3.2 Housing

3.2.1 The Strategic Housing policy aims to ensure that the right amount of housing is built, in the right places, and that the housing that is provided is of the right type to meet identified needs, particularly for smaller house types and affordable housing, including accommodation for key workers. This section incorporates the necessary detailed policies to ensure the strategy is delivered.

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Dwelling Mix and Type

3.2.2 The Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) ³ identifies a preponderance of larger, detached dwellings in the existing housing stock and a higher than average proportion of households in higher council tax bands. In the private sector the number of lower-cost market houses is limited by lack of supply. The Strategic Housing Market Assessment ⁴ analyses the demand for and supply of housing by tenure and size. Assuming that housing supply is constrained to the East of England housing requirement, it suggests that there is almost no demand for more three and four bedroom homes, but a high level of need for private rented one bedroom flats and two bedroom houses in all tenure types. At present the proportion of two bedroom houses in recent housing developments in North Norfolk is only 38%. It is therefore important to use new housing development to address this shortage of smaller starter homes and this is proposed by requiring a high proportion of all new homes to be smaller property.

3.2.3 The need for affordable housing in the District is acute. The large gap between house prices and average incomes, the demand for second homes, the limited supply of new affordable properties in recent years and the loss of existing social housing through ‘Right to Buy’ / ‘Right to Acquire’ provisions have all contributed to this problem. The evidence in the SHMA suggests that even if all of the proposed new housing that will be built up to 2021 were to be affordable it is unlikely that affordable housing needs will be met in full. Public funding for affordable housing is limited and housing provided by Housing Associations and other affordable housing providers using public funding is unlikely to meet the identified needs over the period of the Plan. Given the high levels of need and the limited opportunities to address it, it is important to adopt a flexible approach to provision and ensure that a high proportion of future housing meets these needs. Consequently, the Council will support the provision of affordable housing in locations where other types of housing will not be permitted and will require that far more market development schemes contribute towards affordable housing provision without the need to use public funding, where it is economically viable to do so.

3.2.4 Aside from meeting the need for affordable housing the Council believes it is important to meet the demand for a variety of market housing created by different household types. The Housing Market Assessment suggests that a high proportion of newly forming households leave the District whilst more established households move into the area. Over the years this has contributed to much higher proportions of elderly and retired people being resident in North Norfolk. Furthermore, nationally, the number of elderly people is expected to rise significantly in the period up to 2021, and it is considered that the impact of this growth will be especially evident in a popular retirement location such as North Norfolk. This trend is likely to continue and, accordingly, increasing provision needs to be made for the particular housing requirements of older people, especially in light of the wider community benefits that can be derived from releasing under-occupied housing back into both the public sector stock and general housing market. The Council will therefore aim to ensure that a proportion of all new houses that are built are suitable, or easily adaptable, for occupation by the elderly and infirm (Lifetime Homes Standard or equivalent).

3.2.5 Some types of housing proposal are designed to meet the needs of particular groups in society whose accommodation needs cannot be met in general purpose housing schemes. These include sheltered schemes for the elderly, disabled, and other groups where developments include an element of communal facilities, wardens accommodation and / or on site management / medical support. It is recognised that it may not always be appropriate to include other types of housing within such proposals.

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Provision of Affordable Housing

3.2.6 The Government has made clear that a community’s need for a mix of housing types, including affordable housing ^{5 6} is a material consideration which should be taken into account in formulating development plan policies and in deciding planning applications involving housing. Where there is a demonstrable lack of affordable housing to meet local needs - as assessed by up-to-date surveys and other information - LDFs should include a policy for seeking affordable housing in suitable housing developments.

3.2.7 Recent evidence indicates that there is a significant need for affordable housing across North Norfolk which will continue for some time. The 2007 Housing Needs Assessment identifies that in North Norfolk the affordable need is for 921 dwellings per annum over the next five years, of which 199 is intermediate need.

