Farming in the Uplands - ARCHIVE: Defra

36 Farming in the Uplands
for Communities and Local Government. 199 The driving force behind those
recommendations was the conviction that upland communities required more affordable
housing and local engagement in planning matters. Several witnesses, including the NFU
and National Trust, referred to concerns about the lack of affordable housing in upland
communities. 200 In oral evidence the CRC confirmed the importance of affordable housing
but said that “people have given up on affordable housing in rural communities”. 201 The
CRC also expressed concern that the spending cuts announced since the publication of
their report could reduce the budget for creation of affordable housing in rural
communities. 202
96. The Minister acknowledged those concerns. 203 He referred to the Home on the Farm
initiative, which was announced in October 2010. 204 Under the scheme farmers and local
councils are encouraged “to work together to secure the conversion of redundant and
underused farm buildings to deliver affordable homes for local people”. 205 No central
Government funding has been allocated to Home on the Farm—Defra state that “Local
authorities may wish to offer incentives to farmers to carry out conversions to provide
affordable homes for local people”. 206
97. Defra has confirmed that “affordable homes provided through ‘Home on the Farm’ will
be for households in the local community, which could include non-farm workers or
retired farm-workers”. 207 One advantage of the scheme could be to facilitate succession by
allowing older farmers to retire on the farm. However, the Annex to Planning Policy
Statement 7 (which covers conversion of agricultural buildings to dwellings) states: “New
permanent dwellings should only be allowed to support existing agricultural activities on
well-established agricultural units, providing the need relates to a full-time worker, or one
who is primarily employed in agriculture and does not relate to a part-time requirement”,
which would appear to preclude retired farmers. 208
98. The Government intends to publish a national planning framework which will include
planning for housing policy. 209 It is essential that the Government’s national planning
framework include policies to mitigate the problems of lack of affordable housing in
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rural areas. The Home on the Farm scheme may be part of the solution to lack of
affordable housing—we seek clarification from Defra as to how the scheme will work in
practice. In particular, we expect Defra to clarify whether, ‘Home on the Farm’ will be
199 High ground, high potential, p 19.
200 Ev w12, Ev 65
201 Q 22
202 Q 20
203 Q 183
204 Qq 216–217
205 Ev 83
206 Ev 84
207 Ev 83
208 Planning Policy Statement 7, Annex A, p 21
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/147402.pdf
209 Ev 84