Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (PDF 736 KB)

Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document
7 Thresholds and Targets for the Provision of Affordable Housing
7.1 The Council has adopted two thresholds that accord with PPS3; one for sites in specified urban
areas, the other for sites in rural areas. These are detailed in Appendix 1 ‘Stroud District Local
Plan Adopted Policies’ and Appendix 12 ‘Quick Reference Data’.
7.2 On new sites over the site size threshold the Council’s objective is to achieve affordable homes
that contribute to the Local Plan target over the period 2005-2011. Additional affordable homes
are also likely to be produced from windfall sites. The Council will monitor this target closely in
accordance with Chapter 11 ‘Monitoring and Review’ of this SPD.
Other Considerations on Site Thresholds
7.3 In deciding whether a particular site qualifies as being above the requisite site size thresholds
set out above, the Council will assess not merely the proposal submitted but the potential
capacity of the site. The Council will welcome proposals that make reasonably efficient use of
the whole site but will be alert to any attempts to deliberately circumvent the stated site size
thresholds. The density of all housing sites should be at least 30 dwellings per hectare in
accordance with PPS3. In sustainable locations densities of up to 50 dwellings per hectare will
be encouraged. If a site is split into two or more sites, which physically abut each other, the
Council will treat any which fall below the site size thresholds as part of the larger site for the
purposes of the policy.
7.4 On sites falling below the stated site size thresholds Developers will nevertheless be encouraged
to provide an element of affordable housing, which the Council will weigh as a positive material
planning consideration helping to justify approval. This approach is in accordance with the
Court of Appeal Judgment in Harry Rowlinson and Lynda Rowlinson as Trustees of the Linson
Construction Pension v Warrington Borough Council and the DETR (2002). In this case the
court held that an Inspector or any other decision maker is entitled to conclude that a substantial
affordable provision (50% in this case) outweighs other material planning considerations such
as the sequential test in PPG3.
7.5 This was also the case in R on the application of North Wiltshire District Council v Secretary of
State and Others and Chippenham Motors Limited (2007). The court upheld the Inspector's
decision on the basis that affordable housing is potentially a material planning consideration
and decision makers are entitled to attach substantial weight to it even to outweigh Development
Plan policies.
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Stroud District Council