Rural Exception Sites

Rural Exception Sites Local communities are encouraged to bring forward proposals for affordable housing schemes which meet the needs of their communities. To facilitate this objective, in accordance with Policy DS.2, the development of affordable housing on rural exception sites will be supported in principle in locations that would not normally be released for housing (including in the Green Belt) where all of the following criteria are met: 1. The proposals are led by or have the demonstrable support of the local community; 2. The proposed accommodation will, in terms of the number, size, type and tenure of dwellings proposed, meet an identified housing need, evidenced either in a reliable and up-to-date housing needs survey or a neighbourhood plan allocation; 3. The proposed scheme will be small in scale, of appropriate design and located within or adjoining an existing settlement boundary; 4. A planning obligation is provided to ensure that the delivery of the scheme together with its future management will meet the identified housing needs of the host community both initially and in perpetuity. Policy HO.5 ~ Development Management Considerations Community support The purpose of a Rural Exception Site is to meet the housing needs of a community. It is therefore important the community either brings forward a proposal or has been integral to its preparation. In the experience of the Plan Authorities most schemes are delivered working in partnership with Registered Providers who can provide their financial and technical resources, as well as ensuring schemes are properly managed in the long-term. It is expected that the community will have been involved in development of a scheme from the outset and is able to offer their support to the proposal. Evidence to substantiate both the community engagement work and community support will be expected as part of any planning application. The support of the local community will ordinarily be demonstrated by the written support of the town or parish council or a Neighbourhood Plan. Evidence of Need Rural exception sites are intended to meet the housing needs of a community; therefore robust evidence of housing need is required. This can be evidenced either in a neighbourhood plan or a reliable community-led housing need survey. It is expected that a housing need survey will have been commissioned and adopted by the relevant town or parish council. Conflicts of interest must be avoided in this process. A housing need survey must identify: • The survey area and survey methodology; • the types, sizes and tenures of homes that are needed; • that the prospective occupiers identified in the housing needs assessment can demonstrate a strong local connection as evidenced by birth, long-term residence, employment or family connection. The Local Planning Authority will use the local connection criteria set out in the Housing Allocations policies but applied to the geography of the housing need survey, rather than on a district wide basis. A housing need survey must survey the needs of residents within a community; a desktop assessment of need is not acceptable. A survey may be prepared as a standalone project or as part of the evidence for a parish or neighbourhood plan. A survey is a snapshot in time and its findings are therefore normally considered reliable for five years from the date of the survey fieldwork, however, if there have been any changes within the parish, such as new housing developments, a new survey may be required. If a survey is nearing the end of its relevance, the Council may recommend that a new one is carried out to evidence a rural exception housing scheme. Consideration will be given to surveys of more than one parish where it is intended to meet the needs of those communities on a single site. In such circumstances the support of all the communities involved will be required. It is essential that the size, type and tenure of dwellings proposed on a rural exception site reflect the identified need. It may not be possible to meet all the identified need on a single exception site, but in such situations it will be expected that the dwellings proposed proportionately reflect the need identified in the survey. National guidance provides local planning authorities discretion to allow an element of market housing on rural exception sites, for example where this is necessary to ensure the viability of a scheme. Scheme viability will normally be ensured through a combination of reduced land values and public subsidy but where genuine viability challenges exist the Councils may consider allowing a proportion of market housing to make a scheme viable. The market housing must be the minimum required to make a scheme viable and this must be evidenced by an open book viability appraisal. The number of market homes must not exceed 50% of the total number of dwellings. In exercising its discretion in this respect, the Councils will also be guided by the views and strength of evidence of relevant stakeholders. A housing need survey may also identify a need for market housing to meet the needs of a community. The Councils will give consideration to including market housing on rural exception sites if there is a need, however these homes must be provided as ‘local market’ housing (housing for sale at market value which meets a need identified in a local housing needs survey and is prioritised for sale to households with an eligible connection to the host parish). The proportion of local market homes on a site, relative to the number of affordable homes, must not exceed the proportions identified in the Housing Needs Survey and in all cases the number of local market homes must not exceed 50% of the total number of homes on the site. This ensures that sites remain affordable led and that local market housing is not delivered in preference to affordable homes. Scheme Location The location and design of a rural exception site is particularly important given the rural context. Schemes can either be sited within an existing settlement or adjoining the settlement boundaries defined in this plan and must be of an appropriate design. This policy applies to all areas across South Warwickshire. A local community will often be best-placed through their local knowledge to make judgments about the appropriateness of scale and design, and this will be reflected in whether or not they offer support for a scheme. Planning Obligation The Council will seek to enter into a Section 106 planning agreement with the applicant to establish the principles of occupancy, tenure, housing type, availability in perpetuity, future management and the involvement of a Registered Provider (of social housing) or a registered Charitable Trust if necessary. In particular, the allocation and occupancy of homes will always be prioritised to those households with a defined local connection (such as birth, residency and/or work) to the host community. Policy Justification 5.2.15 High property prices limited affordable housing supply and housing stock imbalances present challenges across the plan area but particularly in rural areas where housing supply is more restricted. However, the focus of housing development in the South Warwickshire Local Plan is within and around existing larger settlements. Fewer homes are intended for rural areas and policies within this plan limit the places where new homes can be built in the countryside, particularly in the green belt. In this context it is important that rural communities can provide sufficient affordable housing to meet their needs and allow those with strong family links or who work in those communities to live there. 5.2.16 Rural exception sites are an established mechanism to meet rural affordable housing needs. They are an exception to normal planning policy in recognition of the importance of providing affordable housing in rural areas. Rural exception sites are included in national planning policy and are a form of development that is acceptable in the green belt. 5.2.17 The purpose of this policy is to set out the circumstances where development of a rural exception site would be acceptable. As these sites are an exception to normal planning policy, additional controls are imposed to ensure developments meet the needs of rural