Links & Resources
Linked documents used within this guide:
DCLG – Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (November 2006)
Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3) underpins the delivery of the Government's strategic housing policy objectives and their goals to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live in a decent home, which they can afford in a community where they want to live.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pps3housing
DCLG – Delivering Affordable Housing (sister guide to PPS3) (November 2006)
The aim of this document is to support local authorities and other key players in delivering more high quality affordable housing within mixed sustainable communities by using all tools available to them. It outlines the affordable housing challenge that needs to be met, and provides information on how existing delivery mechanisms operate to help in delivery.
While the details of the delivery mechanisms reflect the position in November 2006, and will be subject to change, most of this document will be robust to changes in future policy. Some parts are likely to evolve, and the Government would expect to update it periodically, especially if there are major policy developments. This document should be read in conjunction with Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) Housing.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/deliveringaffordablehousing
DCLG - Planning Policy Statement 12 Creating Strong Safe and Prosperous Communities Through Local Spatial Planning (June 2008)
Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12) explains what local spatial planning is, and how it benefits communities. It also sets out what the key ingredients of local spatial plans are and the key government policies on how they should be prepared. It should be taken into account by local planning authorities in preparing development plan documents and other local development documents.
This replaces Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks, published on 7 September 2004, and Creating Local Development Frameworks: A Companion guide to PPS12, published on 2 November 2004
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pps12lsp
DCLG – Housing Green Paper: Homes for the Future: More Affordable, More Sustainable (July 2007)
This Housing Green Paper sought views on the Government's proposals to increase the supply of housing, to provide well designed and greener homes that are supported by infrastructure and to provide more affordable homes to buy or rent.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/homesforfuture
PPS 11 Regional Spatial Strategies
Planning Policy Statement 11 (PPS11) sets out the procedural policy on the nature of Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) and focuses on what should happen in preparing revisions to them and explains how this relates to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and associated regulations.
YHRA – The Yorkshire and Humber Plan: Regional Spatial Strategy to 2026 (adopted May 2008)
Government Offices work with regional partners to develop, implement and monitor ‘Regional Spatial Strategies,’ which set out Government’s planning and transport policy for each region for a 15-20 year period. The strategies provide frameworks for determining planning applications, as well as for preparing both Local Development Documents and Local Transport Plans.
Planning Policy Statement 11 " Regional Spatial Strategies" provides more information about RSS and how it is prepared. This can be found on the link above. Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber ( GOYH) has an important role to play in regional planning, acting on behalf of Government Ministers. They provide advice to the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly (YHA) and other stakeholders, help implement the RSS, work with YHA and other stakeholders on RSS reviews, preparing proposed changes for consultation and finalising revisions.
http://www.goyh.gov.uk/goyh/plan/regplan/?a=42496
YHRA – The Yorkshire and Humber Plan: RSS 2009 Update to 2026 (Emerging – Project Plan, Call for Evidence and Spatial Options published to date)
http://www.yhassembly.gov.uk/Our Work/Regional Planning/Regional Spatial Strategy Partial Review/
YRHA – Regional Housing Strategy 2005-2021 (May 2005, review starts 09)
http://www.yhassembly.gov.uk/Our Work/Housing/Regional Housing Strategy/
Yorkshire Forward – Regional Economic Strategy 2006-2015 (2006)
http://www.yorkshire-forward.com/about/what-we-do/strategy/the-res
DCLG - Using Evidence in Spatial Planning (March 2007)
This report examines the findings of a series of case study visits with regard to a key aspect of spatial planning - the use of evidence. The report provides practice pointers for local authorities and others to consider in the future
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/usingevidencereport.pdf
DCLG – Strategic Housing Market Assessments: Practice Guidance (August 2007) and updates
This practice guidance sets out a framework that local authorities and regional bodies can follow to develop a good understanding of how housing markets operate. It promotes an approach to assessing housing need and demand which can inform the development of local development documents and regional spatial strategy planning for housing policies, as set out in Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3).
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/strategichousingmarket
DCLG – Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments: Practice Guidance (July 2007)
This guidance explains how local authorities and their partners must carry out an assessment of land availability for housing, over a 15 year period, in their areas as outlined in Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/landavailabilityassessment
Strategic Housing Market Assessments; Annexes
This practice guidance sets out a framework that local authorities and regional bodies can follow to develop a good understanding of how housing markets operate. It promotes an approach to assessing housing need and demand which can inform the development of local development documents and regional spatial strategy planning for housing policies, as set out in Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3).
