Orcop NDP Housing Delivery Report September 2020
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Orcop Neighbourhood Development Plan Housing delivery report DJN Planning Limited September 2020 For Orcop NDP Steering Group CONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 Housing requirement 2 Herefordshire Local Plan Core Strategy 2 Housing requirements and delivery to date 3 3 Orcop Neighbourhood Area 5 Population and settlement 5 Services, facilities and infrastructure 6 Community views on location of housing 7 4 Meeting housing needs in the Orcop Neighbourhood Area 8 Housing land availability 8 Review of available housing sites 10 Windfall allowance 16 5 Options for consideration 17 Housing delivery 17 Option A: nucleated approach 17 Option B: dispersed approach 20 Option C: service and facility-based approach 22 Policy options on foul drainage 26 6 Conclusions and recommendations 28 Conclusions 28 Recommendation on housing delivery 29 Appendix: Extracts from NDP Questionnaire Survey Results Report 30 Plan 1 Orcop Neighbourhood Area 5 Plan 2 Available housing sites in and adjacent to Orcop Neighbourhood Area 10 Plan 3 Available housing sites at Orcop Hill and environs 12 Plan 4 Draft settlement boundary for Orcop 18 Plan 5 Draft settlement boundary for Orcop Hill 19 Plan 6 Draft settlement boundaries under Option B 21 1. Introduction 1.1 A Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) is being prepared for the parish of Orcop in Herefordshire. The Neighbourhood Area was designated in July 2013. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in 2020 which sought views on a range of matters including housing, the economy, the local environment and community services. 1.2 The next stage of work is to decide the approach to be taken to the delivery of new housing in the NDP, so as to meet the minimum target set by Herefordshire Council’s (HC) Local Plan Core Strategy (the Core Strategy). This specifies Orcop and Orcop Hill as settlements in the Neighbourhood Area which are to receive proportionate housing growth in the period up to 2031. 1.3 This report: • reviews the strategic planning policies which apply to the provision of housing within the NDP, and confirms the extent of delivery to date through dwelling completions and the grant of planning permissions (section 2); • sets out the relevant characteristics of the Orcop Neighbourhood Area, in terms of population, settlement pattern, services, facilities and infrastructure, and community views on the location of housing as expressed in the questionnaire survey (section 3); • assesses the findings of earlier work undertaken by AECOM and the NDP Steering Group to identify potential land for housing, through a Call for Sites in 2018 and site assessments, and considers the scope for making a realistic allowance for windfall sites (section 4); and • explores options to promote sustainable housing development in the Neighbourhood Area. Three approaches are investigated for the location of new housing: to focus planned growth at Orcop and Orcop Hill; to enable a more dispersed spread of development; and to locate development where it will best support local services (including in adjoining Neighbourhood Areas). A further option considers how the NDP could address foul drainage requirements for new development (section 5); and • sets out conclusions and recommendations, for discussion initially with the Steering Group (section 6). 1.4 The report has been independently prepared for the Orcop NDP Steering Group by Dr. D.J. Nicholson MRTPI. September 2020 Orcop NDP · Housing delivery report 1 2. Housing requirement Herefordshire Local Plan Core Strategy 2.1 Orcop Neighbourhood Area is in the rural part of the Ross-on-Wye Housing Market Area (HMA), for which the Core Strategy is seeking indicative housing growth of 14% or 1150 new dwellings between 2011 and 2031.1 This new housing will contribute to the county’s housing needs and the regeneration of the rural economy. 2.2 The main delivery mechanism are seen as NDPs. The target provides “a basis” for the preparation of NDPs, although it is recognised that “local evidence and environmental factors will determine the appropriate scale of development” in any given NDP. The Core Strategy is expecting the percentage target at rural HMA-level to be applied to constituent Neighbourhood Areas in a way which also takes account of local factors. In this way, the housing strategy “will empower communities to evolve as sustainable places whilst respecting their fundamental rural character”.2 2.3 As well as setting a minimum level of growth for each rural HMA, the Core Strategy also identifies two tiers of rural settlements where this development will be delivered: those which are to be the “main focus” of housing development, and generally smaller “other settlements” where new housing will be appropriate.3 The expectation is that the amount of development will be informed by the growth target, so that NDPs “will allocate land for new housing or otherwise demonstrate delivery to provide levels of housing to meet the various targets, by indicating levels of suitable and available capacity”.4 The aim is to maintain and strengthen sustainable rural communities by enabling development which can bolster existing service provision, improve facilities and infrastructure and meet the needs of the communities concerned. 