Rural exception sites

HO9: Rural exception sites The Council will support proposals for affordable homes on Rural Exception Sites, where all the following criteria are met: a) they meet a clearly established local need, identified through a robust housing needs assessment, in accordance with a methodology agreed with the Local Planning Authority. b) affordable housing meets the requirements of policy HO2. c) the homes would be broadly the right tenure mix and size to reflect the local need. d) reflect affordability in that location in Buckinghamshire. e) is located adjacent to , or well- related to, an existing settlement* and does not dominate, detract from , or change, the character of the settlement or surrounding landscape. f) the proposed development is of a size and scale commensurate with the scale and character of the settlement they are within, or adjacent to, and the established local housing need. g) there are satisfactory arrangements to ensure that the affordable housing is owned and managed by a Registered Provider, and remains affordable housing in perpetuity; and h) they have access to local services and facilities. The Council will support a small proportion of units as market housing, where robust evidence establishes that viability issues would prevent the delivery of a Rural Exception Site which is 100% affordable housing. The amount of market housing will be the minimum level needed to make the development viable and ensure the provision of additional affordable housing to meet local needs. Where market housing is provided , it should be indistinguishable in appearance and be integrated into the site. *Settlements are of at least one hundred people as listed in the Local Plan settlement hierarchy 7.54 This policy supports Rural Exception Sites to deliver affordable housing in locations that would not otherwise be permitted through the development plan. It also supports additional affordable homes on sites of a proportionate size to the settlement in which they are located, where there are an identified need and the policy criteria are met. 7.55 The required housing needs survey, to be submitted by applicants, will need to demonstrate the extent of the housing need arising from people with a local connection. The applicant will need to agree the methodology for this needs survey, with the Local Planning Authority at an early stage in seeking planning permission. The local housing needs survey will have due regard to the Local Planning Authority’s latest evidence on local housing needs. It will also enable a Registered Provider to identify and bring forward Exception Sites. Rural Housing Enablers (or a council recognised equivalent) may be commissioned to undertake a survey by a community group, parish council, local authority, Registered Provider, landowner, or private developer. 7.56 The survey should be initiated in consultation with the local community. The geographical extent of the survey should be agreed with the Local Planning Authority. It is essential to publicise a forthcoming Housing Needs Survey, to ensure engagement across the whole of the relevant community including, where appropriate, those who work locally. To be up to date, this Survey should be no more than 3 years old at the time of submission of a planning application for the development. The Survey will be used to justify the necessity of the release of the site, and to ensure that the housing proposed broadly meets the identified need, and that this need cannot be met on a more suitable site that would otherwise accord with policy. The applicant should assess local plan and neighbourhood plan allocations or planning applications, to establish that there is no such alternative suitable site and use a Rural Housing Enabler (or a Council recognised equivalent) and evidence of this will need to be provided to the Local Planning Authority. 7.57 On Rural Exception Sites, the Council will support a small number of open market sale homes. This is to ensure the site can be commercially viable to develop. This will be only once an open book viability assessment demonstrates that 100% affordable housing cannot be delivered on a Rural Exception Site. Due to affordability issues within Buckinghamshire, there is strong preference to deliver 100% affordable housing sites. 7.58 Viability appraisals are sensitive to minor changes in the figures used to calculate viability and to variations in methodology. The Council will assess the Viability Appraisal to ensure that the maximum viable level of contribution to planning obligations are received. An editable electronic version of the viability model should be made available to the Council, or anybody acting on its behalf, to enable a robust review of the submission. The Council should also be provided with all the assumptions and calculations included in the appraisal. Where possible, applicants should seek to maximise the level of public subsidy available from Homes England (or subsequent bodies) to deliver the maximum level of affordable housing on site. 7.59 Only those households who meet the Council’s Allocations’ Policy for affordable housing will be able to occupy rented (social and affordable rented) affordable housing on Rural Exception Sites. Applicants must be registered with Bucks Home Choice (or subsequent system) before they can be nominated for a social or affordable rented property. Where more applicants than vacancies exist, the Council will allocate dwellings in accordance with our current Housing Allocations Policy (or as replaced). Eligibility criteria for homeownership properties will accord with national requirements. 7.60 This policy supports Rural Exception Sites in locations not otherwise supported in the Local Plan. It does not however support isolated development away from existing settlements, services and facilities. The site should have access to a range of local services and facilities proportional to the size of the proposed development and the settlement it is within or adjacent to. Access to such services and facilities from the development should be, or be capable of being, safe and convenient. 7.61 Rural Exception Sites can include (subject to meeting all policy criteria) proposals for rural workers working within food production to maintain the rural economy. 7.62 The Local Planning Authority requires a planning obligation to ensure that the homes provided meet a local need, and that satisfactory arrangements are made to ensure that the affordable housing remains affordable housing in perpetuity. 7.63 The Council will prepare a Technical Note to advise further on the delivery of Affordable Housing developments, including Rural Exception Sites.