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Chapter 3: Housing Development

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION

Topics Covered in this Chapter

3.1 - This chapter sets out planning policies and proposals which will guide and control new housing development in the Borough over the plan period.

3.2 - For the purpose of this Local Plan, new housing development includes the creation of new dwelling units by :

• New house building on previously undeveloped land, including
• 'Infill' development of one or two dwellings within the frontage of existing development
• The development of small parcels of land for groups of 3 or more houses
• Larger new housing estates on green-field sites
• The redevelopment of land currently in other uses to provide new housing
• Tthe conversion of existing non-residential buildings to provide single dwellings or flats
• The sub-division of existing dwellings to provide additional dwelling units
  

3.3 - The chapter includes policies which seek to control the amount, location, and standard of new housing development which will occur in the Borough over the plan period. It also covers the following housing-related  issues :

• The needs of people with disabilities
• Extensions to existing dwellings
• Replacement of existing dwellings with new Siting of temporary caravans in domestic curtilages
• Agricultural or forestry workers' dwellings
• Special housing needs
• Affordable housing
• Residential caravans & mobile homes
• Gypsy sites
• Residential & Nursing Homes.
  

Aims Of The Local Plan

3.4 - As setout in Chapter 2, the aims of the Local Plan policies on housing development are :

'To provide sufficient opportunities for new housing development in order to meet the envisaged scale and range of housing needs, including affordable housing, over the plan period.' and

'To direct the great majority of new housing development to Oswestry Town and the larger villages in order to promote a sustainable form of development, strengthen existing local centres, reduce the overall need to travel and protect the environment of the Borough.'

3.5 - The Local Plan also aims to 'Promote a pattern of development which will help to reduce the overall need to travel and encourage the use of modes of travel other than the private car '

3.6 - These aims will be achieved by implementing planning policies and proposals which will:

• i. control the amount of new housing development which will occur in the Borough over the plan period
• ii. allocate sites for new housing development within settlements, and define the settlement boundaries for development purposes
• iii. guide the creation of dwellings through means other than new building
• iv. set out how any special housing needs may be me
• v. explain the development standards required for all housing developments
• vi. set out the restrictions which apply to housing development in the countryside outside settlements
  

The Local Housing Market

3.14 - Overall during the last decade, the Borough of Oswestry has experienced a steady house building rate, with a good range and choice of house types and locations. In the 7 years between 1989 and 1996 (the start date of the Plan) just under 1500 dwellings were built in the Borough of Oswestry, representing 212 completions per year.  It would also appear that the Oswestry housing market is fairly robust, as building rates were maintained during the late 1980's and early 1990's, when the country as a whole and the national housing market in particular was in a period of recession.

3.15 - The Borough Council believes that it played a significant role in this process, by ensuring as Planning Authority that there was a good range and choice of land for development in appropriate locations available at all times.

THE NEED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE

Sources of Future Demand

3.16 - The Borough of Oswestry is an attractive area in which to live and work, and therefore, over the next decade, further new housing development will be required to meet a wide range of housing needs.

3.17 - The most significant source of demand for new houses will be from migration of people into the Borough. Oswestry will continue to be a net importer of population, without which the population of the Borough would remain static or decline. Although some in-migrants will be accommodated within the existing housing stock, there will still be a need for further housing development in order to cater for the overall need.

3.18 - There will also be a continuing need for new housing development to cater for demands from the indigenous population. A considerable proportion of the need and demand for new housing will occur as a result of the fall in average household size, which is projected to continue declining.  New households will be created within the existing population as a result of young persons leaving family accommodation, through couples getting married and through an increasing trend in separation and divorce.  Elderly people will also constitute a growing proportion of total households. Therefore, whilst the local population may not actually be growing in numerical terms, the number of new households being created will increase, adding to the demand for new homes.