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/strategichousingmarket
The Credit Crunch and Regeneration: Impact and Implications
An independent report to the Department for Communities and Local Government
This report answers the following questions:
What has happened so far?How has the credit crunch and economic downturn affected different places, projects and people?
What actions have different organisations taken to cope with the credit crunch and with what success?What might happen next?
Are there any longer term opportunities as well as immediate challenges toregeneration?
Are any projects, places and people at a greater risk than others?Who should do what about it?Who, including government, should do what better or differently to reduce risk and stimulate regeneration in future?
1135143.pdf
Prosperous Places: Taking Forward the Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration
This document provides an update on progress in implementing the SNR in advance of a full consultation document which was published early in 2008. It sets out the progress that has been made since publication of the SNR and the next steps, including consultation early in 2008 on the new regional strategies, the proposed new economic assessment duty on local authorities and a range of related issues. The paper also contains an Implementation Plan for key SNR proposals. The paper also contains a list of key milestones.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/citiesandregions/snr
The consultation paper can be found at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/citiesandregions/thesubnationalreview/takingforwardsnr/
Identifying Sub-regional Housing Market Areas. Advice Note
Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3) sets out a policy approach whereby local planning authorities and regional planning authorities should have regard to housing markets when planning for housing. Housing market areas should be set out in the relevant Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). This advice note advocates local authorities and other commissioning agencies working together on the basis of sub-regional housing market areas to prepare the evidence base and for policy development purposes
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/identifyingsubregionalhousing
DCLG – The Strategic Housing Role of Local Authorities: Powers and Duties (September 2008)
This document, which is part of a suite of guidance about the local authority strategic housing role, lists some of the powers and guidance that authorities can draw upon in delivering their strategic housing role. The table within this document is not intended to be a comprehensive list. Whether or not it is appropriate to use a particular statutory power will depend on the local circumstances and local authorities should seek their own legal advice, as usual.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/strategichousingrole
IDeA for DCLG – New Housing Provision and the Strategic Housing Role (October 2008)
The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance, and challenges of achieving, good quality housing strategy as a component of your corporate and community planning. The paper argues that for a local authority to be an effective ’place maker’ it has to have staff and members who understand how to integrate strategies for:
- housing
- planning
- economic development
- regeneration.
Similarly, strategies for social inclusion must also be integrated into a sustainable community plan for the whole of the local authority area. You need tor egister on teh IDeA website:
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=6514324
CLG – Circular 05/05: Planning Obligations (July 2005)
The purpose of this Circular is to provide guidance on the use of planning obligations in England under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as substituted by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991.
Planning obligations (or 's106 agreements') are private agreements negotiated, usually in the context of planning applications, between local planning authorities and persons with an interest in a piece of land, and intended to make acceptable development which would otherwise be unacceptable in planning terms. Obligations can also be secured through unilateral undertakings by developers.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/circularplanningobligations
CLG – Circular 11/95: Use of Conditions in Planning Permission (July 1995)
This Circular brings up to date Circular 01/85 on the use of planning conditions. In particular, it reflects recent new guidance on the use of conditions in respect of transport, retail development, contaminated land, noise and affordable housing.
Other matters covered include use of conditions for design and landscape, lorry routing, 'granny' annexes, staff accommodation, access for disabled people, holiday occupancy and nature conservation.
The Circular also takes account of court decisions and includes an expanded appendix with model conditions. It records the policy that conditions should only be imposed where they are necessary, relevant to planning, relevant to the development to be permitted, enforceable, precise, and reasonable in all other respects.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/circularuse
DCLG – Model Planning Obligation (Section 106) Agreement (August 2006)
This is a model section 106 agreement, prepared by the Law Society's Planning and Environmental Law Committee, for use by all parties involved in the planning obligations process. Guidance on the use of this agreement is given in Circular 05/05: Planning Obligations, Annex B, paragraph B36, as follows:
"Local planning authorities are encouraged to use and publish standard heads of terms, agreements/undertakings or model clauses wherever possible in the interest of speed. A standard agreement, which local planning authorities are encouraged to use, will be included alongside the forthcoming good practice guidance. There will be specific circumstances which will require particular changes in the drafting of the agreement. It is intended that any difficult clauses or terms in the standard document should be raised by developers in the course of pre-application discussion or negotiation with the local planning authority."
DCLG – Planning Obligations: Practice Guidance (August 2006)
This guidance brings together a range of case study examples illustrating how local planning authorities (LPAs), developers and others are working together to deliver planning obligations effectively.
