Tracked Version of Core Strategy, November 2012 - Selby District ...

Selby District Submission Draft Core Strategy – May 2011
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negotiation.
5.87 The indication from the Council’s Economic Viability Assessment is
that in good market conditions a proportion of 40% affordable housing
should be achievable on a high proportion of sites and this figure is
therefore included as an upper target level.
b) Thresholds
5.88 PPS 3 indicates the Local Planning Authorities have the flexibility to
set the minimum site size limits for which an affordable housing
contribution may be required. Given that Selby District is basically
rural in character and has a high affordable housing need, 60% of
which arises outside Selby, there is justification for operating lower
thresholds than the national indicative site size threshold of 15
dwellings, subject to compatibility with levels of viability.
5.89 Supplementary work on the relative viability of varying threshold levels
has been undertaken, which has established that a site size of 10 units
is the minimum which makes the provision of affordable units
sufficiently viable 22 .
c) Commuted Sums
On Sites of 10 dwellings or more
5.90 In exceptional circumstances commuted sums may be acceptable on
sites of 10 dwellings or more where there are clear benefits in relocating
all or part of (PC1.32) the affordable dwellings.
On Sites of 1-9 dwellings
5.91 A threshold of 10 units will tend to concentrate affordable housing
provision in larger settlements and not necessarily in the smaller
settlements from which the significant rural area need arises.
Consequently, the Council remains committed to securing opportunities
for providing affordable housing of an appropriate scale within all
settlements to meet their identified local need.
5.92 In addition in circumstances where high reliance is placed on private
developments to meet the high level of affordable need, there is a
strong case for all developments to make a limited contribution
towards affordable housing provision, subject to viability
considerations. Therefore, on small sites below the 10 unit threshold,
a financial contribution will be sought in the form of a commuted sum.
The basis for the calculation of any commuted sum will be set out in a
Supplementary Planning Document. The contribution will be used to
assist the provision of more affordable housing to meet local need
across the District.
c) Tenure
5.93 In accordance with the evidence from the Strategic Housing Market
Assessment an overall target of 40% 30-50% (PC3.9) intermediate
housing and 60% 50-70%(PC3.9) for social renting will be sought
through new affordable housing provision.
Evidence from the SHMA establishes an overall target of 30-50%
22 Affordable Housing Small Sites Threshold Testing – DTZ October 2010
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