Broadland & South Norfolk Community-led Planning Programme Workshop 6: Assessing and providing for housing need
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Background Sixth in series of nine workshops exploring different aspects of community-led planning. Last session, held in November, focused on how to influence design and character using community-led planning. This session focuses on how to identify your community s housing needs and how you can seek to address them. Presentation material and other relevant documents are available to download from: https://broadlandneighbourhoodplans.wordpress.com/
Agenda 1 Welcome and introduction 7.00-7.05 Richard Squires, Senior Community Planning Officer, Broadland District Council 2 Identifying and addressing housing needs John Walchester, Interim Spatial Planning Manager, Broadland District Council & South Norfolk Council 3 Affordable housing and rural exception sites Kay Oglieve-Chan, Housing Enabling Officer, Broadland District Council & Keith Mitchell, Housing Enabling & Strategy Officer, South Norfolk Council 4 What is community-led development? Debbie Wildridge, Head of CLT, Community Land Trust East 7.05-7.35 (inc. Q&A) 7.35-8.15 (inc. Q&A) 8.15-8.55 (inc. Q&A) 5 Evaluation & Close 8.55-9.00
Identifying and addressing housing needs John Walchester, Interim Spatial Planning Manager Broadland District Council & South Norfolk Council
Housing Need - Quiz Q: What is the average age of a first-time buyer in the UK? A: 30
Housing Need - Quiz Q: What is the average house price to income ratio in the UK? a) 1-3 b) 4-6 c) 7-9 A: c (7.77)
Housing Need - Quiz Q: What is the proportion of people in the UK that own their own home? a) 57.2% b) 63.4% c) 73.3% d) 78.1% A: b
Housing Need - Quiz Q: What is the number of UK homes with planning permission, but that are still unbuilt? a) 120,000 b)220,000 c) 320,000 d) 420,000 A: d
Housing Need - Quiz Q: What is the proportion of the UK s landscape which is built on? a) 1-10% b) 10-20% c) 20-30% A: a (5.9%)
Housing Need The National Picture Govt. priority to fix the broken housing market one of greatest barriers to progress in Britain today. Govt. est. 225,000-275,000 new homes per year to address population growth and to make housing more affordable (consensus says this is more like 300,000). Not enough local authorities planning for homes they need; house building too slow; construction industry too reliant on small number of big players. Source: Fixing our Broken Housing Market, DCLG 2017
National Planning Policy Framework Local Plan policies should be informed by a local housing need assessment (using national standard methodology) to determine minimum number of homes needed. Plus any needs that cannot be met within neighbouring areas. The size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community should be assessed and reflected in planning policies (including, but not limited to, those who require affordable housing, families with children, older people, students, people with disabilities, service families, travellers, people who rent their homes and people wishing to commission or build their own homes). (Strategic Housing Market Assessment).
National Planning Policy Framework Policies should specify type of affordable housing required, if need identified. Expected to be met on site, within major developments. LPAs should set out overall housing requirement figure for their area (need, less what can be expected from existing provision = extra required). Should also set out housing requirement for NP areas, or indicative figure if not possible (and if requested). In rural areas, LPAs should support opportunities for rural exception sites to provide affordable housing, meeting identified local needs.
Housing need and the Local Plan Joint Core Strategy: Policy 4 - Housing Delivery. Delivery of 36,820 homes between 2008-2026 (based on 2009 Strategic Housing Market Assessment). Also requires appropriate mix of housing, sets out affordable housing requirements, and requirements for housing with care. Allocation of sites for housing dealt with in separate site allocation documents for each authority. Greater Norwich Local Plan will replace JCS and will run until 2036. New sites for 7,200 homes (based on 2017 assessment). Will include strategic planning policies and will allocate individual sites for development. Will be a housing policy which will require specific mix of housing.
Housing need in your community Housing allocations in Local Plan are based on a settlement hierarchy (sustainability of settlements) to meet the overall requirement. Communities can do more specific research to determine: Wider market needs within the community Local affordable needs within the community Other specific housing need (e.g. housing for elderly) These can then be addressed through local plan representations, a Neighbourhood Plan or community housing project etc.
Local level housing needs assessment A housing needs assessment done at community level might guide policy on type of homes or housing allocations in a Neighbourhood Plan (e.g. the local part of the overall requirement, for a settlement). Discuss with Greater Norwich Local Plan team to avoid duplication. Locality potential for free, technical support. Housing Needs Assessments at Neighbourhood Plan Level free guide available.
Addressing housing needs Range of mechanisms for communities to actually deliver market and/or affordable homes locally, including: Rural exception sites Community land/housing trust Community self-build We will hear shortly about some of these mechanisms.
Allocating sites for housing Allocation of housing sites within Development Plan as part of either: Local Plan being prepared by local planning authority Neighbourhood Plan being prepared by local community Neighbourhood Development Order being prepared by local community An allocation identifies a site as being suitable for development (with conditions) to meet the identified needs. It provides an element of control to community, in terms of determining how and where the settlement grows. But - still relies on developer coming forward with a proposal.
Summary Housing need what is it? Term masks the reality of a whole variety of needs Development Plan useful in identifying land but it is a blunt tool difficult to identify and address all the different issues Community level can find out more about their needs Addressing the need(s) means nothing without delivery.
