Affordable Housing Statement Proposed development at 68 Half Moon Lane, London, SE24 Prepared for The Dulwich Estate January 2017 Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Background 4 3 The Site 5 4 Planning Policy Considerations 6 5 The Proposed Development and Approach to Affordable Housing 9 6 Conclusion 11 2 1 Introduction BNP Paribas Real Estate has been commissioned by The Dulwich Estate (“the Applicant”) and in conjunction with the Dulwich Almshouse Charity, to prepare an Affordable Housing Statement (‘AHS’) in accordance with local and strategic planning policy in support of the planning application for the proposed Almshouse development (“the Proposed Development”) at 68 Half Moon Lane, London, SE24.The Site is located within the jurisdiction of the London Borough of Southwark (“the Council”). The planning application seeks permission for: “Construction of a new almshouse comprising twenty flats and communal areas.” The Council’s Validation Checklist for major applications document sets out the Council’s requirement for the submission of ‘an executive summary which outlines the key conclusions being drawn from the appraisal for the lay reader’. This AHS has been prepared in accordance with this requirement to assist the Council in the determination of the planning application. This AHS is structured as follows: ■ Section two provides background information on the Applicant; ■ Section three sets out a description of the site and its location; ■ Section four outlines the planning policy considerations; ■ Section five sets out details of the proposed development and the approach to addressing affordable housing policies and delivery; and ■ Section six outlines our key conclusions being drawn. This AHS should be considered alongside the other documents submitted in support of the planning application, including but not limited to Daniel Watney’s Planning Statement, BNP Paribas Real Estate’s Financial Viability Assessment and Pollard Thomas Edwards’ Design and Access Statement. A full list of the application supporting documents can be found in the Planning Statement. 3 2 Background The proposed new Almshouse will be owned and operated by the Dulwich Almshouse Charity which is a Beneficiary of The Dulwich Estate and approximately 43% of its income is derived from The Dulwich Estate. The way in which the Almshouse Charity has been structured has changed over past four hundred years, however the Dulwich Almshouse Charity became an independent charity in 1995. The objectives of the Dulwich Almshouse Charity are “to relieve beneficiaries in cases of need, hardship or distress by the provision and maintenance of almshouses and otherwise as the Trustees think fit. Beneficiaries must be inhabitants of the Charity’s area of benefit [which primarily is Southwark] who are not less than 60 years of age in conditions of need, hardship or distress.” Edward Alleyn, a successful actor-manager and entrepreneur purchased the Manor of Dulwich in 1605. Some year later he decided to create a charitable Foundation in Dulwich. The original beneficiaries were twelve poor scholars and six poor brothers and six sisters. The foundation stone was laid in 1613 when six almshouses were built on either side of Christ's Chapel. The present almshouses, Edward Alleyn House, which are all on the east side of the Chapel, facing Dulwich Park, date from reconstruction in 1739 and enlargement in 1866. For a considerable number of years, the Dulwich Almshouse Charity has been discussing the need to replace Edward Alleyn House with fit for purpose homes. The 16 existing almshouse flats (although only 14 are currently in use, with two being too small to meet modern occupiers needs) are constrained in size (some being bedsits) and each has stepped access, narrow doorways, and limited natural daylight. The flats are on two floors with no lift and provide no access to wheelchair users. Being a listed building the flats are not suitable for further adaptation to meet the needs of residents as they age and develop impaired mobility. There is no communal meeting room to promote social interaction so important for the older population in reducing isolation. The Almshouse Charity’s Warden organises social events for residents and other elderly members of the community but these currently have to be hosted in the Vestry of Christ’s Chapel. The Proposed Development is a long awaited opportunity for the Dulwich Almshouse Charity to provide accommodation that is suitable to the needs of its ageing residents – fit for purpose, lifetime homes. This scheme promotes choices of independence (with the benefit of a resident warden) and sociability for the residents and the community, providing secure and safe accessible homes and gardens. This planning application therefore meets the Charity’s brief and objectives: to provide new fit for purpose almshouse accommodation for those individuals in need. Southwark’s Housing Strategy to 2043 identifies that the number of people aged 65 and over