Consultation: DRAFT Worthing affordable housing supplementary planning document (SPD) - August 2024
On the 28th March 2023 the Worthing Local Plan (WLP) was adopted. Policy DM3 of the new plan now sets out the approach to the delivery of affordable housing in the Borough. This proposed Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) will, once adopted, set out the mechanism for securing affordable housing on major residential development sites and the exceptional circumstances when financial contributions for affordable housing to be secured off-site may be acceptable and how these would be calculated.
Background
The current mechanism for securing affordable housing in Worthing is set out in the Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) adopted in July 2015. This brings together the council's approach to seeking contributions from new development for a range of infrastructure types to address the cumulative impacts on infrastructure and to secure affordable housing (section 5 of the SPD). It summarises the different mechanisms which are used and the relationship between them.
An update of this SPD is required to ensure that guidance is in line with the newly adopted Worthing Local Plan and ensure that it reflects the latest S106 / Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) position. The proposed new Affordable Housing SPD will provide an update, and supersede section 5 of the adopted SPD 2015. It has been developed using best practice and recent guidance on SPDs and liaison with officers across the council.
The aim of this new SPD is to provide advice on this affordable housing policy (Affordable Housing DM3) and how it should be interpreted and implemented. A key aim of DM3 is to increase the amount of affordable housing delivered through the planning system. The SPD will provide advice for landowners, developers, agents and affordable housing providers and will be used to inform pre-application proposals and planning applications. The SPD will set out the mechanism for securing affordable housing on major residential development sites and the exceptional circumstances when financial contributions for affordable housing to be secured off-site may be acceptable. The rates for off-site contributions which are based on viability advice and the methodology for making calculations will replace and supersede the rates that currently form part of the existing Developer Contributions SPD.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Consultation
It should be noted that the government has recently published the Draft Consultation National Planning Policy Framework for consultation. This includes a couple of proposals that if they become national policy will require this SPD to be amended to reflect those changes. They include the following proposals:
- Starter Homes: The Draft NPPF proposes to delete this tenure. The Draft SPD makes a couple of references to this as a tenure which can potentially be used to meet our affordable housing needs.
- 10% Affordable Homes requirement: The Draft NPPF proposes the removal of the requirement to have 10% of affordable homes to be for affordable home ownership, as part of the overall affordable housing contribution on a site. The current requirement is reflected in both the adopted Worthing Local Plan policy DM3 and this Draft SPD.
The council will consider these proposals and their implications as part of this consultation and respond accordingly.
Have your say ...
Your views are important to us and the feedback you give us will help us to finalise the SPD.
First - please read the Draft Affordable Housing SPD here:
Alternatively, copies of the documents can be found in Worthing Town Hall and Worthing Library during office opening hours.
Then, by 5pm on 1st October 2024, please share your views by emailing:
Alternatively please send your comments to:
- Planning Policy team
Worthing Borough Council
Worthing Town Hall
Chapel Road
Worthing
West Sussex, BN11 1HA
Note: please make sure it is clear which part of the document your comments relate to by using the paragraph and page numbers set out in the document.
Page last updated: 20 August 2024