2.4 In the Neighbourhood Area the Core Strategy identifies Orcop Hill as a “main focus” settlement and Orcop as an “other settlement”. The approach has regard to the median settlement size in each rural HMA combined with an assessment of services.5 2.5 The Core Strategy places particular emphasis on ensuring that in the smaller “other settlements”, such as Orcop, new housing respects scale, form, layout, character and setting so that it is locally distinctive. 6 This reflects the fact that “by virtue of their size and character many of these settlements do not have a traditional village or nuclear centre and in many 1 Core Strategy, policy RA1. 2 Ibid., para 4.8.6 3 Ibid., policy RA2. 4 Ibid. 5 HC, Rural Housing Background Paper, March 2013. 6 Ibid., para. 4.8.12 and policy RA2 (1). Orcop NDP · Housing delivery report 2 cases have a dispersed settlement pattern which would need to be respected in the design of new housing proposals. This will ensure the delivery of schemes that are locally distinctive”. 7 2.6 In cases where a parish or parish group has more than one identified settlement, the Core Strategy allows NDPs to distribute housing growth amongst the named settlements as seen fit. This “will allow for a locally flexible approach that will respect settlement characteristics, the distribution of local facilities and other local factors”.8 This is in line with national planning policy which requires policies to identify opportunities for villages to grow and thrive, especially where this will support local services. To promote sustainable development, new housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities. Where there are groups of smaller settlements, development in one village may support services in a village nearby.9 2.7 The Core Strategy is also concerned to avoid unsustainable patterns of development and the building of isolated homes in the countryside unless specified circumstances apply.10 To these ends, NDPs are required to define “settlement boundaries (or a reasonable alternative)” for the identified villages, to define their main built form.11 There is an effective presumption in favour of the development of land inside a settlement boundary, subject to normal planning requirements being met. 2.8 For land outside settlement boundaries (which will comprise the majority of the Orcop Neighbourhood Area, once settlement boundaries are defined in the NDP), Core Strategy policy RA3 sets out the exceptions under which residential development may come forward in the countryside outside the identified settlements. These include dwellings to meet agricultural or forestry needs, replacement dwellings, rural exception housing, and the re-use of redundant rural buildings. Housing requirements and delivery to date 2.9 Applying the 14% growth target to the Orcop Neighbourhood Area, HC figures indicate a proportional growth target of at least 26 new dwellings for the period 2011-2031. This reflects the number of household spaces on Census night 2011 (192). 2.10 HC records show the following position for 1 April 2019 in terms of net new dwellings which have come forward since 2011 (i.e., allowing for any losses through demolitions): Completions - built 2011-2019: 2 dwellings Commitments – extant planning permissions for new residential units: 8 dwellings. 7 Ibid., para. 4.8.12. 8 Ibid., para. 4.8.21. 9 National Planning Policy Framework para. 78. 10 Ibid., para. 4.8.23 and National Planning Policy Framework para. 79. 11 Ibid., para. 4.8.23. Orcop NDP · Housing delivery report 3 2.11 Assessing the planning permissions which make up the commitment figure shows that the following need to be deducted: • LPA ref 142561 Burhope Farm: this single unit is described as ancillary accommodation, not a new dwelling, and is conditioned as such. • LPA ref 17335 land at Newcastle Farm: This appeal decision for three new dwellings to allow the scheme was later quashed at the High Court. A subsequent reconsideration of the original appeal decision was dismissed on 3 April 2020. 2.12 Taking these into account, the commitments stand at four new dwellings (net) at the time of writing. This means that there is a residual requirement for the NDP to demonstrate delivery of a minimum of 20 new dwellings if the expected level of proportional growth is to be achieved by 2031. However, this is not just about delivering numbers, important though that is overall. To achieve the aims of the Core Strategy, new dwellings should serve to bolster existing services, improve facilities and infrastructure, and meet community needs. This will serve to promote sustainable development by at least maintaining and if possible, enhancing the vitality of rural communities.