Affordable Housing SPD

(5)Rural And Entry Level Exception Sites

Rural Exception Sites

Paragraph 71 of the NPPF allows small groups of affordable homes to be built, subject to planning permission, in rural settlements to meet the needs of that settlement on sites where housing development would not normally be allowed. Local Plan Policy H3 sets out the requirements for the circumstances which must be demonstrated to define a site as a rural exception site. These circumstances are considered in greater detail below.

H3 (a) Housing need

Needs Surveys may be carried out as part of a Parish Plan or as a one-off housing needs assessment/ appraisal or survey. The involvement of the Parish Council is desirable but not essential. Some needs surveys are carried out by Warwickshire Rural Housing Association which is the main provider of rural affordable housing in Warwick District. A Housing Needs Survey is only ever a "snapshot" of housing need in an area and in determining whether the information in a Needs Survey is still valid the Council will consider:

• the age of the survey;
• the size of the settlement; and
• the extent to which there has been any change in the supply of affordable housing since it was carried out

Surveys should normally cover the parish in which the housing is to be provided. Surveys must aim to gather information on the realistic, rather than aspirational, housing needs of residents. They must

aim to gather information on existing housing circumstances; future housing requirements; disposable income and savings; and links with the village/parish. The results should also be able to show that any genuine housing need cannot be met in any other way. Although surveys could be carried out of the needs of clusters of settlements/parishes, ultimately the information should be analysed on an individual settlement/parish basis because the affordable housing must meet the needs of the settlement in which it is located.

Further advice and information on carrying out, and interpreting the results of, a housing needs survey can be obtained from Warwickshire Rural Housing Association and/ or the Rural Housing Enabler for Warwickshire.

Where an existing HNA exists there is no requirement for the developer to undertake another – see Local Validation List.

H3 (b) Size, Design and Location of the Scheme

In Warwick District rural sites tend to accommodate less than 8 dwellings mainly because villages are small in size. The acceptability of sites, in terms of size, will therefore depend upon:

• the level of the identified need;
• the nature and size of the existing settlement; and
• the nature and size of the site and the way in which it relates to the existing settlement

All the dwellings must meet an identified need in a recent survey. However, notwithstanding the level of need, only small scale developments will be allowed and these should blend well into the existing settlement.

The design and layout of the scheme should be essentially rural in character and should integrate well with the styles and materials which predominate in the surrounding area. Although the development may be an exception in terms of settlement policy, the scheme should comply with all other planning policies contained within the Local Plan and, where applicable, the Neighbourhood Plan.

The scheme must be located within, or adjoining, an existing settlement with at least one of the basic services, as detailed in para 4.34 of the Local Plan. Rural exception housing will not normally be allowed in, or adjoining, settlements without one of the basic services. Where proposals are put forward in such settlements, very strong justification will be required as to why affordable housing is appropriate in this location. Proposals in the open countryside will not be acceptable.

Rural Exception Sites in the Green Belt

A large proportion of the rural area of Warwick District is designated as Green Belt. The Government accepts rural exception schemes in the Green Belt but greater controls are needed to ensure that the fundamental objectives of the Green Belt are not harmed – in particular, the retention of the open nature and rural character of the countryside.

Entry level exception sites

Paragraph 71 of the NPPF sets out a new requirement for local planning authorities to support the development of entry-level exception sites. Such developments are intended to provide housing suitable for first time buyers or those looking to rent their first home where there is a need to be met, that isn't being met elsewhere. Such sites should comprise entry level homes that offer one or more types of affordable housing as defined in Annex 2 of the NPPF.

The additional physical requirements of entry-level exception sites, are broadly similar to the requirements of local plan policy H1(d), for building in the open countryside.

Obtaining Planning Permission for rural exception sites

Applicants should hold discussions with the Council's Housing and Planning Officers at the earliest opportunity in order to establish whether the site, the subject of a planning application, is suitable for affordable housing. The applicant should involve the local community in drawing up the scheme.

The information which must be supplied with a valid planning application is set out in the Local Validation List. This sets out when and what type of information is required, and this is aligned with the requirements of the Local Plan and this SPD.

Applications should be accompanied by the findings of the housing needs survey with an indication of which specific needs will be met. It is because the housing is aimed at meeting specific needs that the permission will only be valid for 2 years – beyond this period, the specific needs of the village/parish may have changed. However, since many rural exception schemes depend upon external funding, a 3- year permission will be considered if this is essential in order to allow sufficient time to apply for, and receive, the funding.

The owners of the affordable homes will be expected to enter into a planning (Section 106) Agreement with the Council to ensure that:

• development is not commenced until contracts for the purchase of the land have been exchanged with an agreed provider;
• the affordable dwellings are only occupied by persons who qualify as being in housing need and who have a local connection
• the affordable dwellings are not sold outright to any occupier A template Section 106 agreement is provided as Appendix iii