WARNING - By their nature, text files cannot include scanned images and tables. The process of converting documents to text only, can cause formatting changes and misinterpretation of the contents can sometimes result. Wherever possible you should refer to the pdf version of this document. CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY Paper 3 APPENDIX 2 06/10/06 CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY FOR INFORMATION Title: Housing Policy Progress APPENDIX 2 Summary of Research Prepared by: Fiona Munro, Housing Officer Report on what CNPA has learned from Research on Rural Housing and International Practice and other National Parks Introduction 1. The CNPA has considered 5 pieces of housing research both international and UK wide, investigated work in other National Parks including Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and South Shropshire: Interim Planning Guidance in its search for best practice to solve the issues related to providing affordable housing. A summary of what is contained in each of the studies are as follows: 2. ‘International Practices of Rural Housing Provision’ 1. The report was commissioned by the Affordable Rural Housing Commission and DEFRA to explore and analyse recent international experiences of defining and dealing with rural affordable housing. The countries studied include Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and Canada. This report considered national housing concerns; housing pressure and the extent and nature of rural housing concerns and policy and strategy for addressing rural affordable housing. Appendix 2A summaries the policies, what it regulates and achieves. 3. ‘Rural Housing’2 Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) briefing. This briefing considered the housing sector in rural Scotland and policy initiatives used to address rural housing issues. It then considered the situation in the Lake District, Peak District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks in England and the experience of other countries specifically, the Netherlands, Denmark, Jersey and Guernsey. Appendix 2B summaries the policies, what it regulates and achieves. 4. ‘Affordable Rural Housing Commission Final Report’ 2006. This report was commissioned to inquire into the scale, nature and implications of the shortage of affordable housing for rural communities in England and make recommendations to help address unmet need. Appendix 2C summaries the policies, what it regulates and achieves. 5. ‘The Provision of Affordable and Supported Housing in England’s National Parks’3.The Countryside Agency and the Housing Corporation recognised that there was an acute and growing shortage of affordable 1 International Practices of Rural Housing Provision (Professor Mark Tewdwr-Jones), Jan 2 Rural Housing (Kate Berry and Alasdair Reid), March 2006 3 The Provision of Affordable and Supported Housing in England’s National Parks, (Planning Policies Research Group & Housing Studies Unit, Oxford Brookes University and Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University) housing in the National Parks, combined with a high external demand, making local housing unaffordable to people employed and living locally. The research study provides solutions to these issues; it evaluates measures taken, identifies the challenges faced and the innovations developed by those in tackling the problem. Appendix 2E summaries the policies, what it regulates and achieves. ‘Affordable Housing Solutions in South Shropshire: Interim Planning Guidance’, this document is the consultation draft of affordable housing solutions for the South Shropshire, interim planning guidance designed to guide new residential development throughout the district. Following a period of consultation it is intended that the guidance be adopted by the Council for use in deciding planning applications. (Appendix 2F) Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park 6. In Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park occupancy conditions have been used on parts of Loch Lomondside for around 30 years. The current form of policies have their origins in the 1986 Loch Lomond Local (Subject) Plan which sought to protect the outstanding scenic qualities of Loch Lomond whilst also ensuring that new development met the needs of local communities rather than housing demands for commuting and second homes. The main objective was to restrict speculative developments and ensure that development opportunities could accommodate the natural growth of communities. They have not been used as a mechanism for providing affordable housing, as is sometimes thought. They do lower the value of the property but do not bring it within what we would define to be ‘affordable’ (as in Planning Advice Note 74). Also the size of the properties built in some cases is large so the value of the houses can still be quite high. (included in Appendix 2G) 7. The CNPA’s own research on the Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, North York Moors, Peak District, Pembrokeshire Coast, Yorkshire Dales and Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Parks is at Appendix 6. 8. We have found that it is difficult to evaluate all the different National Parks as they have different sizes and geographic locations affecting their residency criteria. The National Parks with strict residency criteria have only been operating their policies for one year and it is therefore difficult for them or us to evaluate them. However they did give us pointers for how they may change their policies in the future. Useful Statements from the Reports 9. International Practices of Rural Housing Provision’ states ’Rather than utilize the legal process, a select number of local planning authorities – notably the national parks in the Lakes, Exmoor and Pembrokeshire Coast – have been experimenting in the last few years by adopting locals-only policies for new housing provision. This is proving controversial in that it restricts the occupation of new housing to those with a connection locally (usually defined and enlarged upon in statutory documents), and has only been attempted where there are severe planning restrictions for new build. It is expected that the number of new properties being controlled in this way will be relatively minor and may cause other effects on the local housing market. But if successful they will achieve something similar to Norway’s system. The problem with the locals-only policies, however, is that they do not lead to the provision of affordable housing per se.’ 10. Rural Housing’4 Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) briefing - the section on the Lake District highlights this national park’s desire to house key workers and the report states that ‘The hope is by restricting all house- building to meet only local affordable needs, a new sub-market will be created whereby developers no longer pay inordinate sums for land based on hope and beliefs that planning permission will be granted for expensive private housing. The park authority recognises that whilst policies and mechanisms are now in place to deliver affordable housing for local people in perpetuity, there is still a need for partnership working to ’address the barriers around finance, land release, local objections and attitudes to ensure that these policies deliver housing on the ground’’ (House of Commons Committee on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister 2005). 11. In the Yorkshire Dales the principle of restricting the occupancy of new homes has been endorsed for new homes to people who need to live or work within the National Park. The research has comments from both the House Builders Federation and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. These comments include issues such as too few homes are being built because too few planning permissions are granted, it is against the free market, likely to deter house building and that new house prices do not keep up with free market value. 12. The report does warn ‘that care must be taken when considering the relevance of policy interventions in other countries that may be applicable to the UK.’ This warning does relate to the information on the report on the Netherlands, Jersey and Guernsey where Housing Acts and Laws would need to be changed to operation the types of system they have ‘to control 4 Rural Housing (Kate Berry and Alasdair Reid), March 2006 acquisitions, sales and leases’ and the occupation of the majority of the dwelling on the islands. Affordable Rural Housing Commission Final Report’ 2006. 13. National Parks were mentioned as having a role in affordable housing through planning mechanisms. But the report states ‘we were told that there are still serious problems in translating these policies into new affordable homes within the Parks.’ Appendix 2A Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 (Tables not available in full text format)