Meeting documents
Executive (I)
Wednesday, 11th July, 2012
| REPORT TO: | 50 |
| DECISION NUMBER: | PH/76/2012 |
| EARLIEST DATE FOR DECISION: | 11th July 2012 |
DRAFT AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNNG DOCUMENT | |
| Matter for Consideration: Consideration of a Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which supports and amplifies the affordable housing policy set out in the Core Strategy Revised Preferred Option (currently subject to a six-week public consultation following approval by the Council’s Executive on 30th May 2012). | |
| Information: Due to very low average incomes across the Borough, buying or privately renting an appropriate home is out of the reach of a substantial minority of Blackpool households and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. There is therefore a major challenge to meet the growing housing needs of the local population. It is important to provide new, quality affordable housing across Blackpool, providing a choice of size, type and tenure that appeals to family occupation in particular, to help create attractive, sustainable and mixed-income communities. The Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document provides details on how the Council's policy requirements for affordable housing provision will be implemented. These policy requirements are set out in Policy HN8: Affordable and Specialist Needs Housing of the current Blackpool Local Plan (2006) and Policy CS13: Affordable Housing of the Blackpool Core Strategy Revised Preferred Option (currently subject to a six-week public consultation following Executive approval in May 2012). Policy CS13 is proposed to replace Policy HN8 once the Core Strategy is adopted (expected 2013). The purpose of the Draft document is to amplify and expand these policies to provide further clarity and to help applicants make successful applications. This includes clarifying key principles, affordable housing requirements (for example level of contribution, acceptable tenure and tenure Mix, design and phasing) and the application process. The adopted version will be a material consideration in assessing planning applications for new housing development (new-build and conversion schemes) creating three or more additional units, in accordance with the threshold proposed in Policy CS13. The unique and extreme set of housing challenges within Blackpool’s inner areas is well-documented, and is a stark contrast to the majority of housing provision elsewhere in the Borough. Therefore, the appropriate tenure (social rented, affordable rented or intermediate housing), size and type of affordable housing provision will be dependent on the regeneration priorities and housing needs of that particular area and will vary across the Borough. The objectives for affordable housing provision in Blackpool are: - Affordable home ownership options within the Inner Area, with limited scope for the provision of social and affordable rented housing until a more balanced housing market is achieved; - The development of more family homes within the Inner Area which will attract and retain economically active households and provide choice throughout their housing life-cycles; - A mix of social rented and either affordable home ownership or affordable rented options elsewhere in the Borough to support an appropriate balance of tenure types; - To promote new products which provide access to home ownership, e.g. shared equity and other shared ownership options, and the inclusion of both new and refurbished housing in these offers; - To provide options which help people make the step from social and affordable rented housing to home ownership. Supplementary Planning Documents are subject to statutory preparation procedures, which include publishing a draft Supplementary Planning Documents for public consultation. Future stages require the Council to consider any representations received, revise the document as considered appropriate and publish a consultation statement setting out a summary of the main issues raised and identifying the response and any resulting revisions to the draft document. A Supplementary Planning Document needs to be formally adopted. This Supplementary Planning Document does not require a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) or a Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) as the effects of affordable housing provision have been assessed in higher level planning documents (namely the saved policies in the Blackpool Local Plan and the emerging policies in the Blackpool Core Strategy). | |
| Does the information submitted include any exempt information? | NO |
| Legal Considerations: Supplementary Planning Documents are subject to formal statutory procedures which must be adhered to, including the requirement for public consultation and eventual formal adoption. | |
| Personnel Considerations: The Supplementary Planning Document is being resourced by existing staff within the Development Plans and Projects Team. An Equality analysis was prepared for the Core Strategy Revised Preferred Option (which includes the Affordable Housing Policy that informs this document) to ensure the Council meets the legal obligations of the Equality Act 2010, taking into account all relevant and appropriate equality considerations. | |
| Financial Considerations: The work is being undertaken within existing budgetary provisions. A viability appraisal report produced by Keppie Massie in 2009 confirms that the Council's requirements with regard to affordable housing provision can be viably delivered in Blackpool. | |
| Performance Management Considerations: The preparation of an Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document is identified in the Development Plans and Projects Team Business Plan. | |
| Risk Management Considerations: An Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document is important to provide clarity on the Local Plan policies to assist the delivery of new, quality affordable housing provision across the Borough and to help address Blackpool’s housing challenges. Undertaking public consultation when preparing the document will give relevant parties the opportunity to submit representations and will enable the Council to appropriately address any issues raised prior to adoption. | |
| Relevant Officer: John Donnellon, Assistant Chief Executive (Built Environment) | |
| Relevant Cabinet Member: Councillor G. Coleman | |
| Consultation Undertaken: Officers from Blackpool Council have been involved in the preparation of the SPD. Consultation on the draft SPD will commence mid-late June 2012 for a period of six weeks. Key organisations, officers and other stakeholders/interested parties will be notified. | |
| Background Papers: | |
| Is this a key decision? | NO |
| Is the decision required in less than 5 days? | NO |
| Recommendations: That the Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document be approved for public consultation; That the Assistant Chief Executive (Built Environment) be given delegated authority to make appropriate minor amendments including editorial and presentational amendments to finalise the Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document prior to consultation. | |
| Reasons for Recommendations: It is essential that guidance on affordable housing is progressed as soon as possible to provide further clarity on the affordable housing policies and to ensure that there is an adequate supply of good quality affordable housing across Blackpool. Public consultation on the draft document is an important stage in preparing the Supplementary Planning Document prior to formal adoption | |
| Is the recommendation contrary to a plan or strategy adopted or approved by the Council? | NO |
| Is the recommendation in accordance with the Council’s approved Budget? | YES |
| Other alternative options to be considered: An informal planning document would not carry the same weight as an SPD, having less influence when determining future planning applications. | |
| Policy, Overview, and Scrutiny Committee Chairman (where appropriate) Date Informed: N/A Date Approved: N/A | |
| DECLARATION(S) OF INTEREST (if applicable) None | |
| Decision: The Cabinet Member agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely: 1. That the Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document be approved for public consultation; 2. That the Assistant Chief Executive (Built Environment) be given delegated authority to make appropriate minor amendments including editorial and presentational amendments to finalise the Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document prior to consultation. | |
| Date: | 11th July 2012 |
| Reason for Decision: It is essential that guidance on affordable housing is progressed as soon as possible to provide further clarity on the affordable housing policies and to ensure that there is an adequate supply of good quality affordable housing across Blackpool. Public consultation on the draft document is an important stage in preparing the Supplementary Planning Document prior to formal adoption. | |
Date of Publication: | 11th July 2012 |
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