Agenda item

The Chairman, as Portfolio Holder for Strategy and Housing, advised that the report asked Members to agree that the Council submit an application to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for all rural parishes in South Somerset district with populations of under 3,000 to be designated as rural under section 157(1) of the Housing Act 1985.  She said there was need for small numbers of affordable homes in rural communities.

The Specialist for Strategic Planning advised that the application to MHCLG was a procedural matter which would bring SSDC in line with other local authorities with similar designations. The designation was used by the Government to set national planning policy and guidance particularly to developments providing rural housing.  It enabled local authorities to set a lower threshold of affordable housing in rural areas so they could be provided in smaller developments of less than 10 dwellings.  This would ensure affordable housing delivery was not overridden by National Planning Policy.

In response to questions from Members, the Specialist for Strategic Planning advised:-

·         The current threshold for providing affordable dwellings within a development was 10 houses or more so often planning applications were submitted for 9 or less to avoid providing them.

·         The Council’s approach to rural exception sites would be considered through the emerging Local Plan.

• A settlement role and function study was currently under way to underpin the settlement strategy approach including villages in the preferred options document of the Local Plan review.  The rural designation would add to this where it was appropriate to have a lower threshold of affordable housing in those villages.
• The MHCLG had advised that the designation could take 6 months to be agreed by the Secretary of State and have a Statutory Instrument confirming the parishes included.
• Other Council areas around South Somerset who had recently applied the designation were introducing or had introduced a lower threshold for housing.

During discussion, the following points were made:-

·         Rural exception sites should be included for affordable housing as often the Parish Council could nominate local people in need of housing.

·         This designation would reflect the needs of the area as there was a great rural housing need and the report was welcomed.

·         Families on the housing waiting list should not be penalised for refusing to accept a property in a rural village due to transport or access issues.

·         This should allow people who have grown up in a village to be able to afford to stay living there if they wished.

·         The rural designation must allow Parish Councils to be able to nominate local people to the houses.

The Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee said they had sought clarification on community engagement to gather evidence for the designation, the effect which the designation would have on the supply of houses in rural areas and if the phosphate issue would have any effect upon this.  He said the report had been welcomed by the Committee. 

At the conclusion of the debate, the Chairman proposed that the recommendation be agreed and this was unanimously supported by Members.  She thanked the Specialist for Strategic Planning and her team for the work they had carried out in bringing the report forward.