is projected to increase by 63% (or 14,000 people) between 2012-2032, the highest growth in the south east sub-region. This is echoed by the South East London Strategic Housing Market Assessment from 2014, which identifies aging as the main feature of future population change in this area. The 2014 SHMA describes that Southwark has a below average supply of elderly-focused accommodation. In terms of preferences, Southwark’s Housing Requirements Study from 2008 indicates that after bungalows, sheltered housing or local authority / housing association owned, elderly housing blocks are most likely to be considered by respondents as they grow older. Living with family or residential care are the least considered options. Key housing data published by Southwark in 2012/13 indicates that there are currently just 1,146 sheltered housing units in Southwark. With an anticipated increase of 14,000 over 65s by 2032, additional sheltered housing is urgently required to accommodate this growth. To secure a good quality of life into older age, it is clear that these preferred types of accommodation must be considered to meet this growing need. Southwark has published the ‘Older people’s housing delivery plan: Southwark Housing Strategy 2009 -2016’ which sets out how this need will be met. The Strategy identifies a growing demand for sheltered housing, with a void rate of just 2.85% in local authority sheltered housing. The Strategy also sets out that Southwark faces significant cuts in funding from central Government. As a result, the budget for social care needs to achieve savings in the order of over £8 million. 4 This places a significant burden on LB Southwark to provide this urgently needed sheltered housing for its growing older population. It follows that intervention from the private sector and third party organisations is therefore essential if this growing demand can both be met and reconciled with clear preferences (i.e. sheltered housing) to ensure emotional and physical wellbeing. Such interventions (including the scheme proposed by this planning application) must be recognised. As we have described, the planning application site has previously been identified as suitable for residential development and presents a good opportunity to deliver much needed sheltered housing. This would relieve LB Southwark as the local authority from the cost of delivering a quantum of units and reduce pressure on their housing list. 5 3 The Site The 0.32 Ha (0.8 acre) Site is located on the south western corner of the junction of Half Moon lane, Beckwith Road and the A2214 (East Dulwich Grove) within the London Borough of Southwark. The area is predominantly residential with local shops located opposite the site along Half Moon Lane and the Judith Kerr Primary School located immediately to the west of the site. The Site originally formed part of a wider site comprising the former James Black Institute, constructed by King’s College London as its plant science department laboratory building to the west (occupied by the Judith Kerr Primary School since 2013) and adjacent ‘garden’ land. The ‘garden’ land is proposed to be separated from the building and surrounding land as part of the planning application and forms the subject Site. The Site benefits from good amenities and is ideally located for an Almshouse development, being situated opposite local shops and a GPs surgery and pharmacy located close by with further shops and services located in Herne Hill. The site is well served by public transport with bus stops located on Half Moon Lane and North Dulwich and Herne Hill railway stations located 0.2 miles east and 0.5 miles west of the site respectively. 6 4 Planning Policy Considerations This section of the AHS provides an overview of the key national and local planning policies that guide the delivery of affordable housing. We would highlight that Daniel Watney’s Planning Statement, submitted as part of the planning application, provides a comprehensive review of the planning policy context in relation to the Development of the site. 4.1 National Policy and Guidance The National Planning Policy Framework (“NPPF”) (adopted in March 2012) provides the national context for affordable housing delivery and sets out Central Government’s housing policy objectives. It must be taken into account in the preparation of local and neighbourhood plans, and is a material consideration in planning decisions. Paragraph 14 identifies that, “At the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development, which should be seen as a golden thread running through both plan-making and decision-taking.” The NPPF identifies at paragraph 47 that local planning authorities (“LPA”) have to deliver a wide choice of high quality housing with the key message being “to boost significantly the supply of housing”. In order to do so LPA are required to “use their evidence base to ensure that their Local Plan meets the full, objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in” the NPPF.