AGENDA ITEM NO:
REPORT OF:
HEAD OF POLICY & COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
AUTHOR:
Julia Dawe
TELEPHONE:
01737 276168
E-MAIL:
julia.dawe@reigate-banstead.gov.uk
TO:
PLANNING COMMITTEE
DATE:
22 February 2006
18
WARDS AFFECTED:
ALL
SUBJECT:
DRAFT PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 3: HOUSING
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT:
To inform Members about the draft policy statement note
and to recommend a response to the ODPM’s consultation
request
RECOMMENDATION:
1.
The Committee is requested to consider the changes proposed in the draft
Planning Policy Statement 3 – Housing, and note the recommended response.
Background
1
The Government is consulting local planning authorities on draft Planning Policy
Statement 3 - Housing (PPS3), which would replace Planning Policy Guidance 3 Housing (PPG3), published in March 2000.
2
The statement seeks “to make planning more responsive to housing need and
demand, ensuring everyone has the opportunity of a decent home, which they can
afford, in a community where they want to live”. To this end the planning system is
directed to be used to its maximum effect to ensure the delivery of a variety and
choice of homes that are well designed, make the best use of land, are energy
efficient, make the most of new building technologies and help to deliver sustainable
development. This report summarises the new guidance and sets out this Council’s
response to the consultations.
3
The document will replace both PPG3 and Circular 6/98 - Affordable Housing, and
will be accompanied by detailed practice guidance. It is expected that PPS3 will be
published in its final form in Summer 2006. A companion guide is intended to
accompany it, for which there is no draft yet. As with all planning policy statements, it
contains considerably less detail than its predecessor.
4
A substantial part of the document is aimed at directing policy formulation. However,
as paragraph 41 states, in advance of the Council’s policies being reviewed in the
light of this document, policies in the statement are a material consideration, and may
carry greater weight than the relevant policies in the Development Plan. For this
reason the document is significant as it may influence decision-making on individual
planning applications in advance of new policies being formulated.
Summary of Changes
5
Many features of the draft PPS3 are familiar, such as the better use of brownfield
sites, achieving regional housing targets, and applying density standards. The key
points of interest include:
Housing Supply – The statement requires local planning authorities to identify a
rolling supply of a minimum of five years’ worth of land for housing development. In
future allocations must be developable within the 5-year period. This means that
they must be available, suitable (i.e. the most sustainable option) and viable
economically. The Local Development Framework should also allocate land for the
following 10 years wherever possible. In terms of the housing supply in Reigate &
Banstead, due to outstanding permissions and the large allocations in Horley, this
rolling supply is already known. Therefore this methodology is considered to be
acceptable.
Housing Mix – The housing mix should be determined at the local level to ensure a
balance of housing types across the area. The statement emphasises the importance
of a broad mix of housing types on larger sites. For smaller sites, the mix of housing
should contribute to the creation of mixed communities. For large sites it is for local
authorities to define the character and mix which they envisage for the site. This
enables design briefs, which have often been prepared for the larger development
sites in the Borough, to be more prescriptive about housing types and tenures, which
is welcomed.
Site Density – The statement takes a more detailed approach to housing density than
the previous guidance note. There would be four categories of density ranges: city
centre; urban; suburban; and rural area. These areas all have indicative density
range, with minimum and maximum indicative density targets. The density ranges
can be used to guide planning decisions. In the long term however local planning
authorities are encouraged to set appropriate density ranges for identified locations.
Design – The statement closely follows the guidance in PPS1, which seeks high
quality inclusive design and layout. Local planning authorities are encouraged to
develop design codes to achieve better quality design guidance. Good quality design
is considered to include not only the appearance of the development but also how it
addresses matters such as public health, crime prevention and sustainability.
Parking - The statement deletes the current guidance that car parking standards that
result on average in development of more than 1.5 off-street parking spaces per
dwelling would fail to secure sustainable residential environments. Local planning
authorities are now encouraged to develop parking policies for their own areas
having regard to expected car ownership for planned housing in different locations,
the efficient use of land, and the importance of promoting good design. This may help
redress the balance that often has to be struck in developments between supporting
sustainability while recognising pressure for parking provision. It is suggested that
local planning authorities should develop parking policies for their area, having
regard to expected car ownership, efficient use of land and good design. This more
flexible approach is welcomed.
Affordable Housing- As the statement would cancel Circular 6/98 (Planning and
Affordable Housing) it includes replacement advice, definitions and guidelines on
affordable housing provision. It advises that the threshold above which affordable
housing should be sought will be for local planning authorities to set, based on local
circumstances. Currently the threshold in Circular 6/98 is to seek affordable housing
on schemes of 25 units or more, or on sites of 1 hectare or more. The draft statement
suggests an indicative national minimum threshold of 15 units, although lower level
could be set where this can be justified. Given the need for affordable housing in the
Borough the lower national minimum threshold is welcomed to enable affordable
housing to be provided on smaller sites. The statement, unlike the previous
guidance, emphasises the importance that the supply of intermediate housing for key
workers plays in the housing market and encourages the provision of this type of
housing.
6
The issues which the statement has enlarged upon are those which have become
contentious planning issues since the publication of the first housing guidance note.
The Local Development Framework (LDF) process, which has just started in this
Borough with the identification of issues and options, has identified problems such as
parking standards and the quality of design as matters that need to be addressed
alongside housing provision. The Council has already been proactive in addressing
some of these issues. Some work has already been started to examine density
policies and design guides. Parking standards are identified to be reviewed in the
future as part of the LDF process. This existing work plan is in accordance with the
new requirements of the statement identified above.
Resource Implications
7
The resource implications arising from the new statement will largely be as a result of
additional policy formulation. This would undertaken and could be absorbed in the
formulation of the LDF. Therefore the additional reporting is expected to be largely
met by existing revenue budgets and staffing levels provided for the LDF.
Conclusions
8
Although the policy guidance on housing is shortened in this document, more detail is
provided in key areas such as parking and densities, which would be useful. It is
recommended that Reigate & Banstead Borough Council support proposed Planning
Policy Statement 3: Housing. A short letter will be written outlining the reasons for
supporting the changes, as detailed in this report.
Background Papers:
Consultation Paper on draft Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) –
Housing, December 2005 (available in the Members’ room)