North Dorset Local Plan and housing numbers update

For those of us that are keeping an eye on when the Examiner's report on the North Dorset Local Plan will be published, there has been some interesting updates in the last month on the latest figures emerging on housing needs for the area, leading to an exchange between the Inspector and the District Council. 

The Inspector has been made aware that the Eastern Dorset 2015 SHMA which assessed the likely housing need for the housing market area is to be published soon. From the information available it seems that it concludes that the objectively assessed need for North Dorset is 330 dwellings a year – compared to the earlier SHMA estimate of 285.  So a 15% uplift in total.  Obviously no decision as yet where this might be allocated - particularly as the 330 dwellings is an indicative split across the housing market area, and depending on the capacity and constraints, this may need to go up or down under the combined Council's Duty to Cooperate. 

The District Council are keen to get their Plan regarded nonetheless, and press ahead with starting their review straight away (they say they will start by 31 March 2016).  It does signal that there is likely to be more housing land required, and that this would need to be identified and allocated in the review (if there isn't sufficient supply coming forward above that already identified by the District Council). 

Will we get to see Inspector David Hogger's final report before Christmas?  And see the details in the SHMA?  Watch this space...

UPDATE - the housing needs report is in fact already on the Purbeck section of the Dorset Council's website - click here to view - the graph on page 197 (shown below) illustrates the different requirements.  Both Purbeck and North Dorset have a significant chunk of their need to support the likely employment growth in the area (which would otherwise be stalled by lack of employees, or lead to higher levels of commuting).  The 330 suggested annual figure for housing in North Dorset does not include residential care homes which if included would add on a further 17 units a year to this figure. 

Looking forward to my talk to Dorchester Civic Society

What could

neighbourhood planning
                          do for Dorchester?

at the Dorford Centre on Tuesday night - should be interesting I hope!

One week left to comment on the Piddle Valley Neighbourhood Plan

The Piddle Valley Neighbourhood Plan is going through its final consultation with both local residents and the statutory consultees before it gets submitted to the District Council. 

The plan covers a number of issues that local residents thought were important – trying to balance the need for the area to have some growth, particularly affordable housing for local people, but not of a scale or type that will damage the beauty and attractiveness of the valley.  Another key issue affecting some local people has been flooding, so the plan tries to go one step further to make sure that development does not make the flooding situation worse.

The neighbourhood plan group has worked hard to listen to the opinions of local residents in pulling together the proposals in the plan, and has made a number of changes along the way, in terms of the sites that have been chosen that the way the new settlement boundaries have been drawn up.

They hope that the referendum will be given the go-ahead by next Spring.  For more information on the plan and process, visit their website.

A shiny, new Local Plan for West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland

The West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan was finally adopted on15 October (at Weymouth and Portland) and 22 October (at West Dorset).  The new Plan replaces the previous Local Plans for each area, which no longer need to be referred to in planning decisions. 

The new Local Plan will cover the period to 2031, although an early review (by 2021) is anticipated to ensure there is sufficient ongoing supply of housing land.  This is critical, as without a robust housing land supply the Local Plan policies can be over-ruled.

It still amazes me how much time these plans take to get through the process.  Both Councils were working on draft plans, before taking the decision in 2011 to work together on a combined plan for the whole area.  The adoption comes 4 years on from the first public sessions on the issues and options, and the examination process took 2 years.  But at least, unlike some, the examiner concluded that the plan could be adopted.

This is good news for neighbourhood plan groups working in the area, who now have certainty on the over-riding strategy that their plans should align with. 

Alongside the Local Plan, the Community Infrastructure Levy has also been adopted.  However a date has yet to be set for when it will come into effect, and it certainly won’t be used until April 2016 at the earliest (whilst the various systems are put into place), and until then the Councils will rely on section 106 agreements to secure infrastructure funding where they can.

For more information visit the Council's planning policy pages

Just published - the new Housing and Planning Bill

The new Bill on Housing and Planning had its first reading in the House of Commons yesterday.  So at last we have a clearer view of how some of the ideas on changes to the planning system that have been aired by the Conservative Party could come into effect.

