Category Archives: Affordable and Social Housing

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17 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, NPPF

NPPF stops councils from building affordable housing

“National Planning Policy Framework hinders their ability to build social and affordable housing, research has suggested.

Just 11% of those surveyed for a report on housing need published by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) considered that the test would provide the numbers of homes needed.

The survey of council leaders, chief executives, heads of planning, heads of housing and heads of finance saw 96% of councils describe their need for affordable housing as “severe” or “moderate”.

Only a handful (7%) thought that starter homes would help address affordable housing.

The report, Homes for all: Ensuring councils can deliver the homes we need, called on the Government to put in place a housing strategy that would provide decent homes for everyone in society.

It also recommended that councils should not be forced to sell-off their social housing to fund the extension of Right to Buy. Some nine out of ten councils were worried that the extension of Right to Buy would lead to less housing available for social rent, it said.

The report also highlights examples of innovation in local government, including effective new models of housing delivery.

TCPA chief executive Kate Henderson said: “With 96% of councils describing their need for affordable homes as severe or moderate, and 89% worried that the extension of Right to Buy will lead to less affordable homes, it is clear that there is a real crisis.

“Councils are concerned that government policy is not enabling them to deliver genuinely affordable housing – we need to have a housing strategy that provides affordable homes to all people.”

Paul O’Brien, Chief Executive of APSE, said: “Our main message is we need Government to put in place a housing strategy for the nation that provides decent homes for all. Whilst efforts have been concentrated on so-called affordable homes this is often not the case and these homes remain out of reach for the vast majority of people.
“The situation is even worse for those dependent on social and genuinely affordable housing for rent. Current housing policy is in need of demolition. The time has come to start afresh by putting local authorities and new council homes at the heart of a new housing strategy.”

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26982%3Anational-planning-policy-framework-hinders-building-of-affordable-housing-councils&catid=63&Itemid=31

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17 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Developers/ Development, Persimmon

Next time developers tell you they are too poor to build affordable housing …

… show them this article:

“FTSE 100 climbs nearly 1% with Taylor Wimpey leading the way
Housebuilder pleases investors with news of new special dividend

Leading shares are heading higher again, helped by the continuing strength in the oil price and positive moves in the US and Asian markets, and shrugging off weaker than expected UK inflation figures.

Taylor Wimpey is topping the risers, up 11p at 195.9p after the housebuilder announced a special dividend amid a strong property market. The move means it plans to pay investors £1.3bn by the end of 2018, higher than the expected figure of around £1.1bn. Analysts at Canaccord Genuity said:

Ahead of its capital markets day today, the group has announced a very positive update to its dividend policy as well as stretching its medium-term financial objectives.

It has increased its ordinary dividend to around 5% of net assets to be paid through the cycle from 2017 and announced a special dividend of £300m to be paid in July 2017 (it had already announced £300m to be paid in July 2016). The group has also increased its medium-term financial targets, covering the period 2016 to 2018, given the strength of the market and the group’s performance. It now expects an average return on net operating assets of 30%, an average operating margin of around 22%.

Included in its financial targets it also targets a total of £1.3bn of dividends to be paid to shareholders over the period 2016-18. This clearly signals another special dividend in 2018. Consensus unlikely to move significantly at this point, although the low end may move up but the news on dividends should be well received and consensus dividend expectations will likely rise. Over the next 14 months the shares offer dividends per share of around 22.5p – which implies a yield of around 12%.

On trading the company said:

The UK new build housing market remains very positive across most of our geographies, with a healthy and controlled lending environment providing good accessibility to mortgages at competitive rates. Consumer demand and confidence remain high. In central London, the market continues to be stable.

This confidence has helped other housebuilders, with Barratt Developments up 15.5p at 553.5p and Persimmon putting on 57p to £20.37. …”

http://gu.com/p/4j96k

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16 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, AONB, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Local Enterprise Partnership

“Sadiq Khan warns ‘greedy’ developers as he outlines housing plan”

So easy when you have the will. Alas, our councils and our Local Enterprise Partnership put developers well before local people and pay lip-service to affordable housing, mostly letting developers off-the-hook to build the most expensive homes in the most expensive (green) places.

“… At the start of his second week in office, the Labour mayor told the Guardian he wanted more than 50% of homes on some new housing developments to be affordable. He said that did not mean 80% of market rent, as affordable is defined by the government, but far lower social rents or “London living rent”, which is pitched at a third of average incomes.

Khan also announced he was considering making it a condition of planning permission that new homes were marketed locally for at least six months before they could go on sale to foreign investors.”

http://gu.com/p/4j94p

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12 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Local Plan

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Just one domino has to fall …

It is being said by developers that Brexit would lead to a shortage of construction staff which, in turn, would lead to a shortage of homes being built. There is now also a recession in the British manufacturing sector.

What developers don’t go on to say is that both these situations would lead to higher house prices due to short supply and so Local Plans would be in tatters.

We banged on about Local Plans assuming that there would never be a recession, never be a shortage of workers (indeed there would be a constant increase) and no shortage of materials. Just this one change would mean Local Plans would be worthless.

What happens then?

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10 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Bovis, EDDC, Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton

Seaton Town Council on the warpath as EDDC attempts to slip no affordables on the Tesco (Bovis) site under the radar

Full details here:

Click to access Planning%20agenda%2009.05.16.pdf

Fish, smell, rotten … EDDC.

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10 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, EDDC, Land Supply, Local Plan

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As expected: EDDC will build more than the 17,100 houses in the Local Plan

Many, many more ….

“EDDC says a grand total of 18,391 net new dwellings are now projected to have been completed over the full plan period – well above the minimum figure for housing need.”

http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/east_devon_on_track_to_deliver_surplus_of_new_homes_1_4529154

So, if it is above the figure for housing need – who needs the extra ones?

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9 May 2016

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Accountability, Affordable and Social Housing, Corruption, Tax avoidance, Transparency

London tour “Shines Light on Where Billionaires Stash Their ‘Dirty Money”

Kleptocracy Tours:

… “aims to shed light on where the world’s rich and powerful stash their billions.

With some high-end properties in and around London running at the tens of millions of dollars, the city is well-placed to launder illicit funds or park money that is being hidden from tax authorities. In fact, British officials estimate that around $173 billion in laundered money entering the country every year is whitewashed via bricks and mortar — with much of it ending up in the country’s capital.

… Why do so many of the world’s super-rich park their cash in London? Because it’s easy and it works, according to Borisovich.

“This is a place where a company can come, buy a luxurious piece of property, and just put down the name of its director without telling us who is behind it,” he said.

… Why do so many of the world’s super-rich park their cash in London? Because it’s easy and it works, according to Borisovich.

“This is a place where a company can come, buy a luxurious piece of property, and just put down the name of its director without telling us who is behind it,” he said.

“Everything else helps in London as well … I mean this is the best ownership legislation, robust, tested, it’s a cultural center, education center. But first and foremost is the ease with which dirty money can come here and anonymously buy anything,” he added.

The kleptocracy tour debuted in February before the revelations of the Panama Papers — a trove of leaked documents that shed light on a network of law firms and banks that offer financial secrecy and investments in low-tax regimes.

Growing interest in the tour’s outings feeds on the perception that many of the world’s richest are avoiding paying their fair due in taxes.

According to watchdog Group Transparency International, companies based in British territories overseas —former British colonies — own 36,000 homes in London.

“Were all those houses bought using illicit money? Probably not, but the rules create an environment where the corrupt can easily hide,” said Rachel Davies, the group’s head of U.K. advocacy and research.

Activists like Davies have long said that it is hard to get the government to take notice of loopholes in the U.K. ownership laws. That may get easier in the wake of the Panama Papers.

“What’s striking about the Panama Papers is the fact that it really blew the lid off the U.K. being involved in these issues,” she said. “Half of the companies involved in the Panama Papers are based in British overseas territories, almost 2,000 of the professional enablers, accountants, [real] estate agents, that were working with the Panama firm were based in the U.K.”

“The U.K., unfortunately, is complicit in the laundering of corrupt funds,” she added.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/tour-shines-light-where-billionaires-stash-their-dirty-money-n567556

Unfortunately, it isn’t only London – launderers are switching their interest to other prime sites in the UK – including Devon.

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7 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing

Second homes: MP thinks banning sale of new homes as second homes in St Ives is discrimanatory against outsiders who can afford them

“Councils across the UK are set to consider banning people who already own homes from buying holiday cottages after a historic vote yesterday.
More than 80 per cent of voters in St Ives, Cornwall, backed proposals that will mean new housing developments will only get planning permission if homes there are reserved for full-time residents.

And now councils in the Lake District, Derbyshire Dales, north Devon and the Isle of Wight are all looking at schemes to prevent outsiders buying holiday homes.

But ministers are poised to oppose the ban, saying it could be regarded as unfair and discriminatory.

Tory MP Mark Garnier told The Times: ‘The only home I own is in St Ives but I live in rented properties elsewhere. Would it be considered as a second home? ‘I worry that it is discriminatory – that one person can buy a home but another can’t.’ ”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3578516/Britain-braced-ban-second-homes-Councils-UK-set-outlaw-sale-holiday-cottages-elsewhere.html

What planet is this man on?

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6 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Developers/ Development

“Ministers face battle to get housing bill into law”

The government remains in a race against time to get its promise to build 200,000 starter homes into law.

Peers continue to defy ministers over its Housing Bill, voting to reinstate a number of measures rejected by MPs.

They backed calls to give councils more room to consider alternative sources of affordable housing while allowing them to keep part of the money when they sell off high value homes.

Ministers have made several concessions after suffering 18 defeats on the bill.

The bill is “ping-ponging” between the two houses – with the government desperate to get it into law before the end of the current parliamentary session next week.

If it fails to do so, it could see its manifesto commitment to building hundreds of thousands of “starter homes” in England and Wales delayed.
MPs voted on Tuesday to reject 13 amendments to the Housing Bill demanded by the House of Lords. They backed higher rents for people with a household income of £31,000 or more (£40,000 in London) and plans to make councils sell “high value” homes to pay off the deficit.

It was thought the Lords would have to water down some of its amendments after Housing Minister Brandon Lewis declared them budgetary measures, meaning the House of Commons has the final say on them.

But the peers stood firm when the bill returned to the Lords on Wednesday, inflicting five defeats and forcing ministers to adjust their plans to push up rents for “high income” tenants of social housing in England.
The Lords had voted to soften the impact of so-called “pay to stay” plans, which would see council tenants in England paying higher rents.

Ministers have now said the minimum income threshold at which tenants would find themselves liable – £31,000 outside London and £40,000 in the capital – would only rise in line with inflation every year while the increases would come into force more gradually, with a taper rate of 15% rather than 20%.

Speaking on Tuesday, Lyn Brown, Labour MP for West Ham, backed the Lords amendment, telling MPs: “This is a tax on aspiration, and the idea that a family in London that earns £40,000 a year is rich is baloney. b”It costs an awful lot to live in this wonderful capital city of ours – something that the minister is failing to grasp.”

‘Damaging plans’

The Lords also wanted guarantees high value properties sold off by councils to fund the government’s plans to extend “right to buy” to housing association tenants in England would be replaced by similar homes in the same area, amid fears long-standing residents would be driven out of their home areas.

The Lords may now have to water this amendment down after it was rejected by MPs in Tuesday night’s vote.

Mr Lewis said the government had made some concessions to the demands, but he accused peers of wanting to “wreck” the bill, which includes plans for more “starter homes”.

He told MPs: “We are determined to deliver for Britain on our election promises.

“The manifesto on which this government was elected set out a very clear statement of intent about a viable extension of the right to buy, paid for by the sale of higher-value housing, and about 200,000 starter homes by the end of this Parliament.”

Labour’s shadow housing minister John Healey said: “The Housing Bill will mean the loss of thousands of affordable homes while doing nothing to fix the causes of the last six years of failure on housing.

“Ministers showed yesterday that they still have no answers to concerns from housing experts, campaigners, MPs and peers.”

He added: “If ministers want to fix the housing crisis then they need to listen to the opposition coming from all sides and rethink their damaging plans.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36201892

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5 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Developers/ Development

Construction downturn for housing shows no sign of improvement

According to the article, construction figures are being boosted by office construction in London but has been slowing elsewhere for the last two quarters. April was the worst month in almost three years.

“Softer growth forecasts for the UK economy alongside uncertainty ahead of the EU referendum appear to have provided reasons for clients to delay major spending decisions until the fog has lifted.”

He added that the reluctance of housebuilders to develop new plots was one of the biggest drags on future growth. …”

And there was us being told it was because planners were not working fast enough so their work had to be farmed out to private firms so they could decide what should be built where …

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/04/uk-construction-sector-sees-slowest-expansion-since-mid-2013

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3 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Developers/ Development, Housing (local)

The official full list of Lords amendments to the government’s housing bill

” … Amendments

Some of the housing measures in the Bill were substantially amended on Report with further amendments at Third Reading. Several non-Government amendments and new clauses were added, including:

a requirement that the 20% discount on Starter Homes be repaid over a period of 20 years (reduced by 1% for each year of occupation);

a provision to give local authorities the power to determine the proportion of Starter Homes to be built on any particular development;

provisions to require determinations (in respect of higher value vacant council housing) affecting more than one local authority to be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure, and also to make the definition of higher value housing subject to parliamentary approval;

provision to enable local authorities, where they can demonstrate a need, to retain receipts from council house sales to fund the provision of a property of similar type to the one sold;

provision to give local authorities discretion over the levels of rent they would want to charge tenants with high incomes;

provision to limit rent increases for higher income tenants to no more than 10p for each pound of income above the minimum income threshold (the Government is seeking to apply a taper rate of 20p in the pound);

and

provision to set the minimum income thresholds for ‘pay to stay’ at £50,000 in London and £40,000 outside of London (the Government is seeking to set the minimum thresholds at £31,000 and £40,000 respectively).
Government amendments included:

a provision putting on the face of the Bill a requirement to ensure that where the Government make an agreement with a local authority outside London about building new homes, at least one new affordable home is provided for each dwelling that is assumed to be sold;

provision to allow regulations to exempt households in receipt of Housing Benefit and Universal Credit from the ‘pay to stay’ policy;

and

provision to enable local authorities to grant longer-term tenancies of up to 10 years in certain circumstances with potential for longer tenancies for families with children.

In relation to the part of the Bill on planning in England, a number of non-Government amendments and new clauses were added. These related to:

a new clause providing for a neighbourhood right of appeal;

an amendment to restrict permission in principle to housing-led developments only;

provision to allow local authorities to require section 106 affordable housing contributions from certain small-scale developments;

and

a new clause to incentivise the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) by ending the automatic right to connect to conventional drainage.

At both Report stage and Third Reading a number of Government and Government-supported amendments were made on the planning provisions, which included:

provision to enable the Secretary of State to prepare a local plan for a local planning authority and to direct that it is brought into effect;

explicitly excluding fracking development from being capable of being granted permission in principle;

putting on the face of the Bill the qualifying documents capable of granting permission in principle and setting a duration for it;

enabling local planning authorities to revoke or to modify permission in principle granted;

a new clause to allow the Secretary of State to grant planning freedoms to local authorities to facilitate new housing;

making clearer on the face of the Bill the Government’s intentions in its pilot schemes for competition in the processing of planning applications.

A new non-Government clause was also added on Report introducing a “carbon compliance standard for new homes”. This would require the Government to put in place regulations for a carbon compliance standard for new homes built from 1 April 2018.”

Commons Briefing papers CBP-7562
Authors: Wendy Wilson; Louise Smith

http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7562#fullreport

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2 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Local Enterprise Partnership

Devolution: what’s in it for Devon?

The main driver of this devolution deal is Somerset. Hinkley C is the main focus of the deal and education, skills and supply chain projects dominate the LEP – hardly surprising given the nuclear, construction and educational bias of its board. The lead councillor and the lead officer are from Somerset County Council. The LEP’s telephone number is answered at a business unit in Yeovil.

So, rather than asking the (belated) question: what is in it for Devon with a (possible Somerset) Mayor, perhaps the question should be: what is in it for Devin?

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2 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Local Enterprise Partnership

Pity this poor LEP Board member

“Barbara Shaw

Barbara has worked in housing for more than 15 years. In January 2012 she became Chief Executive of Westward Housing Group which manages 7,000 properties across the south west. Prior to this she worked for The Guinness Partnership and before that, Sovereign Housing. She began her career as a communications specialist and has held positions in the commercial, public and charitable sectors.”

Westward Housing Group’s website states:

“Westward Housing Group is a major housing association in the south west. It encompasses Tarka Housing, Westcountry Housing, Help to Buy South West and Horizon Homes. As a developing landlord, we build new homes across the region, working in partnership with local authorities to rent homes to those in need.”

Most of the Group’s properties are in Devon, and include supported housing, housing for older people and shared ownership housing.

Given the government’s stated policy of supporting only home ownership and converting many rented properties (including those of housing associations) into private ownership, perhaps Ms Shaw should also be asking herself what’s in the devolution deal for her group.

Particularly as the Chair of the LEP, Steve Hindley, is Chairman of the Midas Group – a leading house builder for the private sector.

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30 Apr 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Austerity cuts, Developers/ Development

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“Revealed: UK ‘is in the throes of a housing crisis’ “

“Observer survey finds 71% couldn’t buy without family help, and 37% say home ownership is out of reach for good:

David Cameron’s pledge to build a property-owning democracy is called into serious question by a landmark survey revealing that almost four in 10 of those who do not own a home believe they will never be able to do so.

According to an exclusive poll for the Observer on attitudes to British housing, 69% of people think the country is “in the throes of a housing crisis”. A staggering 71% of aspiring property owners doubt their ability to buy a home without financial help from family members.

More than two-thirds (67%) would like to buy their own home “one day”, while 37% believe buying will remain out of their reach for good. A further 26% think it will take them up to five years.

With affordable homes in short supply and demand for social housing rising, more than half of Britons cite immigration and a glut of foreign investment in UK property as factors driving prices beyond reach.

The findings cast doubt on the prime minister’s claim before last year’s general election that Tory housing policies would transform “generation rent” into “generation buy”. In April last year, as he launched plans to force local authorities to sell valuable properties to fund new “affordable homes”, Cameron said: “The dream of a property-owning democracy is alive and well and we will help you fulfil it.”

The poll – which found that 58% of people want more, not less, social housing as a way to ease the crisis – comes as the government’s highly controversial housing and planning bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday.

The bill will force councils to sell much of their social housing and curb lifelong council tenancies, introducing “pay to stay” rules that will force better-off council tenants to pay rents closer to market levels. Described by housing experts as the beginning of the end of social housing, the bill has been savaged by cross-party groups in the Lords. They have inflicted a string of defeats on ministers and forced numerous concessions.

The government’s flagship plan for “starter homes” has also been widely attacked on the grounds that the properties – which in London will cost up to £450,000 – will not be affordable.

With local elections and the London mayoral election on Thursday, ministers now face the dilemma of whether to back down and accept many of the Lords’ amendments to the bill or face legislative deadlock.

On Saturday night Labour’s candidate for mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who is putting plans for more affordable housing at the heart of his campaign, described the bill as “the most extreme in terms of housing in a generation”.

The party’s housing spokesman, John Healey, said: “Opposition to this bill now comes from across the board: from housebuilders, housing experts, charities and even Conservative ministers’ own council leaders, MPs and peers. It seems that government ministers are alone in thinking their bill is fit for purpose when it comes to tackling our housing crisis.

“Despite the string of concessions the government was forced to make, this remains an extraordinary and extreme bill that will lead to a huge loss of affordable homes to rent and buy. Ministers need to listen to the opposition coming from all sides and back down on their damaging housing plans.”

Khan’s rival, Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith, has pledged to build 50,000 homes a year by 2020 and to ensure that a significant proportion of new homes will be available only for rent.

The research by Opinium was conducted only five days after the Panama Papers revealed how a substantial portion of London’s most expensive properties are now owned by foreigners via offshore companies.

When asked what measures they would like to see implemented to restrict foreign ownership of British properties, 71% backed a ban on foreign owners buying British properties as investments or as buy-to-let; 60% backed higher taxes for foreign buyers involved in buy-to-let schemes.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said the government had unveiled the “most ambition vision for housing in a generation”, doubling the housing budget and investing £8bn to deliver more than 400,000 affordable homes.

“There are billions of pounds locked up in local authority housing assets so it is only right that when higher value homes become vacant they are sold to build new homes that better meet local needs,” the spokesman said. “It means every home sold will be replaced with at least one new affordable home and two for one in London.”

http://gu.com/p/4tnx2

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29 Apr 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Brownfield sites, EDDC, Land Supply, Sustainability

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Local Plan: more than 1,000 extra homes already projected – 18,391 not 17,100

As we expected, too many unaffordable, greenfield properties being built.

“83% of completions [in East Devon] on Greenfield sites (including fields and undeveloped greenspaces, barn conversions and garden sites)” …

… “A grand total of 18,391 net new dwellings are now projected to have been completed over the full plan period (2013-2031). This is above the 17,100 minimum figure of housing need outlined by the new Local Plan.” …

… “3.1 The final page of the HMU sets out the five year land supply calculation based on the 30 September 2015 monitor. It shows that East Devon can demonstrate 5.54 years supply of land for housing taking account of a 20% buffer as required by paragraph 47 of the NPPF for authorities that have persistently under-delivered in previous years.

3.2 Paragraph 47 of the NPPF sets out that in calculating the five year land supply authorities should apply a 5% buffer, or a 20% buffer where there has been a record of persistent under delivery. Application of the 20% buffer is a conservative approach to take. The Council could be more bullish and say that clearly it is now delivering above requirements and so the 5% buffer should apply in which case the Council could demonstrate a higher land supply figure, but it is recommended to apply the 20% figure for the time being.

3.3 This, along with the application of SHLAA methodology build-out rates and a robust but conservative assessment of future windfalls means that it is harder for an appellant to argue the five year supply figure down.

3.4 The calculation shows that over the five year period a surplus of 617 net new dwellings are projected to be built over the district as a whole. This is a healthy surplus that means that should certain sites not deliver or under-deliver there is an added buffer of supply. …”

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/1687772/100516-combined-dmc-agenda-compressed.pdf

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29 Apr 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Community Infrastructure Levy, Cranbrook, Developers/ Development, Development Management Committee, EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, PegasusLife, Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Rush to avoid Community Infrastructure Levy?

According to Official Notices in the press, Community Infrastructure Levy will become payable to EDDC from 1 September 2016. This is charged per square metre and is in bands with Cranbrook being lowest and Sidmouth being highest.

Should we expect a rush to get planning permissions past the Development Management Committee before 31 August? Would this explain why Bovis is rushing through its application for phase 2 of its Seaton development where it wants zero affordable housing? Will we see the Pegasuslife Knowle application done and dusted before the end of August too?

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28 Apr 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Green Wedges, NPPF, Planning System

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Topsham: developers win appeal to build on green wedge

“Developers have won their appeal to build on the so-called Topsham Gap.

Now opponents are worried about a “domino effect” that could lead to more developments.

Hundreds of local people attended a planning inquiry to voice their opposition to plans for a 60-bed care home, plus more than 100 homes for over-55s.

Critics said the development would swallow up green belt land between the city and old port of Topsham.

The Planning Inspectorate has now decided that Exeter City Council was wrong to turn down the application by Waddeton Park Ltd.

The council has six weeks to make a further appeal to the High Court.

Earlier this year hundreds of protesters joined the battle over plans to build on green space separating Exeter and Topsham during a crucial public inquiry.

Banner-waving protesters made their feelings known at the start of the inquiry over proposals to develop land known as the Topsham Gap.

It followed Exeter City Council’s failure to determine Waddeton Park’s plans to build a 60-bed care home and more than 100 homes on fields next to Topsham Rugby Club.

The developer says it would provide “much-needed” housing for the area’s ageing population.

But campaign group, Save the Topsham Gap, claimed the town has its own identity and the “gap” is the last piece of land physically separating it from the city.

Organiser Lily Neal, 56, of The Topsham Bookshop, said:”It seems to come down to tough luck Topsham”

“The inspector has accepted all the developers’ arguments and are only hope was that he would accept the idea of more harm than benefit – but he hasn’t

“He says it would only cause modest harm.

“The council have six weeks to appeal but I have my doubts i it is expensive and its is the ratepayers of all of Exeter who would have to pay.

“I have to say I am worried about a possible domino effect – what’s next?”

Campaigners were anxious stop Topsham becoming just one more suburb of Exeter and retain its distinct, independent and unique identity.”

The proposals go against the council’s local plan, which designated the site a strategic “green wedge” not suitable for development.

Planning inspectorate Jonathan Bore had said he would determine the plans based on the need for additional housing in the city, and the effect on Exeter and the landscape.

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Topsham-Gap-homes-plan-wins-ahead/story-29193405-detail/story.html

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26 Apr 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing

Two more u-turns on the Housing Bill to add to the 17 previously reported

Ministers agreed to review planning laws relating to basement developments amid fears councils cannot control the growth of “subterranean development”

The Government will look again at private landlords being able to reclaim properties when the become vacant after concern that it was open to being used as a “back-door” way to evict tenants.

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26 Apr 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, AONB, Planning System

National Trust on AONBs and planning policy

The last hundred years:
The National Trust and planning. Part One: the last hundred years

and why they are worried now:
The National Trust and planning. Part Two: Why we’re worried

The second article concludes:

“The country needs more homes and there’s no reason why the planning system shouldn’t change to help deliver those homes. But fiddling with the system without a coherent approach threatens more sprawl rather than ensuring delivery of new communities where they are needed. The result is the careless loss of countryside and of the distinctiveness of England’s towns and villages.

“We need a planning system for that delivers the homes we need, and works for the economy, society and our environment. Instead, we’re in danger of ending up with a service for big developers to get housing past local communities. No one is ever going to love planning but there are good reasons why it was invented over a hundred years ago, and those reasons haven’t fundamentally changed.”

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26 Apr 2016

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Accountability, Affordable and Social Housing, AONB, Austerity cuts, Claire Wright, Developers/ Development, Devolution, East Devon Alliance, Independent Councillors, Sustainability, Tax avoidance, Transparency

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“Anywhere but Westminster” newspaper column want to hear from us

Worried about the ever-widening democratic deficit in East Devon? Enraged by the secrecy and vagueness of our devolution deal? Fed up with an MP who will not speak about his constituency in Parliament and won’t even live in it? Celebrating the rise of independents at every level of local government in the district? Here is how you get it to a wider audience:

““Anywhere but Westminster is travelling the country to get a sense of British politics away from the Westminster bubble. During this period old fashioned two-party politics has been diminished and a palpable sense of unrest with the status quo has emerged.

For their new series, the pair are back on the road, hunting out radical new politics in some unlikely place. We would like you to tell us where you think they should go?

Share your views in the form linked on the webpage below or get in contact with John Harris (@johnharris1969) and John Domokos (@JohnDomokos) via Twitter.””

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/25/anywhere-but-westminster-where-should-we-go?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other