June 2002
1.1 Following the adoption of the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) in May 2001 the Council has produced an Urban Capacity Study (UCS) in order to identify how the Council will ensure the provision of new housing developments is in line with the objectives of PPG3. The UCS has shown that there will be a need for both brownfield and greenfield housing developments to meet the Island’s housing requirements over the period 1996 to 2011.
1.2 In order to show that the release of necessary greenfield development is not compromising the opportunity to bring forward brownfield development sites it is necessary to consider how the release of sites will enable housing provision on the Island to be planned,
monitored and managed in line with PPG3 objectives.
2.1 The UDP sets out how the Council intends to meet the housing requirements of the Island over the plan period. A strategic policy of the plan (S2) states that development for housing will be encouraged on land which has previously been developed (brownfield sites) rather that undeveloped (greenfield) and therefore greenfield sites will only be allocated for development where no suitable alternative brownfield site exists. Policy S7 makes provision for the development of at least 8,000 housing units over the plan period and, whilst accepting that a proportion of these developments will occur on sites with existing allocations or planning approval, it states that enough new land will have to be allocated to ensure the target figure is met to provide both a range of choice and affordability.
2.2
Part II of the UDP sets out the detailed policies,
proposals and justification for how the required housing will be met.
2.3
Policy H1 states that the majority of new residential
development will be expected to be located within the defined envelopes of the
main settlements (Cowes, East Cowes, Ryde, Newport, Shanklin and Sandown).
2.4
Policy H2 states that large housing allocation will be
expected to provide a mix of dwelling types to reflect identified needs.
2.5
Policy H14 seeks to ensure at least 20% of units on
large sites are affordable units to rent through an RSL.
2.6
In general the housing provision sought through the
UDP is heavily reliant on windfall sites, extant consents and allocations in
previous statutory plans. Much of this
is defined as brown field development
with only an additional 1,070 housing units identified on new sites to meet the 8,000 units.
2.7
Policy H3 of the UDP identifies the specific sites
that have been identified in the plan for residential development and are set
out in Appendix A of the UDP. The
principal new greenfield sites allocated in the plan are as follows:
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H3 (13) Land to the south east of Pan Estate, Newport
- three areas of land totalling some 18.8ha.
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H3 (16) Worsley Road, Newport - an area of land
totalling some 8.8ha to the south west of Worsley Road.
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H3 (18) Land to the rear of Ashey Road, Ryde.
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H3 (69) Land at Kingston, East Cowes - an area of some
6.5ha south of Kingston Farm Lane and west of Beatrice Avenue.
2.8 Although there are a small number of other green field sites allocated in the UDP(such as Sylvan Ave and Carisbrooke Park) the four sites above provide the main component of potential new greenfield development up to 2011.
2.9 Although the UDP process preceded the publication of PPG3 the principal criteria for determining the acceptability of the new sites proposed are considered to be broadly in line with the objectives set out in paragraphs 30 and 31 of PPG3. This is particularly true in respect of issues such as location and accessibility, the capacity of existing and potential infrastructure, the ability to build communities, and the physical and environmental constraints on development of land. These issues are the primary determining factors in paragraph 31 of PPG3.
3.1 PPG3 provides the Government’s up to date advice in respect of policy formulation and decision making in respect of new residential development. The principal objectives are that any plan should:
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meet the need
for the housing requirements of the whole community, including those in need of
affordable and special housing
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provide wider housing opportunity and choice including
a better a mix in size, type and location
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reuse of previously development land within urban
areas in preference to development of greenfield sites.
3.2 The guidance is a fundamental change in government approach to planning for housing and it is made quite clear that LPA’s which produced plans prior to its publication ( such as the IW) may need to review and alter their plans in order to take on board PPG 3's key objectives.
3.3 Para 33 of PPG3 states that local authorities should manage the release of sites over the plan period in order to control the pattern and speed of urban growth and suggests that phasing the release of land for housing over the plan period will seek to ensure the presumption that previously developed land will be developed before green field sites whilst enabling plan, monitor and manage to be implemented.
