Our latest evidence suggests that housing provision is a key issue for Runnymede. Runnymede’s current ‘local housing need’ is 640 homes per year, calculated using the ‘standard method’ - a formula set by the Government based on local housing stock and affordability.
This is the ‘unconstrained’ figure – it is a starting point for establishing the ‘housing requirement figure’ i.e. the minimum number of homes that the Local Plan seeks to provide during the plan period, for which land will be allocated. This figure is informed and justified by evidence on land availability, constraints on development, and any other relevant matters.
As well as the quantity of homes we need, our Housing Needs Assessment predicts the type, tenure and size of homes that a new Local Plan will need to plan for, to meet a wide range of needs.
This evidence suggests that our Local Plan policies should set out a higher target for affordable housing delivery, including for ‘social rented’ homes (designed to be cheaper than market-rate rent).
There continues to be a need for specialist forms of accommodation, including housing for older people, purpose-built student accommodation, and traveller pitches and plots. Our Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Assessment looks specifically at the pitch and plot needs of the Traveller community.
Our existing Local Plan sets requirements for a proportion of new dwellings to be designed to be adaptable and accessible for wheelchair users over the development’s lifetime. We will look to adopt a similar policy in the new Local Plan.
We will also look at how Local Plan policies could help control applications for smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), to avoid an over-proliferation of this type of development, which could lead to adverse impacts on local communities, loss of family housing and noise.
We recommend that you read a more detailed description of this matter in this topic paper before answering the following questions - which includes a summary of what we consider to be in and out of scope:
The following questions about this topic are included on the response form:
Q9. Do you agree that delivering a range of homes to meet needs, including increasing the number and range of affordable homes, is a key issue that the Local Plan should seek to address? If not, please explain why.
Q10. Do you agree with what the Council believes is in scope to address this matter and which a new Local Plan should address? If not, please explain why.
Q11. Do you agree with what the Council believes is out of scope for this matter? If not, please explain why.
Q12. Are there any further locally specific approaches or measures that should be considered to increase the number and range of affordable homes, and ensure that new homes remain affordable in the longer-term?
Q13. Do you think the Council should consider introducing an Article 4 Direction to ensure that proposals for smaller HMOs (i.e. 3-6 people living separately within the same house) require planning permission, so that potential impacts can be fully assessed and considered?
Q14. Are there any further locally specific approaches or measures that could be considered to better support the provision of self and custom-build homes?
Next page - Topic area 4 - Contributing to sustainable economic Growth
This form helps us improve the content and structure of our webpages only, and we cannot provide a response to any submission below.