Promoting Choice in Housing Supply

Chapter 3 - Promoting Quality and Choice in Homes

Objective 2 - Promoting Choice in Housing Supply

Delivering Affordable and Particular Needs Housing

3.14: Government commitment to social justice requires that authorities seek to enable an adequate supply of affordable housing. The planning system can support and apply mechanisms to provide for more affordable housing within their area for settlements that have an identified need. SPP 3 states that the physical requirements of people with special or particular needs, in terms of special housing provision and access to general housing, should also be taken into account. The Council is committed to ensuring that all sectors of housing need are provided for within the housing market area of Clackmannanshire. Clackmannanshire has a dedicated site for Travelling People, at Westhaugh near Alva, and the site was extended several years ago. The current capacity is likely to cater for any demand during the term of this Plan.
3.15: The Council will provide for affordable housing needs through the Local Plan and by close working with other housing agencies. The traditional role of the Council as housing provider is severely constrained and Housing Associations have locally been the main providers of affordable housing in recent years. Private developers are now expected to assist and contribute to providing for local affordable and particular needs housing based on a suitable understanding of the Local Housing Market. The Council as housing and planning authority will work in partnership, with other Registered Social Landlords and the private sector to secure the provision of high quality affordable housing in appropriate locations. The Schedule of Sites indicates where this is to be initially applied.
3.16: Affordability varies according to disposable income and the Council will seek to achieve a range of tenures and types of property to reflect needs.
3.17: Certain groups may have special or particular housing needs, including the elderly and the disabled. The 1995 survey on Housing Needs indicates that 25% of all households include people with long term illness or disability. The elderly age group is steadily increasing as a proportion of the overall population and the need for particular needs housing for this group is likely to increase in future. The Council’s Housing Services is to prepare a Local Housing Strategy in 2003/4 to replace the current Housing Plan for the area which is for the period 1997 to 2002. Communities Scotland have finalised the first Housing Market Context Statement for the Forth Valley Area.

Policy RES5 - Affordable and Particular Needs Housing

Where a local need has been established, the Council will negotiate with developers to secure an element of affordable / particular needs housing on all sites that have an overall capacity of 30 or more houses. This is a guidance figure and the affordable element sought will also be dependant on other material considerations such as site location, characteristics and market conditions (see paragraph 3.17). The Council will seek to ensure provision for a reasonable proportion of affordable and / or particular needs housing. A target figure of 25% will be sought although this may be moved up or down depending on specific local need and circumstances. The planning authority will seek to enter into a legal agreement to ensure that affordable housing priority is given to those in local housing need. Any affordable housing element should normally be fully completed and made available for occupancy before the final 25% of the open market element is released for sale. In exceptional cases, where a developer can clearly demonstrate that it is not feasible to provide affordable housing on their development site, a commuted payment towards social housing development elsewhere in that particular settlement will be necessary.

Sites that have particular development potential for affordable and/or particular needs housing due to their location and other characteristics have been allocated on the Proposals Maps and are referred to in the Development Guidelines in the Schedule of Sites. On these sites, approval is unlikely to be granted for development that does not incorporate an appropriate element of affordable or particular needs housing.

Residential Homes and Nursing Homes

3.19: The private residential home and nursing home sector has been expanding and several new purpose built facilities have been provided recently. Continued demand is likely for this type of development. The increasingly elderly population will require additional purpose built facilities and suitable conversions that can contribute to good quality “care in the community”.

Policy RES6 - Residential Homes and Nursing Homes

Residential homes and nursing homes shall normally be located in residential areas where reasonable access to local amenities, community and other services and the established public transport network will be provided for those able to use them. Proposals shall provide a high amenity living environment for their residents.

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