The aim of the guidance is to provide LPAs and anyone carrying out development ('developers') with practical tools and methods to help improve the development, negotiation and implementation of planning obligations.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/planningobligationspractice
DCLG - Common Starting Points for Section 106 Affordable Housing Negotiations (July 2008)
This research report was commissioned to improve the evidence on the dynamics of planning obligation negotiations for affordable housing contributions. Developers and local planning authorities (LPAs) can approach negotiations with different understandings of the policy requirements, often as a result of the lack of precision and clarity in the LPA's policy.
The research explores whether establishing a common starting point for affordable housing negotiations (for instance that the developer would provide land free to deliver the number of units sought) would improve practice and outcomes. This report presents the research and its findings.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/commonstartingpoints
DCLG – The Community Infrastructure Levy (August 2008)
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), the provisions for which are currently going through Parliament, will be a new charge which local authorities in England and Wales will be empowered, but not required, to charge on most types of new development in their area. CIL charges will be based on simple formulae which relate the size of the charge to the size and character of the development paying it. The proceeds of the levy will be spent on local and sub-regional infrastructure to support the development of the area.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyimplementation/reformplanningsystem/planningbill/communityinfrastructurelevy/
HCA ATLAS (Advisory Team for Large Applications) – Cascades: Improving Certainty in the Delivery of Affordable Housing for Large-Scale Development (2007)
http://www.atlasplanning.com/lib/liDownload/323/S106_Cascades_Report.pdf
HCA ATLAS website, specifically topic papers T6.8: Affordable Housing: Funding, Viability And Grant, T8: Planning Obligations, and T9: Financial Appraisal and Project Viability
The site requires you to register and is free for local planning authorities.
Homes and Communities Agency; Economic Appraisal Tool
The HCA's economic appraisal tool helps development partners demonstrate how grants from the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) will help them deliver more affordable housing over and above the level that can be supported from planning obligations alone. The tool can also assist Local Planning Authorities and developers to negotiate and agree the viability of planning obligations generally.
http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/economic-appraisal-tool
Growth Points and Second Round Growth Points: Partnerships for Growth
The New Growth Points (NGP) programme was launched on 24 October 2006 when 29 local authorities and partnerships were named as NGPs commencing a long-term Partnership for Growth with Government .
Through the NGP initiative, the Government is responding positively to local partners who are keen to pursue sustainable growth. Building on the success of this, CLG are now expanding the growth point programme and have invited additional local authorities to bid to become part of the programme during 2008-09.
This report was the original report
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingsupply/growthareas/newgrowthpoints/
This document provides a list of successful second round New Growth Points along with agreed housing numbers, local ambitions, and a location map
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/partnershipsforgrowth
Code for sustainable homes
On the 27 February 2008 the Government confirmed a mandatory rating against the Code will be implemented from 1 May 2008.
The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against nine categories of sustainable design, rating the 'whole home' as a complete package. The Code uses a 1 to 6 star rating system to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a new home. The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level and, within England, replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
The Code will provide valuable information to home buyers, and offer builders a tool with which to differentiate themselves in sustainability terms.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/buildingregulations/legislation/codesustainable/
GLA and Housing Corporation – Affordable Housing Development Control Toolkit: 2008/09 Version (November 2008)
The model assists in appraising the viability of residential development schemes in relation to the London Mayor's objective for provision of affordable housing.
The toolkit is designed to indicate the financial viability of developments in order to act as a starting point to negotiating Section 106 agreements. It is however intended to be only one of the many factors which must be taken into account in these negotiations.
The toolkit, an Excel model, was developed by Three Dragons consultancy and Nottingham Trent University for the GLA and the Housing Corporation.
InspireEast - Delivery of Affordable Housing through Section 106 Agreements (February 2008)
This guide, commissioned by the London Commuter Belt authorities and funded by Inspire East, seeks to provide a compendium of good practice in the application of S106 Agreements to affordable housing.
