These pages are compiled from suggestions and content contributed by the Rural Housing Interest Group whose members are drawn from the RTPI-CIH Planning for Housing Network. To join the Interest Group please take this link to a brief member survey.

LATEST NEWS:

The Vision for the Rural Economy policy statement, published by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), calls on the Government to unlock the potential of the rural economy, particularly recognising the benefits that high quality new communities - in the right places - can offer to rural areas.

Countryside Alliance research highlights that affordable housing provision is a huge challenge in both urban and rural areas. Click here for the report (pdf)  

Government Network
A new Government network aims to give rural communities greater access to ministers and decision-makers.

Farm building conversion
Ministers want rural councils to consider changing planning policies to support residential conversion of unwanted farm buildings rather than insisting on employment reuse.

Significant Role
The countryside plays a significant role in the social and cultural life of the UK, says a report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (illustrated right).

Right to Build
Housing Minister Grant Shapps set out his vision to protect and preserve rural village life when he published a Community Right to Build leaflet, a Background paper and FAQs. The RTPI reacted to the proposals with some concern, as did the CPRE, whereas the Home Builders Federation saw it as a ‘step in the right direction’. The Planning Officers Society has welcomed in principle the new proposals that enable communities themselves to address the serious shortfall in housing in rural areas, particularly housing that meets the affordability criteria of young families, low earners, and the elderly. "There are, however, arguably more significant barriers to development in rural communities than the planning process - for example current Government policy for development in the countryside and green belt, owners holding onto sites in the hope their value may increase, and local opposition."

Village Housing Initiative: South Hams District Council is promoting a new approach to provide small-scale affordable housing schemes in sustainable locations across the district for local people.  The aim is to increase the supply of affordable housing sites and reduce the reliance on public funding.  The initiative fully embraces the philosophy of "localism" and aims to keep villages very much alive.  It allows for small scale developments of affordable housing in rural communities on sites which might not otherwise be allocated for housing.  It also allows for up to, two open market homes to be built to encourage sites to be offered and also provide a source of cross subsidy to enable the affordable homes to be built.

GROUP EVENTS:

In December 2010 we offered an event in Warwickshire where we looked at the Stratford-on-Avon District Council 'Local Choice' initiative that has many of the elements of the proposed Community Right to Build - but it already has village housing on the ground. An article in Tripwire (RTPI West Midlands) page 6 explained the nature of the visit and what was learned.

A Networks discussion on the Community Right to Build was arranged for September 2010 in Cheltenham - the notes are now available for you to read.

1. Also this topic and others are available for discussion in the Rural Housing Interest Group section of the Member Discussion Forum (separate log-in required - ask Network Manager if you need a reminder on this) 

RURAL HOUSING ACROSS THE UK:

Getting the balance right for rural communities is problematic: too many new houses and small communities feel swamped and valuable agriculture can be impeded; too few new houses and new generations have no route to staying in the community and the local pub and post office go out of business. Across the UK there are different mechanisms to address this dilemma.

In England the report on rural housing by Matthew Taylor MP has largely set the current agenda for rural housing policy development. 'Living Working Countryside: The Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing' was published in 2008 and the Government response was published in 2009 with an update to the implementation plan issued in 2010. The Rural Communities Policy Unit officially started work early in 2011; this is the Government's replacement for the Commission for Rural Communities, which will eventually be abolished. The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) report Agenda for change set out and summarised the actions that need to be taken across Government and elsewhere to release the economic potential of England’s rural areas. The Homes and Communities Agency has set up a regional network of Rural Champions.

In Northern Ireland the subject of rural housing is considerably more controversial as the degree of planning control to achieve sustainability has been hotly debated. In 2010 the final version of 'PPS21: Sustainable Development in the Countryside' was published by the Northern Ireland Assembly. This has been followed by draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to PPS 21 entitled 'Building on Tradition - A Sustainable Design Guide for the Northern Ireland Countryside'.

In Scotland the Government has 'mainstreamed' the needs of rural Scotland within all of its policies. Planning Advice Note (PAN) 72: Housing in the Countryside (published in 2005) has the stated intention to create more widespread good quality rural housing which respects the Scottish landscape. Related Scottish policy initiatives include a Crofters Commission and in 2009 research was commissioned into Rural Housing Enablers across the UK; the core conclusion from this review was that rural housing enabling works and hence the Scottish Government support for this approach. 2009 also saw the publication of a Report on Rural Housing by the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee which inter alia considered whether there is an over-cautious planning culture in rural Scotland; the Scottish Government responded to the issues raised by the Committee. In August 2010 the Scottish Government published a consultation document Speak Up for Rural Scotland containing advice provided by the Rural Development Council.

