ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL
DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 15 MARCH 2005
Officer: Chris Hougham, Development Control Manager Tel: (01983) 823567
CIRCULAR 01/2005
THE TOWN & COUNTRY
PLANNING (RESIDENTIAL DENSITY) DIRECTION 2005
To familiarise Members of this Committee with the content of
the above mentioned circular, which was issued on 24 January 2005.
Background
Members may recall receiving a report from the Development
Control Manager about the Town & Country Planning (Residential Density)
(London and the South East) Direction 2002 just over two years ago.
In a parliamentary statement in mid 2002, the Deputy Prime
Minister announced the Government’s intentions for tackling the housing
shortage in London and the South East. He explained that the Government
expected the housing numbers, already agreed in Regional Planning Guidance for
the South East, to be delivered, working within the presumption of making
better use of land by improving design, increasing densities and using
brownfield sites to the full. He announced that he would intervene in planning
applications for housing that involve a density of less than 30 dwellings per
hectare net.
Since the direction came into effect, provisional estimates
for the average density of new developments in England for 2003 indicate that
the overall density of residential development has increased to 33 dwellings
per hectare.
Financial Implications
None.
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Options That the information contained in this report be noted. |
Conclusions
Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 (Housing), issued in March
2000 and as amended in January 2005 sets out a new approach to planning for
housing. Members will know that local planning authorities are expected to give
priority to re-using previously developed land within urban area bringing empty
homes back into use and converting existing buildings, in preference to the
development of greenfield sites. To avoid the profligate use of land and
encourage sustainable environments, PPG3 requires local planning authorities to
examine critically the standards
applied to new residential development, particularly with
regards to roads, layouts and car parking; they are expected to avoid housing
developments which make inefficient use of land.
The latest Direction reiterates the earlier advice and
extends the area to which it relates in order to assist with the effective
delivery of the Government’s objectives to maximise the efficient use of land
and minimise pressure upon greenfield land, particularly in areas where housing
markets are under most pressure.
In practice this means that where a local planning authority
intends to grant planning permission for residential development on land with
an area of one hectare or more and the resulting density is less than 30
dwellings per hectare net, they will be required, to refer the matter to the
ODPM through his Regional Office who has 21 days to decide whether to issue a
Direction under Section 77 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (i.e. “call-in”
the application). Members will appreciate that this does not relate to
Greenfield sites.
By way of additional information for Members of this
Committee, appended to this brief report is a copy of a letter that the
Development Control Manager recently sent to a Clerk of a Local Town Council
which expands on the issue of the re-use of previously developed land at higher
densities than that experienced prior to the issue of PPG3 five years ago.
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RECOMMENDATION That the information
contained in this report be noted. |
ANDREW ASHCROFT
Head of Planning
Services
Appendix to Paper H
I have noted your comments and can fully understand why
people are interested, and to some extent concerned, about apparent changes in planning
policy in connection with new (re)development for residential purposes within
built up areas.
The truth of the matter is that there has been a significant
‘shift’ in recent years with the government requiring Local Planning
Authorities to make the best possible use of urban land in terms of providing
new affordable homes. This general
principle is embodied in PPG3 (Housing) which was published relatively recently
in March 2000. Essentially this is
government planning policy for the provision of new affordable homes in
sustainable locations. The overall
objectives set for Local Authorities can be selectively summarised in the
following terms:-
If you combine this national policy with our own approved
Unitary Development Plan and the Housing Needs Survey (2003) it becomes
apparent that there is a need to provide an increased number of one and two
bedroom units in sustainable locations and the way that this is being achieved
is by making the best use of vacant or previously developed sites in the built
up area which means increasing the overall density of development.
The advice which appeared in PPG3 five years ago concluded
that this was the best way forward, having identified that low density
development represented inefficient use of land.
New housing development… is currently built at an average of 25 dwellings per hectare but more than half of all new housing development is built at less than 20 dwellings per hectare. That represents a level of land take which is historically very high and which can longer be sustained. Such development is also less likely to sustain local services or public transport, ultimately adding to social exclusion. Local Planning Authorities should therefore examine critically the standards they apply to new development, particularly with regard to roads, layouts and car parking to avoid the profligate use of the land.
The government sets certain criteria which are now incorporated in regulations which have to be observed by local authorities.
Appendix
to Paper H
Indeed in the last few days the Government have released a
new Direction which requires Local Planning Authorities to refer all
applications to the ODPM where the intention is to grant permission on sites of
one hectare or more at a density which is less than 30dph.
Another aspect of this is the reduction in ‘on site’ parking
facilities, which was always a significant determinant of the amount of land
required for new housing, making it difficult to achieve higher densities in
appropriate locations.
As a member of the Isle of Wight Council, you will recall that
I wrote to you as recently as 27th January 2005, drawing your
attention to further amendments to PPG3 made by the government in terms of
overall sustainability and the delivery of new housing. Many of these objectives are reflected in
our own approved Unitary Development Plan, although this was actually drafted
and completed before the publication of PPG3.
Needless to say, the new development plan system which will eventually
lead to a Local Development Framework (LDF) will reflect the government and
Council objective of providing affordable housing in sustainable locations.