New measures to support housing growth in Shropshire
Shropshire Council’s Cabinet is considering supplementary planning guidance aimed at balancing the pressing need for new affordable housing in Shropshire with ensuring that development is viable and deliverable.
The council fully endorses the Government’s growth initiatives and drive to cut down on planning red tape. We are committed to encouraging a healthy construction sector providing the homes that people need. This has though, of course, to be balanced with what communities are telling us about their priorities.
This is why we have spent time consulting on this new guidance to make sure it is acceptable to communities and deliverable by the housing industry.
Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for planning policy, said:
“Much has been said in the media recently about the planning system holding back development, but I am delighted to say that’s not the case in Shropshire. Here we work closely with housebuilders who have agreed to continue to provide 13% affordable housing in their schemes, while also making payments to local communities in the form of the new Community Infrastructure Levy.
“We fully recognise the pressures on developers to make schemes work in tough financial times. We have been applauded by them for our approach to setting targets for affordable housing based on what’s actually happening here and now in our towns and villages. We want to continue to be recognised as somewhere to do business and do all we can to work as a single team with developers. That starts with pre-application advice and with our Housing Enabling team working hard with developers and social landlords to get the best possible deal for Shropshire in terms of affordable housing and finance.”
Councillor Keith Barrow, leader of Shropshire Council, added:
“I have been so impressed by the positive approach that our planners and councillors have shown in responding to the economic situation facing Britain. The facts are that 90% of the 4,000 applications we receive every year are dealt with in the timeframe expected, and 94% are approved – creating jobs and homes in Shropshire but protecting what we value most.
“Imaginative policy approaches such as the latest Supplementary Planning Document are exactly what we need to keep our housing market moving in Shropshire. I shall be inviting the new Ministers for Housing and Planning here to Shropshire to see for themselves at first hand just what can be done by working closely with housing developers and communities to balance their often competing interests.”
The additional funding measures announced by the Government to support housing and construction growth are to be welcomed, and Shropshire Council will respond positively to all sensible suggestions to reduce planning red tape in supporting enterprise and initiative in Shropshire.
The Cabinet report being considered on Wednesday 12 September 2012 can be viewed by clicking this link.
Further notes
Key points of the Government’s recent announcement are as follows:
• Removing restrictions on housebuilders to help unlock 75,000 homes currently stalled due to sites being commercially unviable. Developers who can prove that a council’s costly affordable housing requirements make the project unviable will see them removed.
• New legislation for Government guarantees of up to £40 billion worth of major infrastructure projects and up to £10 billion of new homes. The Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill will include guaranteeing the debt of Housing Associations and private sector developers.
• Provide up to 15,000 affordable homes and bring 5,000 empty homes back into use using new capital funding of £300m and the infrastructure guarantee.
• An additional 5,000 homes built for rent at market rates in line with proposals outlined in Sir Adrian Montague’s report to Government on boosting the private rented sector.
• Thousands of big commercial and residential applications to be directed to a major infrastructure fast track and where councils are poor developers can opt to have their decision taken by the Planning Inspectorate.
• Calling time on poor-performing council planning departments, putting the worst into ‘special measures’ if they have failed to improve the speed and quality of their work and allowing developers to bypass councils. More applications also will go into a fast track appeal process.
• 16,500 first-time buyers helped with a £280m extension of the successful ‘FirstBuy’ scheme, which offers aspiring homeowners a much-needed deposit and a crucial first step on the housing ladder.
• For a time limited period, slashing planning red tape, including sweeping away the rules and bureaucracy that prevent families and businesses from making improvements to their properties, helping tens of thousands of home owners and companies.