3.4 PPG3 also sets out that local authorities should undertake Urban Capacity Studies in order to identify the potential supply of previously developed land within their areas so as to inform the release of new green field sites to meet identified needs.
4.1 The Council has carried out an Urban Capacity Study to assess the potential of settlements on the Island to accommodate new development. Following a comprehensive survey of existing settlements an assessment as to the potential for housing developments from within towns and villages of the Island has been made based on a number of assumptions.
4.2 Section 2 of the Urban
Capacity Study outlines in detail the methodology that was used to assess the
potential capacity on the Island. The
potential yield from large sites (over 1 ha); small sites (under 1 ha);
vacant/empty properties/conversions and other potential sources was calculated. It has been estimated that a capacity for
between 5260 and 5330 units exists (including existing brownfield allocations
and commitments).
4.3 The principal finding of the study is that all the new greenfield sites allocated in the Unitary Development Plan will be required to come forward before the end of the plan period in 2011 in order to meet the identified housing needs for the Island. The detailed findings of the Urban Capacity Study are set out in separate report.
5.1 Both the Housing Corporation and PPG3 require that local authorities undertake local housing needs assessments in order to inform both the housing strategy and housing provision within the Development Plan.
5.2 PPG 3 makes it clear that the findings of any local housing needs survey should underpin the policies and proposals of the development plan. The IOW Housing Needs Study was carried out in 2001 and involved a postal survey of 10% of Island homes. The main findings of the survey were as follows:
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there is a chronic shortage of affordable housing
across the whole Island
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there is an increasing demand for smaller one and two
bedroom housing units that are not currently being met by the housing market.
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The principal areas of housing need both in
affordability and demand are the main towns of
Newport, Ryde, Shanklin and Sandown followed by Cowes/East Cowes
5.3 For the purposes of the UDP affordable housing is defined as housing for rent through a registered social landlord. In order to provide for significant numbers of new affordable units in new developments the greatest opportunity to negotiate sufficient numbers is on large green field sites where the economics of development can deliver such units.
5.4 The majority of brown field sites are relatively small and fall below the threshold for affordable units to be required. The Island is therefore heavily reliant on greenfield sites/allocations meeting the needs for affordable housing irrespective of the merits promoting brownfield development before greenfield development.
5.5 Although the objective of developing brown field land will continue to be promoted, the requirements of PPG3 must be assessed in its widest context by providing for mixed communities and a choice of housing. The established and identified need for affordable housing must be balanced against the promotion of brown field development. The inevitable consequence of focussing and relying too heavily on previously developed land to provide most or all of the Island=s housing requirements in terms of numbers, may mean that the Island=s need for further affordable rented accommodation could be compromised further.
6.1 In the past large scale housing development on the Island has been phased over a number of years reflecting the steady and anticipated market for new housing. The existing Carisbrooke estate is a good example of this. Although the housing market on the Island has changed in recent years reflecting a growing interest from second home owners and the presence of national builders such as Barratt, Persimmon and Westbury Homes it is still likely that any new housing allocations which are released for development will take a number of years to develop irrespective of any phasing constraints placed on sites through the planning process.
6.2 In this context the deliverability of allocated greenfield sites in the UDP needs to be examined in respect of the need to provide for 8,000 new units up to 2011. The graph below indicates the rate at which sites have been developed in the period 1996-2001. Up until 2002 sites were being developed at a rate higher than that required by RPG9. However, during the last financial year, completions fell dramatically to 383.
6.3 The start date of the UDP is 1996 and therefore 6 years of the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) period have already lapsed. Over this period of the plan (1996 - 2002) housing units delivered on the Island consisted mainly of brownfield sites with a small number of greenfield sites, the result of extant planning approvals from allocations in previous local plans.
