Issue - meetings

This report advises the Executive on the production of the Affordable Housing Viability Study for York as required by national planning guidance in Planning Policy Statement 3 Housing.

RESOLVED: (i)         That approval be given in principle to adopt a ‘dynamic model’ approach for assessing affordable housing numbers and that Officers be requested to carry out further research into the assumptions made in the model to ensure that these reflect local circumstances and meet the requirements of the Study.

                        (ii)        That Officers be requested, when reporting back in November, to identify any additional changes to planning policies which might be made in the period leading up to the adoption and implementation of the new Local Development Framework (LDF), and which could provide a short term stimulus aimed at getting a start made on new housing developments in the City.

REASON:      To ensure that the Affordable Housing Study is a robust evidence base that can be used as part of the LDF evidence base.

Members considered a report which advised them on the production of an Affordable Housing Viability Study (AHVS) for York, as required by national planning guidance contained in Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3), Housing.

The AHVS, carried out by Fordham Research, and the ‘Dynamic Model ‘ principles contained within it, had been recommended for approval by the Local Development Framework Working Group (LDFWG) at their meeting on 5 July 2010.  Concerns raised by speakers at that meeting had been addressed at subsequent meetings with a sub-group of the Property Forum set up to work with Officers on the AHVS, and at an additional stakeholder event.  Key issues raised at that event were detailed in Annex 1 to the report.  Officers and the Property Forum were now carrying out additional research into some of the assumptions set out in Annex 1.

Two options were presented for Members’ consideration:

Option 1 – to adopt the Study as presented to the LDFWG on 5 July.

Option 2 – to agree the Study approach but allow Officers additional time to ensure that the assumptions reflected local circumstances and met the requirements of the Study.  This was the recommended option.

Having noted the comments of the Labour Group Spokespersons on this item, and the comments made under Public Participation, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That approval be given in principle to adopt a ‘dynamic model’ approach for assessing affordable housing numbers and that Officers be requested to carry out further research into the assumptions made in the model to ensure that these reflect local circumstances and meet the requirements of the Study.¹

                        (ii)        That Officers be requested, when reporting back in November, to identify any additional changes to planning policies which might be made in the period leading up to the adoption and implementation of the new Local Development Framework (LDF), and which could provide a short term stimulus aimed at getting a start made on new housing developments in the City.²

REASON:      To ensure that the Affordable Housing Study is a robust evidence base that can be used as part of the LDF evidence base.