Of particular interest to people involved in planning are the clauses on

Starter Homes - defined as a new buildings (or part of a building) purchased by a first-time buyer under the age of 40, sold at a discount of at least 20% of the market value, and sold for less than £250,000 (outside of Greater London).  Regulations can be introduced to cover various matters, such as adding other criteria on who is able to qualify for a starter home or specifying restrictions on the sale or letting of these homes. The regulations could also require planning authorities to require starter homes (either on-site or through financial contributions) when they are granting planning permission for certain types of residential development. 

Self-Build Homes - the basis of the changes here are to make sure that local planning authorities grant enough sites for self-build and custom housing to keep paces with numbers of eligible people on their register. The timeframes for Councils to do this will be set out separately in regulations.

Social Housing sales - introducing the mechanisms for affordable housing providers to choose to offer a right to buy to their tenants at broadly the same discounts as for council houses.  At the present time we don't know how many Dorset properties could be sold off, as not all social housing providers may want to participate. 

Neighbourhood Planning - to streamline the process for designating neighbourhood areas at the start, and for organising the referendum and 'making' of the plan at the end.  Details to be set out in regulations.  Neighbourhood Forums can also ask to be notified about planning applications in their area (this is something Parish Councils have been able to request for some time). 

Permission in Principle and Local Registers of Land - this section of the Bill lays the foundations for regulations to require planning authorities to keep a register of certain types of sites in their area, and for development orders to be made for these types of site (potentially through changes to national permitted development rights). The idea behind this is to enable small brownfield sites to be given ‘in principle’ permission for new housing (although technical details would still need to be approved locally). How these sites will be identified is not clear, but there is scope for the regulations to require consultation as part of forming the register. There may be more detailed requirements in the regulations on what type of brownfield (or other) sites will be suitable.  There is also the provision to have regard to the development plan – so, for example, if a site is allocated for another use, the 'in principle permission' would not automatically apply. The scope of these proposals could of course be widened beyond brownfield sites if this Bill is passed, and could also work for neighbourhood development orders.

The answers provided by the Bill inevitably lead to more questions, as a lot of the detail is to be fleshed out in the regulations, which have yet to be published.  The Bill may well be subject to changes along the way.  It doesn't include any mention of small site affordable home exemptions, which there was some speculation about following the recent changes in this field (which I should probably blog about in another post!)

Planning ahead for new or extended mineral quarries in Dorset

There are three weeks left to run on the Draft Dorset Mineral Sites Plan consultation. 

The draft plan includes proposals for new or extended sites for sand and gravel extraction including three sites around Crossways / Moreton  (Woodsford Quarry, Station Road and Hurst Farm) and four further sites between Bovington and Wareham.  Eight new sites have been identified for the provision of Purbeck Stone, mostly around Langton Matravers.  There are also proposals for an extension to a site on Portland (you guessed it - for Portland Stone).  Three sites (just outside Marnhull, and at Oborne and Lilington near Sherborne) have been flagged up for the provision of other building stone – these are all extensions to existing quarries.

UPDATE: the consultation has been extended and will now close on 23 October 2015.  The pre-submission draft is due to be published March 2016.

Major milestones passed for West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland

The West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan is firmly on track for adoption this Autumn.  The final hurdle has been passed, with the publication of the Inspector’s report announcing that, with modifications, the plan has been found sound.

The planners won’t be able to sit back for too long, as the plan will need to be reviewed by 2021, and the Inspector says this review should “identify a long-term strategy for development in the Dorchester area and reappraise housing provision in Sherborne”.

The five year housing supply has been closely examined, with the Inspector ruling out some of the ‘supply’ because of uncertainty or lack of evidence, but still finding that there is 5.1 years in the bag.   With such a slim margin he then goes on to say “it is imperative that the Councils do not ignore new opportunities which come forward in sustainable locations and are consistent with other policy provisions”

Of particular interest is the outcome on affordable housing in light of the recent High Court ruling that the national guidance on minimum thresholds should be quashed.   The Inspector has said that it is fine to go ahead with the requirement for all open market housing sites to contribute to affordable housing needs.  Good news for those in housing need - but probably not for your balance sheet if you were looking to build your own house.

The Councils are also on track to introduce the Community Infrastructure Charging Levy (CIL), with rates now agreed by the same Inspector.  We shall wait to hear when this will come into effect.