CPRE Oxfordshire: Affordable Rural Housing

Affordable housing has become a prominent issue in politics and planning over the last few years and will remain high on the agenda. CPRE recognises the need for affordable housing, particularly to provide a mix of accommodation so that rural communities remain alive and socially inclusive. But we must be careful that the need for affordable rural housing does not put unacceptable development pressure on the rural landscape and that measures put in place to protect the environment are not disregarded.

CPRE Oxfordshire wishes to encourage affordable rural housing in a way that supports rural communities but does not threaten the character of rural villages and market towns. We have set out six principles to guide our examination of planning policies and applications.

1. We need to move away from the approach which only procures affordable housing as a percentage of a larger development, and which means that as far as developers are concerned affordable housing remains an “add-on” rather than a priority. Although at the moment a percentage target may be the only way open to local authorities of meeting targets on affordable housing, we will encourage them to look at other models.

2. Where local authorities have already set affordable housing percentages in their Local Plans, we will encourage them to stick to their more ambitious targets and not buckle in the face of the developers’ pleas for a higher percentage of market housing.

3. Smaller developments are less likely to meet with local resistance. It is important not to create estates that, by virtue of their size or location, are difficult to integrate with existing communities. Where there is a proposal for a relatively large number of houses on one site, we are likely to point out that such estates make social inclusion more difficult.

4. We will remain wary of rural exception sites. Sticking a small estate of affordable houses on to the far edge of a village does not aid social inclusion and makes life even harder for the less affluent or elderly. On the other hand we will look with a more open mind at sites in village centres or where it is proposed to convert existing buildings. Such sites are precious and should be developed to at least the same density as currently used for market housing.

5. We will urge local authorities not to allow schemes with the right to buy. Shared equity is the best option for those that wish to progress to market housing.

6. We need to make sure that the standards of design and build for affordable rural housing are at least as good as that for market housing. Moreover, since affordable housing does not have to have its eye on resale, it could be more adventurous architecturally. The houses also need to be economical to run and maintain, and meet the rapidly rising demands for environmentally friendly housing.

Gillian Salway, May 2007

CPRE National Policy

CPRE has produced a policy document on affordable rural housing. Underlying the document is the conviction that the provision of affordable housing is an important contribution to keeping rural communities alive. It calls for more investment by central government and more effective planning by local authorities. The authors wish to see socially and economically mixed rural communities, a restriction of the right to buy, better use made of existing buildings which might be converted to affordable housing, high standards of design and building and more homes for rent.