costly to develop. It is considered that a higher affordable housing requirement could prejudice the regeneration of large parts of the city, and the delivery of the local plan itself. The economics of development on any particular site will be taken into consideration in the provision of affordable housing. If it can be demonstrated the affordable housing requirement will prejudice the development, by making it uneconomic, then a lower requirement can be considered through negotiation.
The site threshold size for delivering affordable housing of 1 ha or 25 dwellings as suggested in Circular 6/98 has therefore been reduced in order to try and minimise the projected shortfall.
A Supplementary Planning Guidance Note - Affordable Housing has been published to provide detailed Guidance on the implementation of the Councils affordable Housing Policy.