3.2.8 Both the Regional Housing Strategy for the East of England and the draft Sub-Regional Housing Strategy for Rural East Anglia have highlighted the need to recognise that there is generally no guarantee of Government subsidy for affordable housing requirements. Consequently, both emphasise the importance of maximising the provision of affordable housing through seeking contributions from market housing developments.

Site-size threshold 

3.2.9 Current national policy provides for a reduction of site-size thresholds to below the Government’s ‘indicative national minimum’ of 15 dwellings where it can be justified by local circumstances and, in rural areas, where it contributes to the creation of mixed and sustainable rural communities. Given the findings of the Rural White Paper, the updated Housing Needs Survey, the study of affordable housing in the AONB, the large number of dwellings which historically have been developed on sites in the District accommodating less than 15 dwellings and other considerations, there is sound justification in North Norfolk for adopting site-size thresholds that are below the indicative national minimum, particularly outside the seven towns and Hoveton.

3.2.10 For practical purposes, it is reasonable to provide for a financial contribution in lieu of on-site provision in all schemes of 3 or fewer dwellings. Flexibility is also appropriate in respect of proposals for retirement housing that may be complicated by the need for future occupants to make significant annual management charges that could be well beyond the means of those occupying affordable units.

Target proportions

3.2.11 The Housing Needs Assessment 2007 suggests targets of between 40 - 50% would be justified given both the high level of need and demand. The Secretary of State’s proposed changes to the East of England Plan requires that at a regional level some 35% of housing coming forward after adoption of the Plan should be affordable. Some developments will not provide affordable housing and therefore to ensure compliance with the East of England Plan higher percentages will be necessary on those sites where affordable housing provision is possible to ensure that this target is met.

3.2.12 The total amount of housing proposed for the remainder of the plan period is smaller than the identified need for affordable housing in the District. To make any significant contribution towards addressing needs it is therefore necessary to set high targets. Therefore, whilst the proportion of affordable housing sought on each site will depend on the assessment of need in the District and the viability of making provision, in towns it will not be less than 45% and in villages 50% of the total number of dwellings proposed. Applicants seeking to justify a lower proportion of affordable housing will be required to demonstrate why it is not economically viable to make provision.

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Housing Developments in the Countryside

3.2.13 It will normally be the case that housing will be built within the boundaries of designated settlements. There are, however, a few exceptional circumstances where housing in the countryside is the only way to address a particular housing need. These include when accommodation is essential to enable agricultural, forestry or other workers to live at, or in the immediate vicinity of, their place of work; housing to meet the needs of Gypsies and Travellers; and housing which is proposed to meet identified needs for affordable housing in the rural area. The guiding principle in considering such proposals is that it should be clearly demonstrated that the housing is needed on the specific site and that it is not possible for it to be located within an area designated for residential development. Permission for such housing is an exception to normal policies and each case should be rigorously justified.

Affordable Housing in Rural Areas

3.2.14 The Government has made clear that all local planning authorities that have small rural communities should include a ‘rural exception site policy’. Much of the District is subject to policies of development restraint. The Countryside, including a large number of smaller villages, is not regarded as an appropriate location for new house building. However, in order to contribute to balanced communities in rural areas affordable housing will be permitted outside selected settlements as rural exception sites. 

Accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers

3.2.15 The accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers should be considered alongside the housing needs of the whole community.  Gypsies are protected by the 1976 Race Relations Act and the Council has a duty to seek to eliminate unlawful discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and good race relations in everything it does.

3.2.16 Government policy in Circular 01/2006 requires local authorities to allocate sites to meet any identified accommodation needs and set out the criteria for the assessment of applications on sites that are not allocated, as many Gypsies, Travellers and travelling showpeople prefer to buy and manage their own sites. It is recognised that the location of sites needs to meet the working and living patterns of Gypsies and Travellers and that this may include locations in the Countryside. However it is also important to ensure that locations allow for access to essential services, are not damaging to the character of the area, and foster good community relations.

