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Policy H26: 'Rural Exceptions Scheme'

In exceptional circumstances, planning permission may be granted for the development of dwellings on sites within and/or adjoining existing settlements where housing would not normally be permitted, provided that:

1. The proposed housing is affordable housing, as defined below;

2. The proposed housing is intended to meet the needs identified in the Council's 1998 Housing Needs Survey, as amended from time to time, or for people in one of the following categories :

a. people currently resident in the locality who wish to set up a separate household

b. people with long-standing links with the local community.

c. people with the offer of employment locally

d. people whose work provides important services and who need to live closer to the local community

e. people leaving tied accommodation

3. The needs cannot be met by housing available elsewhere in the locality;

4. The dwellings are subject to secure arrangements that they will remain affordable and available to persons qualifying under (2) above at subsequent sale or change of occupier.

5. The scale and design of the proposals are appropriate to the location.

6. The proposals include a mix of affordable housing types - including family houses and houses for smaller households - where the need for such dwellings is established by the 1998 Housing Needs Survey, as amended from time to time.

3.179 - The Borough Council's Housing Needs Survey, first published in 1998 revealed that there is a need for new affordable housing in the rural area of the Borough.  Apart from the potential supply of such housing secured through Policy H27 , there may be cases where development of sites which would not normally receive planning permission for housing development could be exceptionally released. 

3.180 - Any sites developed as a result of this policy would be regarded as additional to the normal provision for housing development in the Local Plan.

DEFINITION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

3.181 - For the purpose of this Policy, 'affordable housing' means:- 'Either low cost market or subsidised housing (irrespective of tenure ownership - whether exclusive or shared, or financial arrangements) that will be available to people who cannot afford to occupy houses generally available on the open market.'

3.182 - This will be expressed in terms of house prices and rental levels deemed to be affordable locally from time to time, by reference to evidence from the 1998 Housing Needs Survey (as amended from time to time) of incomes and local market conditions.

HOUSING AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE

3.183 - In order to receive support, proposed exceptions schemes must clearly establish that the local housing needs cannot be met by housing currently available (or likely to be built in the near future) in the locality. The Borough Council will consider what other housing is available in the village or parish, and will also assess its cost relative to the proposed cost of the exceptions housing. If there is little difference in cost to those in need no exception will be made.

3.184 - Some assessment of individual persons' income will be necessary in order to establish that the affordable housing scheme represents their only means of finding housing in the vicinity.

3.185 - This policy is designed to deal with the more remote areas in the west and south of the Borough, where there is likely to be a limited supply of new dwellings, especially ones which are affordable to those in need. The north and east of the Borough are well served by larger villages (including Weston Rhyn, St. Martins, Gobowen, Whittington and West Felton) within which there should be an adequate range and choice of new housing available, including affordable housing developed as a result of Policy H27.  As a result, proposed 'exceptions' affordable housing schemes in the north and east of the Borough, and indeed on the edge of any large settlement named in policies H5 to H7 , would be unlikely to receive support.

AFFORDABLE IN THE LONG TERM

3.186 - In line with Government advice, it is very important that where different planning decisions have been taken in the interests of securing affordable housing, such housing should remain affordable in the long term, so that the community benefit on which the decision was based is protected.

3.187 - The most appropriate way of achieving this is by the involvement of a Registered Social Landlord in the ownership or management of the scheme, but this may not always be possible. Alternatively, the Borough Council could consider schemes privately owned but managed by Charitable Trusts with representatives from the local Parish and Borough Councils.

3.188 - Alternatively, the Borough Council could become involved by being granted a long lease on the land, at a peppercorn rent, and then sub-leasing each individual plot back to the occupier subject to a condition regarding occupancy.

3.189 - Proposals which offer the benefits of affordability to the initial occupier only are unlikely to receive support.

OCCUPANCY CONTROLS

3.190 - Were a Registered Social Landlord is involved in the ownership or management of a particular scheme, this would normally be sufficient to control occupancy and will, in most cases, be the preferred approach.  However, in order to secure the availability of these properties as affordable dwellings in perpetuity, under no circumstance should dwellings so provided be sold on the open market at a future date.

3.191 - In the case of schemes not involving a Registered Social Landlord, the Council will impose conditions or seek planning obligations which control the future occupancy of the dwellings, in accordance with the policy.  In order to avoid difficulties with obtaining finance for schemes, and to ensure that suitable occupants are found, a cascade approach to conditions or obligations will be adopted.  Initially, eligibility criteria would be restricted to people resident in the same village as the proposal, then in the same parish, then in adjoining parishes and then elsewhere in the Borough.  If the housing remained unallocated (in the case of rental housing for 4-weeks, or owner occupied or shared-ownership for 3 months) then the criteria could widen to include adjoining local authority areas.

LOCATIONAL FACTOR

3.192 - The site in question must be located within, adjoining or adjacent to a group of several dwellings which together form a recognisable settlement containing some basic community facilities and services (e.g. shop/post office, bus service, church, public house etc.). Remote clusters of development and/or small  settlements with no basic facilities or services would not be an appropriate location for affordable housing, as the benefits of affordability could be offset by disadvantages of isolation. Such schemes would also be contrary to the sustainable development strategy.  The site must itself form an integral part of that settlement, being neither clearly detached from the built-up area nor part of a different landscape. The Borough Council will take account of the existing character and setting of the settlement, and the contribution made to it by the application site. Proposals which involve the development of open frontages (either within or adjoining a settlement) which make an important contribution to the settlement's overall character or setting are unlikely to receive support.

3.193 - Of equal importance is the scale of proposed development compared with the present size and function of the settlement. The number of proposed new dwellings will be very carefully controlled in order to ensure that the character of the settlement is not adversely affected by over-development, and to reflect the level of public services and facilities available in the settlement.

DESIGN OF SCHEMES

3.194 - Proposals must be designed so as to blend in with the existing built environment. The design, detailing and materials of construction of new buildings must be compatible with existing dwellings in the settlement.

MIX OF HOUSING TYPES

3.195 - New developments should ensure a mix of dwelling types designed to meet the full range of affordable housing needs identified by the housing needs Survey in the locality.

SINGLE DWELLINGS

3.196 - Where proposals are put forward under this policy for single affordable dwellings, the Council will impose an upper size limit on the properties (expressed in terms of the floor space or the number of bedrooms) and will require that future changes of occupancy are restricted to people who meet the criteria of need in the 1998 Housing Needs Survey as amended from time to time and in criterion 2) of this policy.

Policy H27: Affordable Housing On Allocated & Windfall Housing Sites
Back To Section 6: Affordable Housing Policies
Back To Local Plan 1996-2006