INDUSTRY NEWS 5
Homes England partnerships set to deliver thousands of affordable units
A strategic partnership between Homes England and eight housing associations has been announced, the first wave of which is targets deliver 14,280 new affordable homes by March 2022.
Revised National Planning Policy Framework published
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been revised by the Ministry of Housing, including new rules intended to make it easier for councils to challenge poor quality development, and provide communities with a greater voice on how developments should look and feel. A total of 85 of the proposals set out in the housing White Paper and the Autumn Budget have been included in the new framework, with the new ‘rule book’ focusing on “promoting the high quality design of new homes and places, stronger protection for the environment, building the right number of homes in the right places, and greater responsibility and accountability for housing delivery from councils and developers.”
While the framework sets the strategic direction for driving up new build quality, it will remain up to councils to apply these policies in the most appropriate way for their area, with the reasoning that they are well placed to know their area’s unique character and setting.
SME builders have also been addressed, with the revision of “small sites” to “small and medium sites.” In addition, where the NPPF previously stated that 20 per cent of sites identified for housing should be half a hectare or less, now councils should identify “at least 10 per cent of their housing requirement on sites no larger than one hectare.” In addition, it adds that neighbourhood planning groups “should also consider the opportunities for allocat-
ing small and medium-sized” for housing in their area. To help tackle unaffordable house prices, the updated NPPF “sets out a new way for councils to calculate the housing need of their local community (including different forms of housing, such as retirement homes), based on factors such as the affordability of existing homes for people on lower and medium incomes.” From November 2018, councils will have a Housing Delivery Test, focused on increasing numbers of homes in their area, “rather than how many are planned for.” Also, “clearer guidance” on infrastructure and affordable housing for both developers and councils will be published. The framework has also been updated to provide further protection for biodiver- sity, intended to align the planning system more closely with Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan. Along with this, the Government has “more explicitly outlined the protection of the Green Belt in England,” with the revisions stating that “all reasonable options for development are exhausted before looking to alter a Green Belt boundary.”
Secretary of State for Communities, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP commented: “Fundamental to building the homes our country needs is ensuring that our planning system is fit for the future.
“I am clear that quantity must never compromise the quality of what is built, and this is reflected in the new rules.”
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The eight partners have signed up to deliver more than 23,500 additional homes across all tenures, including for market sale. In total, Homes England has said it will provide a funding package of just under £590m through to March 2022 to support the first wave of strategic with the eight associations: Great Places, Home Group, Hyde, L&Q, Matrix Partnership, Places for People, and Sovereign / Liverty. The housing associations have all committed to significant increases in their development programmes, in exchange for an additional year’s funding beyond the current spending review settlement, as well as the ability to use their funding flexibly across their development programme in response to the ebb and flow of progress on individual sites. They will also be able to respond to local markets by determining the tenure of affordable homes as they near completion on individual sites, by managing the overall tenure balance through the oversight of a Strategic Partnership Board with Homes England. Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire commented on the announcement: “There is no mission more urgent than making our housing market work, and we are investing £9bn in building affordable homes.
“This £590m fund we are giving Homes England will help housing associations accelerate the delivery of affordable proper- ties communities need.”
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