This year’s Rural Housing Week seeks to highlight the role of housing associations (who deliver and manage affordable housing) in achieving ‘levelling up’ in rural areas. The provision of more affordable housing in rural areas is seen by many experts as key to reducing poverty in the countryside.

Despite its beauty and desirability, rural Britain faces unique economic and social challenges. Homelessness, poverty, an ageing population, low incomes and unaffordable housing are among some of the hidden issues facing our countryside.

For example, rural homelessness has risen by 115% in the past two years, with 20,000 homeless families in England, but the real figure is likely to be much higher. Similarly, more than 40% of households in rural Wales live in fuel poverty, compared with 22% in urban areas.

One of the aims of Rural Housing Week is to raise awareness of these challenges, and to highlight the benefits that affordable housing can bring to everyone living and working in the countryside.

Changing perceptions is an important part of this aim. Misconceptions about affordable housing mean that some communities do not welcome developments to their area, fearing antisocial neighbours or a dip in their property value.

To do our bit, we’ve set out some of the common myths about affordable housing below and tried to give an honest answer on whether they are myth or fact, or indeed, a bit of both.

1.  Affordable housing isn’t even affordable.     Mostly myth.

Affordable housing is an umbrella term that covers lots of different types of housing, which can get confusing. The most common are social rented, affordable rented and shared ownership. Rents are set as a percentage of open market values, and social rented is cheaper than affordable rent, which can be up to 80% of market value. Shared ownership is a method of home purchase whereby the housing association sells the purchaser between 25% and 75% of the property. The purchaser then pays rent on the remaining share, often with the option of buying more equity over time. So in conclusion, ‘affordable’ is a relative term, but affordable housing is certainly much cheaper than market housing and is aimed at those who cannot afford to buy or rent at market value.

2.  It will lower the tone of the area and impact property values.     Myth.

It’s important to remember that affordable housing tends to include a mix of rented and shared ownership housing, meaning your neighbours could be from a variety of backgrounds. The maximum income threshold to quality for a Shared Ownership home is £80,000, and ‘affordable rent’ (the most common type of rented tenure) is capped at 80% of market rent. This means it is much more likely that your new neighbours will be local working people, including young professionals, low income workers and elderly/retired people.

There is also no evidence that affordable housing reduces house prices – in fact, it often improves the vitality of an area and therefore enhances values.

3.  Affordable housing doesn’t go to local people.     Myth.

It is unusual for affordable housing to go to people out of an area, because local need is generally very high. Most parishes have a Local Lettings Plan, which prioritises local people, rather than operating a first-come-first-served approach.

The slight exception is social rented housing, which goes to those in dire need – women fleeing domestic violence, people who have been made homeless etc. It is the cheapest form of rented housing in the UK and tends to be used on a short-term basis. In most cases it will go to local people, but if someone from out of the area is in desperate need, there is a chance it could go to them.

4.  Affordable housing tenants will be antisocial.     Myth.

One of the great things about having affordable housing tenants as neighbours is that they rent from a Registered Provider, so if you’re having issues with a tenant, you can speak directly to their landlord and resolve the problem. Compare this to a neighbour who owns their home – your only options are to confront them directly or to escalate things to the Council or the Police.

Final thoughts

If you have land in a rural area which doesn’t meet the policy requirements for development, consider promoting it for affordable housing instead. You will still achieve an enhanced land receipt compared to its agricultural value, and help sustain a rural community at the same time. 

Give our team a call to discuss your next project on 01379 642233 or email us at [email protected]

Data shows that more applications than ever are being refused on design and heritage grounds, and subsequently upheld at appeal. Following changes to the NPPF last July, a study by University College London found that the odds of planning authorities winning on design grounds have shifted from 5:7 against to 13:7 in favour.

As noted in our previous article The Levelling Up Bill: A Summary, the emerging Levelling Up Bill is also set to give more weight to heritage concerns in planning decisions. With over 24,000 listed buildings in Norfolk and Suffolk (among the highest in the UK), heritage is nearly always a consideration for planning applications in our area.

Appeal case law suggests that failure to consider heritage impacts when designing schemes is increasingly viewed dimly by the Inspectorate.

A recent appeal against the refusal of an annexe in Herefordshire was upheld on the basis that the design was not sympathetic to its setting (reference 3289070). The proposed annexe was modern in style, and used materials which could not be seen in the main house, such as timber cladding.

The main house was a neo-Tudor stone manor house which was not listed, but was close to a Grade II* Listed church, and clearly of architectural interest. No heritage assessment was submitted. Additionally, the inspector concluded that while the family’s needs for an annexe (ageing family, care needs etc.) change over time, heritage impacts are permanent, and therefore take precedence.

Durrants have secured numerous planning permissions on developments affected by heritage issues, and our team of designers are experts in providing designs which reflect their context.

We are unique in having planners, architects and a building surveyor in the same room in our Diss office, giving us the ability to design schemes in a truly comprehensive way. We understand the danger of underestimating heritage and design in applications, and have great relationships with heritage experts who can quickly mobilise to support our clients’ ambitions.

Give our team a call to discuss your project on 01379 642233 or email us at [email protected]

The government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill saw its first reading on 11^th May 2022. Touted as a ‘key component’ to reducing inequality and closing the UK’s wealth gap, the proposals contained in the Bill include various changes to the planning system.

The Bill extends to 326 pages, so Jasmine Philpott, Planner at Durrants, has attempted to summarise the proposals that could have the biggest impact on our clients.

Planning fee increase

A planning fee increase of 35% for major applications and 25% for minor applications is proposed – that means an increase from £462 + VAT to £578 + VAT for most applications. The extra revenue is intended to improve the service for applicants and the level of skill within local authorities, which can only be a good thing, but such big increases are a difficult pill to swallow in the midst of a cost of living crisis. 

Another change is the extension of the period for taking enforcement action to 10 years in all cases (it is currently 4 in some cases). This means a longer wait for Certificates of Lawfulness for some uses, and a higher risk of enforcement action.

Replacement of CIL

The government are now proposing to replace CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) with a new levy (just ‘Infrastructure Levy’), which will be calculated on uplift in value rather than floor space. It appears that through the new levy, if, for example, build costs increase and property prices go down over time, the Levy payable would reduce to reflect that. But it will also work the opposite way, so that if your scheme grows in profit, you will pay more Levy.

And if you thought this will finally mark the end of Section 106 agreements, think again – those are here to stay.

What now?

The Bill is only at the first reading stage, and accompanying regulations and guidance have yet to be published. The Bill requires three readings in the House of Commons, and three in the House of Lords, then it receives Royal Assent, with amendments made throughout that process. The changes therefore will not take effect until at least 2024, and there is every chance that the Bill could look very different by then.