Regional Studies Association Conference Winter 2013
“Mobilising Regions: Territorial
Strategies for Growth”
Will Strategic Housing Market Assessments
in England be given an appropriate role?
Theme : Cooperation, disputes and resistance around particular territorial
development strategies, models, and interventions
Dr Martin Field & Dr Bob Colenutt , University of Northampton, UK
Prof Allan Cochrane, Open University, UK
[martin.field@northampton.ac.uk]
PRESENTATION CONTENT
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SHMA policy in the UK
Focus of SHMA practice
SHMAs in ESRC study
Reports in study area
Drawbacks in practice
2013 amendments
Unaddressed shortfalls
Suggestions for change
Conclusions
SHMA objectives in the UK
Key objectives of SHMA
[DCLG, 2007]:
• to enable practitioners to
assess housing need and
demand in their areas
• to enable local
authorities and regions to
gain a good appreciation
of the characteristics of
housing market areas and
how they function.
Focus of SHMA practice
• ‘HMA’ = “geograph[ies]
defined by household
demand and preference for
housing”
• ‘Demand’ = housing
required for sale or rent
• ‘Need’ = unable to access
housing without assistance
• Develop long-term strategic
views.... [and] appraise
strategic options
• To think spatially
• Deliver “robust and
credible” reports
Typical core outputs (MKC) :
- Estimates of current
dwellings
- Analysis of past & current
market trends
- Estimate future number of
households
- Estimate of current
households in need
- Estimate of households
requiring market housing
- Estimate of the size of
affordable housing required
- Estimate of household
groups who have particular
requirements
SHMAs in ESRC study (1)
• Study area is a part of two
previous UK regions (UK
government does not now
support ‘regional’ concept)
• East Midlands region, with
Northamptonshire
containing seven local
councils, in two HMAs
• South East region,
containing the unitary
authority of Milton Keynes
in an HMA by itself
SHMAs in ESRC study (2)
• Dates of assessments :
- NN 2007 / 2012 update
- WN 2010
- MK 2008 / 2013 update
• Context from Regional Plans,
and feeding into Core Spatial
Strategies
• Individual local authorities
tied into joint collaborative
work and data collections
Indicative reports in study area
• Projections of population
and growth
• Use of primary or
secondary data
• Role of affordable housing
++
• Single adult households
increasing
• Unpalatable results to
suppliers
• Influence from
government policy
Drawbacks in SHMA practice
• SHMAs as useful aid to
‘territorial development’?
• Inconsistent approach to
practical assessments
• ‘Needs’ based model not
inclusive of wider ‘market
drivers’
• Debates on “robust &
credible” : results amended
to suit local stakeholders
• Small scope to steer
meaningful ‘interventions’
Government amendments 2012/3
• Retained role in National
Planning Policy Framework
• New SHMA draft: assess
“housing & economic
development needs”
• Evidence future quantity of
market and affordable units
• Include housing scale, mix &
tenure across the market
• Separate draft of new duty
for “land assessment”
Market areas to be now
deduced from datasets:
- House prices and rates
of change in house prices
- Household migration
and search patterns
- Contextual data :
e.g. travel to work
boundaries; retail and
school catchment areas
Unaddressed SHMA shortfalls
• Likely to be passive
summaries of area data
• Limited assessment of
household aspirations
• Small regard for business
drivers : viability / supply
• Overly ‘fluid’ approach to
boundary changes
• Limited engagement with
local communities
Suggestions to revise SHMA approach
• Assessments must look at
all aspirations and drivers
• Combine household, supply,
land, viability & community
inputs into one holistic tool
• Promote neighbourhoods as
fundamental to market
compositions
• Connect HMA context with
specific support for local
economic policies
• Detail the basis and scope
for legitimate local ‘market
intervention’
Bob’s comments:
• Make a more specific list of
what should be in future
assessments:
- Land ownership, suppliers
sub-sections, costs and
prices, etc.
- Simple description of the
new stock required
- relevance of parts to an
holistic whole
Concluding remarks
• Debate continues about
strong or weak markets
Bob’s comments:
• ‘Failing market’ subsumed
Re-orientate concluding
within UK ‘delivery crisis’
remarks on future SHMAs
• Need remains to have
into making them much
tools to dissect localities
more dynamic, and
effective as market
• Frameworks must focus
analysis & influence
on sensible interventions
• SHMAs currently focused
on ‘assessment’ and not
enough on ‘strategy’
References
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ESRC project ES/I038632/1 : “Tensions and Future Prospects for Sustainable Housing Growth”
DETR (2006) : Planning Policy Statement 3 : Housing [PPS3]
DCLG (2007) : Strategic Housing Market Assessments – Practice Guidance, Version 2
DCLG (2010) : Housing Market Areas and Regional Spatial Geographies
DCLG (2012) : National Planning Policy Framework
DCLG (2013) : Assessment of housing and economic development needs,
http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk, August – October 2013
DCLG (2013) : Land Assessment Guidance, http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk, August –
October 2013
TSO (2011) : Localism Act 2011, www.legislation.gov.uk
E Ferrari, D L Laughlin & C Watkins (2011) : Planning and the Housing Market : reflections on
strategic housing market assessment in England, Town Planning Review, 82(4), 2011, p393 - 423
S Hinks & M Baker (2013) : Housing Market Areas and the strategic planning of housing In England,
Town Planning Review, 84(1), 2013, p127 – 152
KPMG / Shelter (2013) : Homes for the next generation : Lessons from the West Midlands,
www.kpmg.com/uk
North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (2012) : SHMA Update, August 2012