Housing

Reform of the planning system under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) includes replacing planning policy guidance notes with new-style planning policy statements. Of key interest to those working in housebuilding is Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3), which is due to be adopted later in the year. Here are seven steps to understanding the guidance, which is currently in draft form.

Plan-making policy guidance

When PPS3 is adopted it should be taken into account by regional planning bodies when preparing revisions to regional spatial strategies (RSS); by local planning authorities in preparing local development frameworks (LDF); and as a material consideration to decisions on individual planning applications.

The key obectives are to:

• ensure that a wide choice of housing type is available, for both affordable and market housing;
• deliver a better balance between housing demand and supply in every housing market and to improve affordability; and
• create sustainable, inclusive, mixed communities in all areas and ensure that developments are attractive, safe and designed and built to a high quality.

Regional spatial strategies

The guidance sets out the issues that regional planning bodies need to address when preparing RSS. It states that such strategies should give the net level of housing provision for the region for 15 to 20 years, and identify the region’s previously developed land, housing and density targets.

Draft PPS3 also aims to introduce a new approach to setting housing numbers, by using sub-regional housing market areas as the basis for planning new housing rather than local administrative boundaries. Although it is unclear how these markets are to be identified, PPS3 does outline how they would operate. For example, in areas where demand for housing is high, the guidance suggests regional planning bodies should aim to increase housing supply by exploring and identifying growth areas, growth points, new freestanding settlements and major urban extensions. Where demand for housing is low, the focus should be on urban renewal and the replacement of housing stock.

Each sub-region should also have an affordable housing target that includes an appropriate mix of household types.

Local development frameworks

The guidance states that LDFs and their associated local development plan documents should set out a strategy for housing provision within the context of the relevant sub-regional housing market area.

In summary LDFs should:

• outline the level of housing provision for the plan period in accordance with the RSS;
• set out the housing trajectory, and for the following 10 years allocate land wherever possible; where this is not possible the core strategy should indicate broad areas of land for future growth;
• allocate sufficient land and buildings for housing and mixed-use development to deliver the first five years of the housing trajectory, taking into account a windfall allowance only where it is not possible to allocate sufficient land;
• outline a local strategy for bringing forward and developing brownfield sites, including a target for brownfield development over the plan period and the density ranges;
• set affordable housing targets outlining targets for social rented and intermediate housing;

Most notably, when local planning authorities are assessing the potential of sites for housing, to be considered developable a site will have to be available, suitable and viable, with the highest priority given to brownfield redevelopment.

Efficient use of land

Local planning authorities should make full use of their compulsory purchase powers and work with key stakeholders to bring forward brownfield sites for development. Annex C sets out criteria for assessing the choice of appropriate levels of density for an area. Minimum density should not be less than 30 dwellings per hectare.

Affordable housing

In the draft, the government defines affordable housing as including social rented and intermediate housing and states that sub-regional housing market assessments should help to determine whether affordable housing is required and should guide level, size, type and location. Separate targets should also be set for social rented and intermediate housing, while local authorities are required to set a minimum site-size threshold for affordable housing. The presumption is that affordable housing should be provided on the application site.

Designing for quality

The draft guidance encourages high-quality inclusive design and layout. It identifies a key material consideration to be whether a development positively improves the character and environmental quality of an area.

Managing delivery and development

The guidance states that local planning authorities and applicants should engage in pre-application discussions in order to ensure that housing proposals are well designed and provide an appropriate mix of housing. It also says that when considering planning applications for housing which are received in advance of the relevant development plan document being reviewed, local planning authorities should take into account the policies in PPS3 as material considerations as they may carry greater weight than the relevant policies in the development plan.