6.4 There are a total of 105 sites allocated in the UDP. Of these, a small number were greenfield sites. The following list contains greenfield sites which do not have the benefit of an extant permission:
·
Land to the South East of Pan Estate, Newport.
·
Worsley Road, Newport.
·
Land to rear of Ashey Road.
·
Land at Kingston, East Cowes.
6.5 It is anticipated that at a minimum density
of 30 dph (net) the sites listed could provide approximately 950 units.
6.6 Of the four major green field sites listed above only Ashey Road at Ryde has been planned and designed out to detailed stage. The three remaining sites at Pan, Worsley Rd, and Kingston are at best in the preliminary planning stages and are unlikely to be ready for development to take place until 2004 at the earliest. With the principal objective of PPG3 being the need to maintain a sufficient supply of housing over a five-year period and the UCS indicating that all green field sites will be required to deliver that supply, the feasibility of bringing forward all major greenfield allocations should now be considered if they are to be required by 2011.
6.7 The consequences of delaying release of sites may result in housing supply being diminished. This could lead to higher house prices, consequent reductions in affordable housing in both the rented and owner occupied sectors and related economic and social consequences well beyond housing supply issues.
7.1 Given the findings of the Urban Capacity Study and the need for four greenfield sites allocated in the Unitary Development Plan to come forward by 2011 in order to meet housing needs, it is suggested that the following approach is taken:
1.
Release of Ashey Road site for development - this
site is already at detailed planning stage and is likely to progress in the
short term if consent is granted. The
housing needs survey identifies a major shortage of affordable housing in the Ryde
area which could be partly addressed by the development of this site.
2.
Pan and Worsley Road sites, Newport - both these
large greenfield allocations are situated adjacent to the main settlement and
growth area of the Island. Both sites
are at a preliminary stage in terms of master planning and the Council
anticipates that in respect of Pan, that development would be unlikely to
proceed following necessary consultation, much before 2004. A similar scenario would be expected to
take place in respect of the Worsley Road site with a similar timetable. As well as being a major focus for new
housing development Newport is also experiencing growth in other sectors such
as retailing and employment and industrial development and it is important to
ensure that this sustainable economic growth is not compromised by a shortage
of housing provision.
3.
Kingston, East Cowes - East Cowes has been
experiencing significant changes over the past 12-18 months, both in respect of
major new housing developments taking place within the area and also
uncertainty over the future use of GKN Westland’s site.
Given the existing levels of development taking place with East Cowes (Old Rd, East Cowes), the possibility of further brownfield sites coming forward and the fact that East Cowes is not a priority in terms of affordable housing as set out in the housing needs survey, it is considered that the release of the Kingston site should be postponed, whilst the ongoing position at East Cowes develops. In any event the current ownership of the site and its links to adjoining employment opportunities may naturally delay the development of this site.
7.2 The diagram below illustrates the phasing of the strategic greenfield sites:
|
1996-2002 |
Phase
I 2002-2004 |
Phase
II 2004-2007 |
Phase
III 2007-2011 |
|
||||
|
Already developed |
Site A – Ashey
Road |
Site
B - Pan |
|
|
7.3 Throughout the process, the rate at which brownfield sites are being developed will be monitored. This is in line with the sequential approach as set out in PPG3. If monitoring indicates that sites are not coming forward at the desired rate, it may be appropriate to consider adjustments to the managed release of sites. The Council does not intend to phase the existing brownfield allocations/commitments.
8.1 Given the findings of the Urban Capacity Study and the current time frame of the IOW Unitary Development Plan (1996-2011) it is considered that some of the allocated greenfield sites in the UDP are now brought forward for development in order to ensure that the Island, whilst continuing to promote the development of brownfield opportunities within existing towns, does not fail to meet the wider objectives of PPG3 in ensuring greater choice of housing, meeting the needs of affordability. This will hopefully ensure future economic prosperity for the Island as a whole.
8.2 There is a strong case for the Kingston site at East Cowes to be phased over a longer period whilst the delivery of brownfield opportunities is monitored.
