Maidstone Borough Council Final report March 2010 Foreword Foreword This report describes the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) undertaken in Maidstone Borough in 2009. It contains a wide ranging examination of the housing market, and it conforms to the major Government Guidance on the subject. It also provides part of the ‘evidence base’ on which a wide range of planning and housing policies can be based. Acknowledgements A large-scale assessment of this nature is a collaborative effort and Fordham Research wish to thank all members of the SHMA Steering Group for their support, guidance and contributions. We would also like to thank those local stakeholders who participated in the discussion and whose local knowledge and views have been immensely helpful. It is also important to recognise that this report would not have been possible without the co-operation of the general public who gave up their time to take part in household surveys for Maidstone Borough. Their assistance is gratefully acknowledged. Page i Chapter Listing Chapter Listing Foreword ..................................................................................................................................................i 1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................1 2. Demographic and economic context ...............................................................................................9 3. The current housing market............................................................................................................21 4. The active market .............................................................................................................................35 5. Housing need....................................................................................................................................47 6. Future housing demand ..................................................................................................................55 7. Improving market balance over the longer term...........................................................................65 8. Particular household groups ..........................................................................................................75 9. Policy issues, compliance and updating .......................................................................................91 Glossary ................................................................................................................................................99 Appendix A1. Primary data collection..............................................................................................105 Appendix A2. Housing need..............................................................................................................113 Appendix A3. Updating the findings ................................................................................................123 Appendix A4. Long-term market balance – results for urban and rural sub-areas.....................127 Appendix A5. Sub-area profiles ........................................................................................................133 Appendix A6. Stakeholder Consultation..........................................................................................149 Page iii 1. Introduction 1. Introduction Overview 1.1 This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the Maidstone Borough Housing Market. It includes a review of the current local situation, a discussion of the housing market dynamics and recommendations as to the appropriate action in Maidstone Borough. The report follows the general structure of the CLG Strategic Housing Market Assessment Practice Guidance of August 2007. In addition the research carried out meets the requirements of Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) and also Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12) in ensuring that all necessary outputs are provided and that such outputs pass the prescribed tests of soundness. 1.2 A range of evidence was used to inform the outputs of this Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) report. This includes a range of data from a primary survey of local households, secondary sources and consultation with key stakeholders in the Borough. 1.3 It should be noted that due to the issue of rounding, the numbers in the tables and charts in this report will not always sum exactly to the totals given. An introduction to Maidstone Borough 1.4 The Borough of Maidstone covers some 40,000 hectares and is located in the heart of Kent. It includes a substantial urban area and a diversity of villages, the countryside is of high quality, with a substantial part of the area to the north of the M20 falling within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 1.5 Maidstone town is the ‘County Town of Kent’ and is an administrative, retail and leisure hub with a strong night-time economy. Many of the villages also provide key local services for rural residents. 1.6 The Borough has generally high rates of employment. It has a very mixed business sector with large numbers of small and medium size businesses with particular strengths in professional services (law and accountancy) and construction. There is also a growing media industry. 1.7 Transport links are generally good. There are rail connections to central London as well as to north and east Kent and the Borough is well served by the motorway network with the 20 and M2 both providing links to the M25 and the Channel Ports. Page 1 Maidstone Strategic Housing Market Assessment Figure 1.1 The location of Maidstone Borough Source: Fordham Research 2009 1.8 Retail and leisure facilities include Maidstone town centre, which has approximately 700 shops, and Maidstone Leisure Centre, the largest leisure centre in Kent. The Borough also boasts the largest night time economy within Kent 1. The Borough’s green spaces include Mote and Whatman Parks, and numerous smaller parks and squares within the town and villages. Maidstone Borough is also home to Leeds Castle. 1.9 The Borough’s educational facilities include the University for the Creative Arts and Mid Kent (further education) College. Travel by rail to London is possible from the smaller market towns of Headcorn, Staplehurst and Marden as well as Maidstone itself. The M20 and M2 provide links to the M25 and the Channel Ports. A bus transport network serves Maidstone town. 1.10 The Borough was ranked 248th 2 of the 354 local authorities in England in the 2007 Index of Multiple Deprivation (with 1 being the most deprived local authority). It is estimated that at the time that this SHMA was produced (late 2009) there were 61,460 households in Maidstone Borough 3. 1 The Sustainable Community Strategy for Maidstone Borough 2009-2020 2 Rank of average score 3 This figure is based on the CLG household estimates. As per Audit Commission guidance, the Council uses an alternative figure based on Council Tax data as at 31/3 each year, which is not available in the public domain. Page 2 1. Introduction What is a Strategic Housing Market Assessment? 1.11 Strategic Housing Market Assessments were established by Government Guidance: Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (November 2006) and detailed Practice Guidance (Strategic Housing Market Assessment Practice Guidance) was published in March and August 2007. The aims of a Strategic Housing Market Assessment are to provide clear evidence as to what is going on in the housing market and what the future prospects for the market may be. 1.12 Important features of the SHMA process are: i) Involvement of an authority or a group of local authorities representing a meaningful market area – Maidstone Borough has been identified as a single market area 4 and therefore appropriately forms the subject of an SHMA ii) A process in which key stakeholders are involved throughout the production of the evidence as well as being consumers of it iii) Inclusion in the process of all tenures of housing iv) Higher standards of quality: the tests of rigour are more strict than before v) It is an ongoing process, so that once the present reports are completed, the council and stakeholders keep updating the results and using them as the basis for housing and planning policy vi) It forms part of the evidence base for the Local Development Framework, in particular the Core Strategy, and to inform the Council’s Housing Strategy and other housing policy work. 1.13 The most important output requirements of PPS3, as regards the SHMA are stated in paragraph 22: ‘Based on the findings of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment and other local evidence, Local Planning Authorities should set out in Local Development Documents: - The likely overall proportions of households that require market or affordable housing, for example, x% market housing and y% affordable housing - The likely profile of household types requiring market housing e.g. multi-person, including families and children (x %), single persons (y %), couples (z %) - The size and type of affordable housing required.’ 4 Identifying the Local Housing Markets of South East England, DTZ Pieda Consulting, 2004 Page 3 Maidstone Strategic Housing Market Assessment 1.14 In addition PPS3 also requires that the following can be demonstrated: - understanding of the existing mix of housing types (para 24) - understand the demand for market housing (para 38) - understand local housing markets (para11) 1.15 In line with the Practice