Central Lancashire Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Final Version October 2012 SOUTH RIBBLE BOROUGH COUNCIL forward with South Ribble Central Lancashire Affordable Housing SPD October 2012 3 Contents Introduction Page 4 Planning Policy Page 5-7 Strategic Housing Market Assessment Page 8 Defining Affordable Housing Page 9 Delivery of Affordable Housing Page 10-12 Design of Affordable Housing Page 13-15 Viability Page 16 Rural Exceptions Page 17 Sustainability appraisal and habitats regulations assessment Page 18 Monitoring and Review Page 18 Status of SPDs Page 18 Further Information Page 19 Appendix 1: Glossary Page 20 Appendix 2: Affordable Housing Providers Page 22 Contents Page 4 Central Lancashire Affordable Housing SPD October 2012 5 A: Introduction B: Planning Policy 1. Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) were introduced by the National Policy Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 as part of the reforms to the planning system. Although not forming part of the statutory development 5. Guidance on planning policy is issued by central Government in the form plan, one of the functions of an SPD is to provide further detail on policies of The National Planning Policy Framework. Local Planning Authorities have and proposals within the development plan. SPDs must be consistent with to take the contents of the NPPF into account as a material consideration national and regional planning policies as well as the policies set out in the when determining planning applications and when preparing documents for development plan. the Local Development Framework. 2. The Central Lancashire SPDs have been prepared in accordance with the 6. The requirements of the NPPF insofar as they relate to affordable housing Local Development Regulations (SI 2004.2204), conforming and responding are that: to all relevant local and national policies and are based on a robust and up- • Affordable housing should be based on objectively assessed need to-date evidence base. They form part of the Local Development Framework identified through a Strategic Housing Market Assessment (LDF) for the Central Lancashire authorities of Chorley, Preston and South (NPPF paragraph 47). Ribble. SPDs do not seek to allocate land but are to be considered alongside Policy in the Core Strategy and Site Allocations Development Plan Documents • Where need is identified it should be met on-site unless off-site (DPDs). Their guidance should therefore be taken into consideration from the provision or a financial contribution of broadly equivalent value can earliest stages of the development process of any site, including any purchase be robustly justified e.g. to improve or make more effective use of the negotiations and in the preparation of development schemes. existing housing stock (Paragraph 50). • Local Planning Authorities should be responsive to local circumstances 3. The purpose of this SPD is to provide advice on how the Councils’ and needs in rural areas, particularly in considering whether allowing affordable housing policy, as set out in DPDs, is to be implemented. This some market housing would facilitate the provision of significant includes guidance on the range of approaches, standards and mechanisms additional affordable housing to meet local needs (Paragraph 54). required to deliver a range of affordable housing to meet local needs. • Local Planning Authorities should regard providing limited affordable 4. Once adopted, this document should be afforded housing for local community needs under policies set out in the Local significant weight as a material consideration Plan as appropriate development in Green Belt (Paragraph 89). in determining planning applications. • To ensure viability, the costs of any requirements likely to be applied to development including affordable housing, should when taking into account the normal cost of development and mitigation provide competitive returns to a willing land owner and willing developer to enable the development to be deliverable (Paragraph 173). • The cumulative impact of all local and nationally required standards and policies, including affordable housing should not put implementation of plans at serious risk and should facilitate development throughout the economic cycle (Paragraph 174). • Affordable housing requirements should be assessed at the plan-making stage, where possible, and kept under review (Paragraph 177). Introduction / Planning Policy Introduction Page 6 Central Lancashire Affordable Housing SPD October 2012 7 Regional Policy Local Policy 7. The North West Plan Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) 2008 is the Regional 9. The Local Development Framework is a suite of documents which will, when complete, Plan for the North West to the period 2021 and covers the Central Lancashire replace the existing old-style Local Plans as the spatial planning policy documents for the three area. The Government has made a policy commitment in the Localism Act to Central Lancashire councils. The Core Strategy is the key document as it sets the overarching revoke the Regional Spatial Strategy. vision for the area. It will be underpinned by Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Development Plan Documents (Site Allocations DPDs (short title)) for each of the three 8. Policy L5 of the RSS sets out a range of delivery mechanisms to be Local Authorities. These documents will include policies and proposals allocating some land for considered by local planning authorities where appropriate. These are: development whilst protecting other areas from inappropriate development. The Site Allocations • seeking a proportion of affordable housing on all development sites DPDs will conform to the Core Strategy. When adopted, the Core Strategy and relevant which are above the relevant thresholds; Site Allocations DPD will be combined as the Local Plan under the NPPF. This will supersede, respectively, the adopted Preston Local Plan 2004, South Ribble Local Plan 2000 and Chorley • allocating the development of sites solely (or primarily) for affordable Borough Local Plan Review 2003. housing use (i.e. up to 100% affordable in rural areas), where necessary; 10. The Central Lancashire Core Strategy was adopted in July 2012. The principal Development • using local occupancy criteria to support provision for local housing Plan policy for the delivery of affordable housing is Policy 7, which contains the following policy need so long as this need can be clearly demonstrated, to be requirements: implemented through the use of planning conditions and obligations; • Targets for affordable housing are set subject to site and development considerations such (note local occupancy criteria are not applicable to Central Lancashire) as financial viability and contributions to community services. • actively promoting the rural exception site policy; • The target to be achieved from market housing schemes is: • for all sites containing housing in rural settlements with populations • 30% in urban parts of Preston, South Ribble and Chorley; of under 3,000 promote onsite affordable housing provision and • 35% in rural areas on sites in or adjoining villages that have, or will have, a suitable range where on site affordable housing provision is not possible, seeking of services; developer contributions towards affordable housing; • 100% on rural exception sites including those in the Green Belt. • making the most of publicly owned land; • Site thresholds are 15 dwellings (0.5 ha or part thereof) reducing to 5 dwellings • making the most of existing housing stock; (0.15 ha or part thereof) in rural areas. • in line with Policy W4 of RSS , permitting the conversion of buildings • Off-site provision or financial contributions are acceptable where robustly justified. in sustainable locations to residential use (including as part of mixed use schemes), particularly where commercial premises which 11. This SPD establishes the following information: are vacant or under-used offer no long term potential or viable contribution to the local economy; • The cost at and below which housing is considered to be affordable* • encouraging employers to provide housing for their key workers; • The mix of affordable housing tenures • ensuring that wherever possible (and subject to continuing evidence), • Any specific spatial variations in the level and types of affordable housing that property remains affordable and available in perpetuity. • Prevailing market conditions and impacts on viability * Note: information on costs and spatial variations across Central Lancashire is included in the Central Lancashire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA). 12. As at October 2012, five SPDs have been prepared for Affordable Housing, Design, Controlling the Re-use of Employment Premises, Rural Development, and Access to Healthy Food. This SPD will fit into the LDF by setting out guidance to ensure the Core Strategy policies and objectives on affordable housing are clearly articulated. Planning Policy Page 8 Central Lancashire Affordable Housing SPD October 2012 9 C: Strategic Housing D: Defining Affordable Market Assessment Housing 13. In September 2008, the Central Lancashire Housing Market Partnership 19. The definition of affordable housing is set out in annex 2 of the National (Chorley Council, Preston City Council and South Ribble Borough Council) Planning Policy Framework. It includes Social Rented, Affordable Rented and commissioned Outside Consultants and Knight Frank LLP to undertake a Intermediate housing provided to eligible