In Wales new planning guidance was launched in 2010 to help boost Wales's rural economy and increase the provision of affordable housing. The changes are part of Technical Advice Note 6 – Planning for Sustainable Rural Communities. A Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) Independent Commission reported in 2008: An independent analysis of the levels of housing need in rural Wales, its causes, and recommendations for positive policy and practice change.

Within the broad topic of Rural Housing a number of sub-topics of interest to policy developers may be identified:

Second Homes: in many rural areas second and/or holiday homes considerably restrict the availability of housing for local people; specific policies have been developed to address this issue within some National Parks:

In its report, Taking Stock, Shelter is calling for the Council Tax discount for second home owners to be abolished. 
Planning for Second Homes - this thinkpiece, originally for the Rural Planning Network, invites a sharing of experience amongst members of the positive and negative aspects of this issue. 
Extending Planning Control to Second Home Use - a 2008 paper relating to the Yorkshire Dales National Park
Second Homes: European Perspectives and UK Policies (2005) - Gallent, Mace & Tewdwr-Jones
NHPAU Research Findings Number 1: Buy-to-let mortgage lending and the impact on UK house prices

Land Release for Affordable Homes: where landowners believe there may be prospects to realise the full residential value of their land there is little financial incentive for them to forego part of the value to enable the construction of affordable homes:

Exception Sites - Rural Housing Trust Guidance Notes
Releasing public land for affordable housing - IDeA Knowledge webpages
Enabling Affordable Housing in Rural Wales: A Good Practice Manual - WLGA
Guidance for local authorities on incentivising landowners to bring forward additional land for rural affordable housing on rural exception sites - 2009 CLG Consultation
RTPI Submission in response to above Consultation

The Impact of Green Belts
Should the Green Belt be Preserved? The Social Market Foundation Internal Commission document.
Green Belts in the West Midlands: The CPRE West Midlands issued this report which warned that "the region’s Green Belts are suffering neglect".

The Role of Parish or Community Plans: 
Parish 'Affordable Homes' Toolkit - Rural Affordable Housing Partnership for Wiltshire and Swindon
Housing Enabling Guide for Parishes - Mid Suffolk District Council
Community Led Planning - ACRE's website resource

The Reuse of Agricultural or Derelict Buildings for Rural Housing:
Reuse of Rural Buildings Supplementary Planning Document - Wychavon DC
Reuse of Rural Buildings Supplementary Planning Document - South Northamptonshire DC
The redevelopment of redundant poultry sheds and intensive livestock rearing units - West Lothian Council

Design:
Scottish House: A review of recent experience in building Individual & small groups of houses with a view to sustainability, the use of traditional materials, and innovative design
Design Guide for Rural Northern Ireland - NI Planning Service
Creating a Sense of Place: Design Guide - Prince of Wales' Rural Housing Initiative
New House Design in Small Towns & Rural Areas - Architecture  Design Scotland
Design of Sustainable Rural Housing - Joint Initiative by Forestry Commission Scotland and
Perthshire Housing Association

The Role of Housing in Underpinning the Sustainability of Rural Communities:
State of the countryside 2010 update: Housing demand and supply - CRC
Rural Community Sustainability: Housing - Advantage West Midlands
An Effective Way to Sustain our Rural Communities - Cumbria Rural Housing Trust 
Sustainable Rural Communities: Affordable homes for the future - MJ article by Trevor Cherrett
The Affordable Rural Homes to Rebuild Communities Project - Dumfries & Galloway
Rural Affordable Housing Good Practice Guide - commissioned by the East Midlands Rural Affairs Forum

USEFUL LINKS:

ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) - in particular their Housing Policy Position Paper
CLG (Communities & Local Government) - in particular their page on the Taylor Review
CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) - in particular their Rural Housing Charter
CRC (Commission for Rural Communities) - in particular their 2006 report Rural Housing - A place in the countryside? and their 2008 report Assessment of the implementation of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission’s recommendations. In 2010 it was announced that CRC would cease to exist as a separate body and some of its activities would be absorbed back into DeFRA.
Community Land Trusts - to capture in local communities across the UK the wider social and economic benefits of investment in affordable housing
Land for People - helps communities in Wales, Shropshire and the Marches with an emphasis on building affordable homes for local people
NHF (National Housing Federation) - in particular their Save our Villages Campaign
Rural Housing Service Scotland - in particular their Case Studies
The Rural & Islands Housing Associations Forum (RIHAF) Scotland

Take this link to return to the homepage of the RTPI-CIH Planning for Housing Network

Author:

Andrew Matheson

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

08-Feb-12

Categories:

 

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