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Affordable Home-Buyer's Register

Background

Delivering Affordable Housing for local people is a major corporate priority for the Borough Council.  Because of the deepening affordability problem locally, the Council is looking to further increase the supply of affordable housing.

The Council can use its planning powers to achieve more affordable housing by :-

• Altering its Planning policies so that more sites provide more affordable housing (we have recently consulted on a revised "interim" policy to this effect)
• Allocating sites in the Local Development Framework solely for affordable housing (an option which will need to be considered in the forthcoming LDF).
• In exceptional circumstances, it can grant planning permission for the development of sites currently outside the development boundaries of settlements in the adopted Local Plan, which would not normally be approved.  Provided these sites are acceptable in planning terms, and they are solely for affordable housing, they may receive planning permission.

Promoting Exceptions Sites

The Council also firmly believes that there are landowners who would be prepared to consider releasing their land for Exceptions affordable housing, provided this is attractive financially, and that there was some benefit in terms of meeting the needs of local people.

The Council (in its Strategic Housing role) has therefore resolved to help facilitate the development of suitable "Exceptions" affordable housing sites in Oswestry Borough.

Evidence of Needs

The first "barrier" to Exceptions Sites coming forward is having the evidence of the need for affordable housing locally.  We are aware that many households need rented accommodation (from our Housing Waiting List), but we do not have firm evidence of the need for affordable homes to purchase.  This information is essential for any proposed exceptions site, and is required by our Planning colleagues in order to justify the granting of planning permission for development which would not normally be permitted.

Exhibitions

We are therefore holding exhibitions across the Borough during November and early December in order to quantify and assess the levels of need for Affordable Housing, primarily for homes to purchase.

Further information about these events can be found below, or you can download a colour copy of the press advertisement (which will be appearing soon) and a copy of the Council's press release on the subject.

At the exhibitions, people who are likely to need an affordable home to purchase will be able to join a new "Affordable Home-Buyers' Register".  A special form has been designed for this purpose.  Copies of the form will be available for people to complete on the day or to take away with them.  People will also be able to register on-line from the 12th November, via a link at the bottom of this page.