3.2.17 Whilst proposals for Gypsy and Traveller sites may be permitted within the Countryside this does not set a precedent for permanent built dwellings which will not be permitted outside settlement boundaries.

3.2.18 Organised groups of travelling showpeople are excluded from the planning definition of ‘Gypsies and Travellers’ but their accommodation requirements are similar. While it is therefore considered appropriate to address their requirements within the same policy approach, one site could not be used to accommodate the different groups. The Showmen's Guild of Great Britain have confirmed that there is currently no requirement for a site for travelling showpeople in North Norfolk.

Agricultural, Forestry and Other Occupational Dwellings in the Countryside

3.2.19 It will almost always be the case that those employed in agriculture, forestry or other rural based occupations will be able to meet their accommodation needs in existing houses either on the site or nearby. Very occasionally it will be essential for a worker to have accommodation in close proximity to the business and none will be available. The construction of new dwellings in the countryside to meet these needs will, in exceptional circumstances, be justified. Annex A of PPS7 ⁹ provides detailed advice in respect of these circumstances. If permission is granted for such dwellings it is important that they are occupied as intended and the Council will therefore impose restrictive occupancy conditions to ensure that any dwelling remains available to meet the needs of the particular business.

3.2.20 It is accepted that there will be circumstances where such dwellings are no longer required for the purpose for which they were originally intended. However it is important to ensure that the concession that the planning system makes for these types of dwellings is not abused. Applications for the erection of dwellings and the subsequent removal of restrictive occupancy conditions will therefore require robust justification. Where it is concluded that a dwelling is no longer required for the approved purpose and applications are made to remove conditions the Council will require that the dwelling is occupied in a way which would otherwise be appropriate in a countryside location. Consequently applicants should demonstrate that the property has been made available, on suitable terms, to others in need of rural housing, including those in need of affordable housing. In these cases the dwelling that should be offered is taken to mean the building itself and an appropriate residential curtilage.

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Making Effective and Efficient Use of Land

3.2.21 National policy requires local planning authorities to avoid the inefficient use of land in accommodating new residential development and, thereby, help to reduce the loss of greenfield sites to development on the edge of settlements. Accordingly, it encourages housing to be developed at a net minimum density of 30 dwellings per hectare (30 dw/ha). Building at higher densities in the seven towns can also help to improve access to, and sustain, local services and public transport and minimise the need to travel. A more flexible approach is appropriate in the Service Villages and Hoveton (which is a village) and for exception schemes in the Countryside.  In assessing what density is appropriate priority will be given to ensuring that making efficient use of land does not result in development that detracts from the character of the area. The precise density will therefore be determined having regard to the sites immediate context, on-site constraints, the type of development proposed and the need to provide an appropriate mix of house types and sizes to meet the community’s needs.

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House Extensions and Replacement Dwellings in the Countryside

3.2.22 To help protect the character of North Norfolk’s countryside there is a need to control the amount of new built development. The erection of replacement dwellings and extensions to existing houses can individually, and cumulatively over a period of years, have an adverse impact both on the character of individual properties and their surroundings. It is also important to ensure that where small, and comparatively cheaper housing is available in the rural area, that this is retained to provide opportunities for those on lower incomes to access housing in the local community.

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Re-use of Rural Buildings as Dwellings

The Inspector's report on the examination of the Core Strategy required that proposed policy (HO9) be withdrawn and a revised policy prepared and, in order to avoid a policy vacuum in the interim, the Local Plan Policy 29: The re-use and adaptation of buildings in the countryside, be retained. ¹⁰

3.2.23 The saved North Norfolk Local Plan Policy 29 allows for the re-use and adaptation of  buildings in the Countryside for residential purposes where a building is adjacent to the boundary of Growth Towns, Small Towns, Large Villages or Selected Small Villages. The boundaries to which this policy refers are shown on the Proposals Map. This policy and the boundaries will be used to determine  applications for the conversion of buildings in the Countryside to residential purposes only. Policy EC2 will be used to determine applications for the re-use of buildings for purposes other than residential.