http://www.inspire-east.org.uk/FileAccess.aspx?id=1458
David Cumberland Housing Regeneration for the Housing Corporation – Golden Triangle Affordable Housing Good Practice Manual (November 2005)
http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/pdf/CS_20070112report_print.pdf
Storeys:SSP for the North East Assembly/North East Housing Board – North East Regional Study on Methods for Maximising the Delivery of Affordable Housing (May 2007)
http://www.strategyintegrationne.co.uk/document.asp?id=515Three Dragons, Michael Beaman Limited, Roger Tym and Partners for Aylesbury Vale DC – Affordable Housing and Section 106 Viability Testing Study (June 2007)
http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/GetAsset.aspx?id=fAA5ADEAOQB8AHwARgBhAGwAcwBlAHwAfAAwAHwA0
The Audit Commission – Route Map to Improved Planning Obligations (August 2006)
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/localgov/Pages/securingcommunitybenefits.aspx
Joseph Rowntree Foundation - Delivering Affordable Housing through Section 106: Outputs and Outcomes (March 2006)
A significant proportion of affordable housing provision is delivered through the land use planning system using Section 106 (S106) agreements. However, little is known about whether such agreements are being fully implemented. As government statements suggest the increasing importance of S106, this research seeks to address current knowledge gaps regarding the outcomes of S106 planning agreements.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/housing/0146.asp
Joseph Rowntree Foundation – Developer and Purchaser Attitudes to New Build Mixed Tenure Housing (March 2006)
Social mix has become central to government policy. This report examines how housing tenure on new housing estates contributes to social mix. It focuses on developers’ attitudes to producing mix and on the experiences of purchasers living on these estates.
Using interviews with national house builders, case studies on seven estates and a social survey of private owners or tenants in five mixed tenure estates, the report examines:
- What tenure mix is and how it links to social and income mix;
- The attitudes of private developers to mixed tenure estates;
- The experiences of households in non-social housing on mixed tenure estates;
- How mixing tenure affects property prices;
- What makes for successful and sustainable new housing estates.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/housing/0126.asp
Planning Officers Society – Best Practice Note on Highway/Environmental Improvement Works and Affordable Housing Secured by Planning Conditions (March 2005)
http://www.planningofficers.org.uk/file/ee3dbc4d6a9d627da686e8ea6569f18c/best-practice-advice-note-on-use-of-conditions-in-place-of-s106-agreements.htmlPlanning Advisory Service – Open For Business: Changing the way that Local Authorities work with Developers (June 2007)
Recent planning reforms have put the delivery of sustainable development at the heart of the planning system. It has been recognised that for the planning system to be fit to realise this aspiration the planning system has had to change. Some of this change has been delivered already through the reforms of the 2004 Act: the Planning White Paper "Planning for a sustainable future" heralds more changes. The huge effort that individual planning authorities have made to change the way they work in order to meet the best value performance indicators has helped to speed up the determination of planning applications. However the white paper acknowledges that there is still room for improvement:
"Unnecessary delays can have significant hidden economic cost such as reducing competition within markets by delaying or deterring new entrants.
But improvements must be made without weakening the quality of decision making or effective public participation"
There is still work to do in changing attitudes and ways of working on both sides of the development industry if the aspirations for the planning system are to be realised. This case study considers if and in what ways local planning authorities (LPAs) and the development industry are making the necessary changes.
http://www.pas.gov.uk/pas/aio/41620
Homes and Communities Agency: National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) 2008-2011
http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/national_affordable_housing_programme
DCLG – Living Working Countryside: The Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing (July 08)
The Prime Minister asked Matthew Taylor, MP for Truro and St Austell, to conduct a review on how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing.
This Review was presented to Government on 23 July 2008.
As part of the Review a Call for Evidence was launched seeking the views from a wide range of stakeholders, and ran for 12 weeks from 17 December 2007 to 7 March 2008. This generated a total of 278 submissions from organisations and individuals across the country. The analysis of responses to the Call for Evidence is available below. The government's response to the review can be accessed through the same link.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/livingworkingcountryside
Commission for Rural Communities – Assessing the Rural Content of Regional Spatial and Housing Strategies (December 2007)
This study looks at how policy set out in regional spatial strategies (RSS) and regional housing strategies (RHS) needs to change to reflect the recommendations of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission. It also takes into account the effect of more recent changes in Government policy, including the impact of PPS3.
http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/files/REPORT FINAL CRC 1211LC.pdf
Commission for Rural Communities – Assessment of the Implementation of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission’s Recommendations (May 2008)
http://www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk/files/CRC72.pdf
DCLG - Facing the housing challenge-Action today, innovation for tomorrow July 2008
As a result of the credit crunch, we have seen falls in house prices, people find it harder to get a mortgage and house-builders are experiencing difficult business conditions.
Responding to this combination of immediate challenges and long-term needs for more housing will be difficult.
This document describes how Government will achieve that over the coming months. It outlines the substantial progress that has been made against many of the commitments made in Homes for the Future - The Housing Green paper.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/895020
print page