Affordable Housing - Council Guidance on applying PPS3
Guidance on Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) - Housing
Policy
What is the purpose of PPS3? - Planning Policy
Statement 3 (PPS3) sets out the national planning policy framework
for delivering the government's housing objectives and improving
the supply of affordable housing.
What is the key change from the old guidance? - In
setting policy for the provision of affordable housing, Paragraph 9
of the new PPS3 stipulates: 'The national indicative minimum site
size threshold is 15 dwellings. However, Local
Planning Authorities can set lower minimum thresholds, where viable
and practical, including in rural areas'.
What status does PPS3 have? - Paragraph 68 says: 'When
making planning decisions for housing developments after
1st April 2007, Local Planning Authorities should have
regard to the policies in this statement as material considerations
which may supersede the polices in existing Development
Plans'.
How does this affect our Local Plan Policy? - PPS3
effectively supersedes Policy H21 in Peterborough City Council's
Local Plan, which was adopted on 20 July 2005.
Under that 2005 plan developers were required to make a Section 106
contribution towards affordable housing when the number of homes
being built reached a 'threshold' point of 25 units in urban areas
or 15 units in rural areas. (Current guidance is
that 30 per cent of all such developments should be 'affordable
homes'.)
When did the new Statement come into effect? - as set
out in PPS3, since 1st April 2007 planning officers at
Peterborough City Council have expected developers to adhere to a
threshold for affordable housing contributions of 15 units,
irrespective of whether they are in urban or rural locations.
Is there scope to negotiate? - Yes. But any proposed
departure from Policy muse be backed by clear, strong and auditable
evidence to justify making an exception to the policy.
When will this be included in the specific Development
Plans for Peterborough? - Paragraph 6 of PPS3 states: 'The
policies in this PPS should be taken into account by Local Planning
Authorities and Regional Planning Bodies in the preparation of
their Local Development Documents and Regional Spatial
Strategies'.
What are other Councils doing about this? - Liaison
with Government Office for the East of England (GO-East) indicates
that other local authorities are also adjusting their Local Plans
to conform to PPS3.
Where did the old policy thresholds come from? - An
earlier Local Plan, adopted on 17 January 1996, set a threshold for
affordable housing contributions from 'larger scale housing sites'
in urban areas of 20 or more dwellings and in villages of nine or
more dwellings. This policy indicated that the
threshold at which affordable housing contributions would be
incurred "would be reviewed annually on the basis of housing
needs". It was changed in the 2005 Local Plan to conform to
national planning policy guidance (PPG3) in force at the
time.
Why is the Policy needed? - Currently, there is a
shortage of affordable housing both nationally and in Peterborough
and a new Peterborough Housing Strategy is being prepared to
address the city's future needs. However, the
publication of PPS3 will clearly help to meet demand for affordable
housing as Peterborough continues to grow. The
draft East of England Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) 'expects' 35
per cent of all new homes to be 'affordable' and this policy when
adopted will increase the availability of affordable housing
further.
How can the Policy Statement be changed? - If elected
members are not satisfied with the national Policy Statement PPS3,
they can lobby national government to have it changed.
Does the Council have to apply the policy? - If an
individual developer provides clear evidence that they are a case
which justifies a departure from national policy, then the evidence
can be considered and set against other planning considerations.
Officers failing to properly weigh National Policy are in breach of
their professional Code of Conduct, while elected members failing
to properly weigh National Policy against other factors are in
breach of their own Code of Conduct.
How will the Planning Policy Statement be publicised? -
This note will be copied to all elected members, planning staff and
local developers, and will be raised at the Peterborough Strategic
Housing Forum and the PREP Housing sub-group.
Amended
09/09/2007
Ver
1.3
Strategic Planning Executive