QUESTIONS
Affordable Housing Kay Oglieve-Chan, Housing Enabler, Broadland District Council Keith Mitchell, Housing Enabling and Strategy Officer, South Norfolk Council
Council Housing
Who might need Affordable Housing? Statutory homeless households Unsuitable accommodation (overcrowded, unfit etc.) Needing to move to give or receive support Needing to be near work People who cannot afford private rent People who cannot afford to buy on the open market Others
Not just Social rented housing Affordable housing is any accommodation available at less than its market price (rent or sale price) It includes much more than traditional council housing for rent It is therefore open to a much broader range of household incomes
Affordable Housing Whole raft of different options now available under the umbrella of Affordable Housing Revised National Planning Policy Framework defines Affordable Housing as housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market Affordable Housing must meet one or more of the following definitions:
Affordable Housing Revised NPPF Affordable housing for rent: Includes Social Rent, plus Affordable and Intermediate Rent and most recently Build to Rent schemes Starter homes: Route into home ownership for 23 to 40 year-olds (expected to deliver on specific sites) Discounted market sale housing: Route into Home ownership - Discounted by a minimum of 20% Other affordable routes to home ownership:
Other routes to Home Ownership Shared ownership: part buy / part rent. The purchaser buys 25% - 75% of the equity and pays rent on the rest Shared equity: the purchaser buys a specified proportion of the equity (not more than 80%). No rent is payable. Rent to Buy: Not yet offered in all regions
Affordable Housing has moved on.
Evidence for All Housing Need Joint Core Strategy (Greater Norwich) Strategic Housing Market Assessment Provides information on Market and Other Housing Need - For Each LA area - Norfolk data
Other Housing Need Other specific housing need such as evidenced via Neighbourhood Plan (elderly or other specific housing) Countywide requirements from various Strategies such as for: - Older persons - Learning Disability - Mental Health
Assessing Affordable Housing Need Use Council s Housing list data (which is more an indication of demand) Carry out Housing Needs Survey For rural exception site it is crucial to assess the local current housing need General Housing list data
Local Lettings EXCEPTION SITES ARE PRIORITISED FOR LOCAL PEOPLE Example of Exception site local lettings cascades for South Norfolk and Broadland Council In addition to all properties on Exception sites having an extensive local lettings cascade - both South Norfolk and Broadland Council have element of local lettings on all larger sites
Exceptions Sites
Rural Exception Sites Sites outside the settlement limit that would not usually be considered for housing Deliver affordable housing for rent and home ownership (such as shared ownership or shared equity) Affordable housing must be evidenced by assessed current local housing need Some exception sites can deliver small number of market sale housing to cross subsidise the affordable units Possibly Starter Home exception sites (Urban) in the future
Rural Exception Sites
Entry-Level Exception Sites 1 The revised NPPF puts the emphasis on Local Planning Authorities to support the development of entry-level exception sites: suitable for first time buyers (or those looking to rent their first home) - unless the need for such homes is already being met within the authority s area.
Entry-Level Exception Sites 2 These sites should be on land which is not already allocated for housing Should comprise of entry-level homes that offer one or more types of affordable housing Be adjacent to existing settlements, proportionate in size to them and do not encroach on protection areas Entry-level exception sites should not be larger than one hectare in size or exceed 5% of the size of the existing settlement.
What is Community-Led Development? Debbie Wildridge Community Housing Development Manager EC Community Housing
Swaffham Prior CLT
Stretham & Wilburton CLT, Thrift CLT for Soham, East Cambs CLT, Ely
Why do it? Problem Rural locations lack of affordable housing AH occupied for many years Local youngsters have to move away Older people want to stay but nothing suitable Solution Provides quality affordable homes e.g. lower running costs Chosen by local people Genuinely and permanently affordable homes Provides community assets and revenue
Why do it? (2) Genuine community control and influence Better quality and innovation Delivers more than just housing holistic approach to local development Brings forward land for housing and sustainable development
Variety of CLD models
Differing Models Community Land Trusts Cooperatives Co-housing Self or Custom Build schemes Based in and run by the community Develop housing and/other community assets Hold assets in trust in perpetuity Common aim of building vibrant and resilient communities
The Old School, Wells next Sea Regeneration
Cannock Mill 23 new homes,+ common house
Community Land Trust? Not for profit membership organisation Legally incorporated with good governance Democratic, open and transparent Board of trustees (5-12 in number) Designed to hold assets in perpetuity (asset lock) Not subject to right-to-buy
Real community engagement throughout
Site selection Call for land put out and sites prioritised for suitability and availability Site selection
SWCLT - A village street emerging
Funding opportunity Community Housing Fund Community-led housing schemes Local homes for local people Community benefits
CLTs in East of England Lavenham CLT
More CLTs in East of England Flegg CLT Northern parishes of Great Yarmouth BC Whinlands CLT
Contact details: Debbie Wildridge debbie@ecdccomhousing.org 07703 814581 www.clteast.org
QUESTIONS
Evaluation
Future workshops Workshop Timetable 1 Introduction to community-led planning Jun-18 2 Choosing the right community-led plan Jul-18 3 Evidence gathering Sep-18 4 Engaging the community Oct-18 5 Influencing design Nov-18 6 Assessing and providing for housing need Dec-18 7 Assessing and allocating sites Jan-19 8 Writing and interpreting planning policies Feb-19 9 Developing and using your plan Mar-19
Thank you for coming!