Agenda item

Securing Affordable Housing Interim Planning Position Paper

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Economy which soughtapproval to adopt and publish the Securing Affordable Housing Interim Planning Position Paper.

This Interim Planning Position Paper provided an update to Policy 10 on Affordable Housing of Oldham's Joint Core Strategy and Development Management Development Plan Document (Joint DPD). The paper set out the council's position in relation to:

  • the dwelling threshold to which Policy 10 applies.
  • First Homes; and
  • Vacant Building Credit.

The paper would be used when assessing planning applications and development proposals requiring affordable housing. It must be read alongside Policy 10 Affordable Housing of the Joint DPD, adopted by the council 9 November 2011.

The Securing Affordable Housing Interim Planning Position Paper had been prepared to reflect recent changes to national planning guidance.  The paper provided an interim position to Policy 10 of the joint Core Strategy and Development Management Development Plan Document, adopted in November 2011, until such a time as the approach could be incorporated into the Local Plan review.

The recent changes to national planning guidance that need to be reflected through this Interim Planning Position Paper were:

·         Paragraph 64 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that:

o   the provision of affordable housing should not be sought for residential developments that are not major developments (so development where 10 or more homes will be provided, or where the site has an area of 0.5ha or more).

o   to support the re-use of brownfield land, where vacant buildings are being reused or redeveloped, any affordable housing contribution due should be reduced by a proportionate amount (defined in footnote 30 as being equivalent to the existing gross floorspace of the existing buildings). This does not apply to vacant buildings which have been abandoned.

  • On the 24 May 2021 a Ministerial Statement was published setting out the Government's plans for the delivery of First Homes requiring a minimum of 25% of all affordable housing homes secured through developer contributions to be First Homes - a national threshold which should be applied for England. These First Homes are for discounted market sale and:
  • must be discounted by a minimum of 30% against the market value;
  • must be sold to a person or persons meeting the First Homes eligibility criteria;
  • on their first sale, will have a restriction registered on the title at HM Land Registry to ensure this discount (as a percentage of current market value) and certain other restrictions are passed on at each subsequent title transfer; and,
  • after the discount has been applied, the first sale must be at a price no higher than £250,000 (or £420,000 in Greater London).

The Ministerial Statement also set out transitional arrangements for how First Homes should be translated into local plans and considered as part of the decision-making process. Where local plans do not benefit from transitional arrangements (such as where they are not at Submission or Publication stage) the local planning authority should make clear how existing policies should be interpreted in the light of First Homes requirements using the most appropriate tool available to them.

In the main Policy 10 Affordable Housing of the Joint DPD remains appropriate and the Council will continue to apply Policy 10 when determining relevant planning applications for residential development. However, since adoption of the Joint DPD, national planning guidance has revised the threshold to which the policy should be applied and further guidance is required on the application of First Homes and Vacant Building Credit. These changes were summarised in the report.

 

Options/Alternatives

Option 1 - To adopt and publish the Securing Affordable Housing Interim Position Paper.  The Interim Planning Position Paper should be used as a material consideration in the assessment of relevant planning applications and development proposals.

Option 2- To not adopt and publish the Securing Affordable Housing Interim Planning Position Paper. Development Management will be unable to use the Interim Planning Paper in determining relevant planning applications and development proposals.

 

RESOLVED – That the Securing Affordable Housing Interim Planning Position Paper be adopted and used as a material consideration when assessing relevant planning applications and development proposals.

 

Supporting documents: