Your weekend’s reading!
(See bottom of post for an interesting reference to Cranbrook) – Owl
Devon is “running out of housing options” and urgent action is needed to tackle the dramatic numbers of families priced out of markets having to be placed in temporary accommodation, a new report warns.
Kerra Maddern news.exeter.ac.uk
Members of the Devon Housing Commission say the housing crisis in Devon is having consequences for public services and the economy; and creating extra challenges for hard-pressed care and health services.
They have called for central and local government, with social housing partners, to redouble efforts to provide more truly affordable homes for the people of Devon.
In order to get more homes in the right places there needs to be better resourcing of planning departments, special measures for rural and coastal communities and a county-wide Development Corporation for major developments.
The report also recommends homebuyers over pension age should get an exemption from Stamp Duty. This could also help solve issues in the county by helping older people find a “right-sized” property.
The Government should also introduce a new planning use class for all short-term/holiday lettings and local authorities should be able to limit them in areas where growth is proving detrimental to the community.
The Housing Commission – which has been established by the Devon Housing Task Force, is a partnership between the ten local authorities across Devon, including Torbay and the County Council – and is supported by the University of Exeter.
Their report calls for the Government to press ahead with the registration of short-term lettings and for district councils in Devon and Torbay Council to take advantage of the new opportunity to double Council Tax on second homes [following the lead taken by EDDC – Owl]. This extra Council Tax could help the funding needed to address housing challenges.
The report outlines how the housing emergency in Devon is caused by high house and rental prices and lower incomes in Devon. House prices are inflated by those moving from more expensive areas. Middle-aged and older people are moving in while younger people are leaving. This leads to employers having difficulties filling vacancies and key workers being unable to afford to live near their place of work.
Lord Richard Best, Chair of the Commission, said: “There is a real housing crisis in this county. The problem is an acute shortage of homes affordable for the next generation.
“Homeownership is beyond the reach of first-time buyers and it is virtually impossible for those on average incomes or less to obtain a rented home that is both available and affordable. Devon is simply running out of any housing options.
“This is best illustrated by the dramatic rise in numbers of people, particularly children, that councils have had to place in temporary accommodation, and the consequent, alarming increase in costs borne by Devon’s local authorities. This represents a real emergency.”
Commissioners found in some areas of Devon the amount of privately rented housing has declined by substantially more than elsewhere, partly because long-term lettings for locals have been switched to short-term Airbnb-style lettings for tourists.
But the report says “significant inroads” could be made in easing shortages and delivering affordable homes at the scale required.
The report calls for a new Devon-wide Housing Strategy that sets out goals and a roadmap to achieve them over the next decade and beyond. There should be a successor body to the current Devon Housing Task Force comprising representatives of Devon’s local authorities to monitor progress and work with the proposed Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (CCA). This new authority should sponsor a new Development Corporation to act as a Master Developer to acquire land and raise private finance, reducing reliance upon housebuilders.
Other recommendations include:
- Councils should make maximum use of the Rural Exception Sites model and demonstrate flexibility in enabling village schemes for local people, including by sometimes permitting a small minority of homes to be sold in return for a very modest land cost for the affordable housing.
- Government should permit the imposition of a stricter timetable for action where planning consent is granted but development has stalled.
- Local authorities should be given greater discretion to call in any significant development using permitted rights to avoid inferior standards, to impose stronger prior approval requirements, and to allow the levying of developer contributions.
- The Government should introduce the measures to improve the private rented sector contained in the earlier Renters (Reform) Bill including ending “no-fault” evictions and creating a landlords’ ombudsman.
Chair’s Summary
The words “housing crisis” are not what the general public (or Westminster politicians) usually associate with the beautiful county of Devon. However, as the evidence accumulated by the Devon Housing Commission shows, there is indeed a real housing crisis in this county. The problem is an acute shortage of homes affordable for the next generation.
This is not just about homeownership being beyond the reach of first-time buyers (even of those with incomes well above the average), the problem now covers rented homes as well. It is virtually impossible for those on average incomes or less to obtain a rented home that is both available and affordable. Devon is simply running out of any housing options.
This is best illustrated by the dramatic rise in numbers of people (particularly of children) that councils have had to place in temporary accommodation, and the consequent, alarming increase in costs borne by Devon’s local authorities. This represents a real emergency.
What has caused this dire situation?
Of course, there is a nationwide problem of acute shortages of somewhere to live that is decent, secure and affordable. However, affordability is a particular problem in Devon, where house prices are higher and incomes are lower than the national averages.
First, becoming a homeowner in Devon is particularly difficult because house prices are inflated by those moving from in more expensive areas, principally from London and the South East. Middle-aged and older people are moving in while younger people are leaving. This creates difficulty recruiting to vacancies across Devon and means key workers cannot afford to live near their place of work.
Second, the availability of affordable rented housing is more constrained in Devon than most places. The amount of social housing available from councils and housing associations is proportionately half as much as for England. Historically, Devon has not built enough affordable homes and current trends show that the position is getting worse. The county is not keeping up with national levels of affordable housing delivery. The already low level of social housing has been further depleted by Right to Buy sales at substantial discounts. While governments have hoped that sales of council housing will be replaced by new social housebuilding, in reality this has not happened.
Third, in some areas, the amount of privately rented housing has declined by substantially more than elsewhere, partly because long-term lettings for locals have been switched to short-term Airbnb-style lettings for tourists.
Fourth, Devon has an older population profile and more family-size properties are occupied by one or two people: the phenomenon of under-occupation is an even bigger issue than for England as a whole.
Fifth, rurality and the physical aspects of Devon make new building problematic in many places. The geography and topography of the county restrict opportunities. Narrow country roads and steep hillsides make construction more difficult. In addition, more of Devon than of most counties is protected by designations of National Parks, National Landscapes, and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Although new development is best suited to urban areas with brownfield sites, Devon is predominantly a rural county. This adds special obstacles to meeting housing need. Normal planning conditions present extra barriers to rural development. Moreover, existing residents often oppose any development, even where this is designed to meet local needs.
Sixth, Devon also contains many coastal towns which bring their own challenges. Properties designed for a tourist market of yesteryear can attract landlords who let sub-standard properties to those on Housing Benefit. The fashions for holiday destinations have changed, leaving a legacy that requires investment in regeneration.
Seventh, Devon is now unusual in terms of local government structures. Although our Commission’s work has not embraced the city of Plymouth, which is a unitary authority with a substantial population (265,000), the rest of Devon has eight District Councils and the Unitary Authority of Torbay, in addition to the County Council. These ten local authorities compare with the single authority for Cornwall and two, for example, for Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire.
Devon’s structures enable democratic decisions at a more local level but produce some logistical hazards. In relation to planning functions, it would be hard for every local planning authority in the County to employ a full complement of expert planning staff even if funding was sufficient (which it is not). Furthermore, many planning decisions cross adjacent local government boundaries.
How can all these issues be addressed?
This is a difficult moment to be calling for the building of more new homes to meet Devon’s acute shortages. Housebuilders are not keen to develop while market conditions are being hit by higher interest rates and increased costs; local authorities are facing severe financial constraints; housing associations are running out of capacity to expand their work. However, with an emphasis on affordable housing for rent and shared ownership (for those on average incomes and below), there are some positive steps that could make a significant difference.
At the strategic level, the Commission is recommending a Devon-wide Housing Strategy that sets out goals for the County with a roadmap to achieve them over the next decade and beyond. We recommend a successor body to the Housing Task Force comprising representatives of Devon’s local authorities to monitor progress and work with the proposed Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (CCA). The CCA represents an important opportunity to coordinate Local Plans across the County, covering transport and infrastructure alongside housing provision. These arrangements would facilitate enhanced working relationships with central government and with its agency, Homes England.
We also recommend a county-based initiative for the recruitment, retention and career progression for planning staff across the County. This would assist the resourcing of planning departments and support cross-boundary working.
Central government could help ease the crisis in a number of ways: by allowing planning fees to fully recover costs; by taking forward measures in the previous Renters (Reform) Bill for greater security and higher standards in the private rented sector; by committing to an ongoing affordable housing programme through Homes England that prioritises social rented homes and allows flexibility between new builds and the regeneration of existing buildings; by sharing more of the cost of temporary accommodation in the short-term, by providing opportunities for councils to acquire and improve properties which will be available long-term for social rent; and by introducing the necessary measures for local authorities to limit further growth in short-term lettings.
For rural areas, greater use of Rural Exception Sites would make possible more affordable homes that revitalise local communities. Landowners may need incentives to make these sites available at minimal cost: to this end, developments (in some cases Community Land Trusts will be the solution to delivering homes), should be supported by local authorities and national government through a relaunched Community Housing Fund.
For coastal areas, refurbishment of outdated tourist accommodation can meet local needs. Proactive enforcement of standards can also drive up quality in the private rented sector.
As a major recommendation, the Commission would like to see the proposed Combined County Authority sponsoring a new Development Corporation. This would act as a Master Developer on behalf of the County, Torbay, and the District Councils. It would acquire land, capturing its value, raise private finance, and implement a Master Plan for all major, strategic developments. It would end the current reliance upon the volume housebuilders.
In conclusion, the Commission recognises the size of the task ahead. However, we believe that with the engagement of Devon’s local government and local communities (and appropriate input from central government), significant inroads could be made in easing shortages and delivering affordable homes at the scale required.
I wish all concerned every success in this endeavour and sincerely thank the Commissioners, Devon’s Housing Task Force, the County Council and our sponsor, the University of Exeter (in particular through the work of Matt Dodd and David Hancock) for making possible this worthwhile initiative.
Richard Best
Lord Best, Chair, Devon Housing Commission [Extensive careeer housing including, leading the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, from 1988 to December 2006.]
Interesting snippet on Cranbrook
Owl is still dipping into this 112 page report and has found this insight into Devon’s population and the significance of the “exception ward” of Cranbrook. Something the “Old Guard” Tories created by their “build,build, build” policy, then abandoned; but picked up by the “New Guard” (coalition).
Extract from chapter four:
Devon is also ageing at a faster rate than the rest of England. The average age in England increased by one year between the census of 2011 and the census of 2021 whilst, apart from Exeter (with no increase) only East Devon increased in line with the England average. The presence of the Cranbrook development has kept the rise in average age in East Devon in check: Cranbrook is a new town with a very low average age which impacts the overall East Devon profile. The average age in the Cranbrook ward in 2021 was twenty-nine compared to the average age of fifty in East Devon as a whole, making Cranbrook the “youngest ward” in the county. East Devon, with four of the top ten oldest wards, includes Sidmouth town which, with an average age of fifty-nine, is the oldest in Devon.
Devon’s population is older than England’s, but, crucially, it is also ageing at a faster rate. It is important to understand what is driving this before exploring the impacts on housing. During 2012 and 2020, the overall population of Devon rose at a faster rate than England and the South West, with the East Devon and Exeter populations increasing at the highest rate. This can be attributed to the growth of the university in Exeter during this period (see Chapter Three) as well as developments such as Cranbrook.
East Devon Watch 