HBF representations have been submitted on Stockport’s proposed Affordable Housing Policy Supplementary Planning Guidance.
HBF representations have been submitted on Stockports proposed Affordable Housing Policy Supplementary Planning Guidance. Whilst we have welcomed the Councils recognition that it was not a tenable position to seek more than 25% provision of affordable housing on individual sites. We are certainly opposed to the Councils intentions for blanket coverage i.e. to apply the policy on every site in every location.
We consider that any discussion of the affordable housing issue should provide the proper context and describe some of the principal forces at work, behind the current position. In short these are: -
Central Government policy ended Council House
construction in the early 1980s.
Since then Registered Social Landlords have been responsible for the provision of new social rented housing by both new-build and adaptations. More than 20 years on this accounts for only 7% of the national housing stock.
Many urban Councils have sold off up to 50% of their own houses under the Right to Buy scheme.
The best former Council houses, in terms of meeting modern requirements, in the most attractive locations, make up the bulk of Right to Buy sales.
The continuation of the Right to Buy process can mean that some Councils can sell off more of their own housing stock each year, than their perceived affordable housing requirement.
Planning policy in the Greater Manchester conurbation has been to restrain housing supply in the more affluent areas, in order to direct demand towards areas of deprivation. Natural growth has not therefore been accommodated in the affluent parts of Stockport, which means that much of the existing stock is more highly valued. Price polarisation within the wider market is partly a consequence of planning policy to restrict supply in marketable areas. This is a main contributor to the identified gap between house prices and incomes within Stockport.
Supplementary Planning Guidance is of course just that guidance, which describes the Councils attitude towards a negotiated settlement. We are keen however that as the burden o f social housing provision shifts from the public to the private sector that the contributory factors should be clearly understood by all concerned.