New housing and planning policy underlines need for family homes

[Quoted]
New housing and planning policy underlines need for family homes


The government has elevated the provision of family housing and access to gardens, play areas and parks as key policy objectives of the planning system for the first time. Those imperatives are highlighted in the latest planning policy statement (PPS) just published by Communities and Local Government.
PPS 3, which deals with housing issues, places a requirement on English councils to make sure they have policies to ensure enough family housing is built and that developments are child-friendly. The revised guidance also calls for a greater emphasis on housing mix - both tenure and type - and a greater willingness by councils to reject mediocre or poorly designed schemes. In addition, the PPS 3 calls for local planning authorities to identify sufficient land to meet their housing needs over a 15-year period.
The long-awaited new guidance, broadly welcomed by the development sector, makes it clear that local and regional planning bodies must take more account of affordability when determining how many new homes are needed in their areas. In return, ministers have told planning authorities they can have more discretion over densities, car-parking provision and will be allowed to specify a contribution from affordable units at a lower threshold than is currently the case. They will also be in a better position to prevent developers "cherrypicking" greenfield sites, ministers have stressed.
Although the new guidance does not formally commence until April 2007, the suite of policies "may be capable of being a material consideration in particular circumstances prior to that date," according to the statement.
The 28-page document includes new definitions for previously–developed land (often known as brownfield land), affordable housing, social rented housing and another category now known as intermediate affordable housing.
Planning and housing minister, Yvette Cooper, told parliament that changes to planning and housing policy were needed to "support further increased housing needed across the country, bring additional brownfield land back into use, deliver more affordable homes in rural and urban areas, support more family housing including more play spaces, parks and gardens for children and give local authorities more flexibility about how and where to deliver the homes that are needed".
Cooper told journalists that planning authorities would have to strengthen the way they "managed" housing provision with a much greater emphasis on the regular monitoring and review of actual housing delivery performance.
In particular, PPS 3 suggests that planning authorities should update the quality and mix of different categories of land within the rolling five year supply of deliverable sites "to redress the balance of land available for development".
The new guidance emphasises that where there is significant "under-performance" and where LPAs have already taken steps to remove obstacles to the development of allocated previously-developed sites without success, they may consider using their development control powers to reject applications on greenfield sites until there is evidence that the underperformance issues have been addressed.
The PPS 3 stresses that Local Development Documents must set an overall target for affordable housing to be provided in line with the new definition. This will also mean separate targets for social-rented and so-called intermediate affordable housing "where appropriate".
LDDs will also have to set out the range of circumstances in which affordable housing will be required. Currently the national indicative minimum site size threshold for requiring affordable provision is 15 dwellings. Under the new guidance LPAs will be able to set lower minimum thresholds "where viable and practicable", particularly in rural areas.
As the new definition of affordable housing excludes low cost market housing, deciding the proportion of affordable housing to be sought in different circumstances will involve LPAs in planning for low cost market housing as part of the overall housing mix.
The PPS 3 maintains the present focus that at least 60 per cent of new homes should be built on brownfield land. LPAS will be expected set their own local targets to reflect available sites and support the national target.
It also calls for stronger environmental standards and the importance of cutting carbon emissions. The government will shortly be reinforcing this with a PPS specifically on climate change policies.
Cooper has stressed that the revised PPS will be particular helpful for the forty-five towns and cities who have proposed significant increases in new homes and jobs under the governments "growth point" policy.
She also made it plain that ministers want the planning system to redress the balance of housing provision which in some areas like London had become too concentrated on one or two bedroom dwellings, squeezing out larger family-friendly homes.

Read the written statement by Yvette Cooper, minister for housing and planning
View Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing

Roger Milne
30 November 2006