The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Improvement introduced the proposed Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which would support the Council’s Core Strategy to give guidance on the implementation of Core Strategy Policy SP3 (affordable housing) including the arrangements for financial contributions from developers. The SPD clarified what types of housing should contribute and provided guidance on the calculation of the number of units required for different size schemes and how provision should be made within developments.  It also included information on the procedures that would be applied in considering applications in relation to affordable housing and mechanisms for ensuring the delivery of affordable housing on approved schemes and how issues of development viability would be considered under the Core Strategy. The SPD also included measures for monitoring the delivery of affordable housing and the use of funds collected under the policy. Members were reminded that the draft SPD had been considered by the LDF Advisory Group, the Environment Select Committee and the Cabinet in April 2011and had been subject to public consultation from 26 May to 4 August 2011. The responses to the consultation were reported and a number of amendments were proposed to the SPD as a result of the consultation to take account of changes to Government policy, and provide greater clarity on viability issues, the use of financial contributions and monitoring arrangements. Members were informed that the SPD would provide further information on how the Core Strategy Policy SP3 would be applied and would assist the Council in determining planning applications and in defending the Council’s position in cases of appeal.

The Cabinet welcomed the changes made in response to the public consultation and felt that the greater clarity included in the SPD was particularly important.

Councillor Brookbank raised concerns about the SPD and felt that it would deter much needed development by making excessive demands on developers. He also felt that the policy would do nothing to address the perceived imbalance in the mix of housing in the Swanley area where he believed there was an imbalance in favour of social housing provision and a lack of new private housing for sale.

Members felt that the SPD would not deter development as land values ensured that projects were still profitable however it was felt that without the policy developers would not provide the affordable housing that was needed. It was noted that the District’s Housing Needs Assessment had identified a need for more affordable housing across all areas of the District and that affordable housing was some 600 houses below target. It was felt that if this was not addressed this would contribute to homelessness. The Cabinet also noted that the maximum level of affordable housing that could be required for a development under the policy was 40% and that development would be primarily build for private sale and that the policy therefore would help to balance the mix of development. It was stressed that all of the Council’s planning policies were subject to annual monitoring and that this would help to highlight any imbalances that might occur.

            Resolved: That

(1)  the Affordable Housing SPD be amended as proposed in Appendix A to    the report;    

(2)  the Affordable Housing SPD as amended be adopted as a supplementary planning document; and    

(3)  copies be made available for sale at a price to be agreed by the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Improvement.