THE ROLE OF THE LOCAL PLAN

The Council's Enabling Role

3.19 - As stated earlier, the Borough Council has become less directly involved in the actual building of new houses, primarily because of the lack of finance available for this purpose, as a result of current Government policy. Instead, through its role as local Planning Authority, the Council will enable other organisations (principally the private house building industry) to meet housing needs.

The Need to Comply With the Local Plan

3.20 - All new housing development requires planning permission from the Borough Council. All planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.  The Borough Council must therefore ensure that these policies and proposals are realistic and achievable, and that they will result in sufficient opportunities in the right places for the Borough's future housing needs to be met.

Managing Change

3.21 - Inevitably, meeting housing needs will involve change. Existing communities will be directly affected, particularly as undeveloped land in settlements is taken up for new housing development. However, these communities must be prepared to play their part by accepting new housing development where this is necessary and appropriate.

3.22 - The Borough Council will manage this change by operating Local Plan policies which will ensure that, whilst meeting needs, the quality of life of the existing population and the special character of the Borough of Oswestry are not adversely affected, and that the Council's wider environmental responsibilities are met.

THE LOCAL PLAN APPROACH

How Much New Housing?

3.23 - The actual amount of new housing development required in the Borough of Oswestry during the plan period is set out in the approved Shropshire County Structure Plan, and is based on analysis by the County Council of likely future trends in migration, natural population growth and new household formation.

3.24 - The Structure Plan concludes that there will be a need for just under 2400 new dwellings in the Borough of Oswestry between 1993 and 2006, which is an average of around 180 new dwellings per year. 

Where Should New Housing be Located?

3.25 - The Council's first priority has been to protect the most sensitive and attractive parts of the Borough from development. In line with National Planning Policy Guidance, and the policies in the County Structure Plan, housing development in open countryside will be very strictly controlled.

3.26 - Instead, the Borough Council will direct the vast majority of new development to those settlements in the Borough which have the physical and environmental capacity to absorb different levels of housing growth. A total of 24 settlements within the Borough are identified as being suitable locations for varying levels of new housing development.

3.27 - For each of these 24 settlements, an Inset Map is included in this document, following Chapter 12. These Inset Maps show :

• i. development boundaries which establish the limits to growth of settlements. Development outside these boundaries will be strongly resisted.
• ii. sites which are allocated for housing development, including those sites which already have planning permission.
• iii. sites which make an important contribution to the character of  settlements, and which will be protected from development.

Sustainable Development

3.28 - Another important factor in determining where new housing development should be located is the Council's objective of achieving a sustainable pattern of development in the Borough, (as set out in Chapter 2) and, in particular, influencing the number of journeys made by car. The Local Plan aims to achieve this by :

Directing a large proportion of development to the Oswestry urban area, where services, facilities and employment are concentrated, and where opportunities exist for essential journeys to be made by means other than the private car, and

Directing the majority of development in the rural area to several large rural villages which offer some local services and employment, and which have good public transport links to other centres.

THE TYPE OF NEW HOUSING REQUIRED

3.29 - Meeting housing needs is not only about the number and location of new housing development, the Borough Council must also consider the type of housing which will be required in the future. The housing market is extremely varied, and there will be a demand for a wide range of housing types and tenures. There may be certain categories of housing need emerging during the plan period which would not normally be met by the private sector house building industry. The Local Plan therefore includes policies which are intended to address different elements of the housing market, particularly those who require affordable housing, or who have other 'special' housing needs.

Allowance for Flexibility

3.30 - The Borough Council has calculated the total number of new dwellings which could be built in the Borough over the plan period. This estimate includes sites which already have planning permission, undeveloped 'green-field' sites, and also an estimate of the number likely to come forward from other means, such as redevelopment, conversions of buildings, infill development and the subdivision of existing dwellings.

3.31 - However, not all potential housing sites are certain to be developed during the plan period, and therefore the plan has built in a degree of flexibility in its new housing land allocations by allocating around 20% more new sites than are actually required to meet housing requirements. 

3.32 - This degree of 'over-allocation' is essential in order to ensure that the new dwellings target is achieved.

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