Agenda item

S Whelan introduced the report and highlighted the key points. She said the Housing and Planning Bill currently going through Parliament was going to create huge changes.

Starter homes are to be offered at 80% of market price to first time buyers under 40 with a limit of £250,000. At the moment, the borough negotiates affordable housing as there is huge pressure to provide this. The starter homes will not be subject to s106 or CIL payments meaning less income from the borough.

The new bill will ensure every local authority has a local plan in place by 2017. Dacorum have a local plan but is in the process of updating the Core Strategy.

The brownfield land register will come into force. Local authorities will be required to place all brownfield land onto a register to encourage developers to come forward to build new homes. It is thought that 90% of all brownfield sites by 2020 will have permission in principle which will assess land use. It becomes complicated when it involves heritage assets and flood risk areas.

The bill may create an approved provider approach. The local authority will only hand over full property history to a private company which will liaise and consult with residents and town/parish councils. They will provide a recommendation to the local authority but the final decision still remains with the local authority.

There will be an increase in fees which is good news. They should be increased in line with inflation. At the moment, the department does not recover its costs.

Councillor Ashbourn said he understood the new legislation was fast paced but he felt there was a danger of getting absorbed in the momentum. He felt the council had a duty of care to residents and their well-being. There is currently a huge pressure on roads and traffic and he was conscious of responsibilities.

J Doe said the quality of design was vital. There will be less impact when developments are properly planned with suitable facilities and open spaces.

Councillor Anderson highlighted that local authorities are obliged to follow new legislation but hoped it would be possible to interpret legislation. He said he had followed three planning bills through Parliament and found they changed rapidly.

S Whelan said she worked closely with the Planning Officers Society who have been invited to scrutiny sessions and has undertaken a lot of lobbying on this bill. The bill could change again before it becomes law but she felt starter homes were definitely here to stay. The new bill will certainly make the planning process more complicated.

Councillor Anderson said that parish councils were upset that the consultation stage may be removed.

S Whelan said that the technical details will be at the permission in principle stage. However, there are no set details like how many homes, the style of homes etc which will be difficult to articulate to parish councils.

Councillor Hicks asked the size of a starter home.

S Whelan said the only limit is the value. As Dacorum is a high value area, she felt a two bedroom terrace house would probably be the norm.

Councillor Hicks said surely it is uneconomical to blend starter homes into the surrounding street scene.

S Whelan said that would be based on a balance of issues with a financial viability aspect.

J Doe said it was no different to the current affordable home scheme. Developers must up their game in conservation areas. For example, the Queen Street Depot site in Tring. Dacorum is a high value area but this is a national policy applying to all areas. Starter homes will not have the s106 or CIL payments so this is an advantage for developers.

Councillor S Hearn was concerned with the preparation of brownfield sites. Will there be a policy to cooperate with neighbouring and joining authorities? Aylesbury are building 4,000 new homes very close to the border of Tring.

J Doe said there is collaboration with other local authorities on policies as there is a duty to cooperate across boundaries especially when Dacorum is rather constrained by Green Belt land.

Councillor Fisher asked if the development of brownfield could be controlled to prevent a huge flurry at the beginning of the scheme.

S Whelan said there was no suggested plan for this. With the register, the government are seeing above and beyond Core Strategies and trying to protect Green Belt land focus development on brownfield.

Councillor E Collins said she was concerned with starter homes and materials used to fit in with the existing street scene. She said there was a desperate housing shortage which was more important than materials.

S Whelan said there is a push to build new homes. If an authority does not deliver enough then they must release land. it is important to ensure homes built now are not the slums of tomorrow.

Councillor C Wyatt-Lowe commented on the well designed and well-built new homes in Woodhall Farm.

Outcome

The Strategic Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the report.