Affordable Housing Archives - Planning Design Ltd

Designing affordable homes with East Midlands Homes

29th November 202218th August 2021 by Gary Stringer

Planning & Design Practice Ltd are delighted to be working with East Midlands Homes in designing 33 affordable homes in Old Coppice Side, Heanor, Derbyshire.

We obtained planning permission earlier in the summer for 33 one, two and three bedroom homes on land outside the Green Belt next to Shipley Country Park. You can read more about that as this link.

Siegfried Doering, a senior member of our Architectural team is now working with East Midlands Homes to provide detailed designs and specifications for the new homes which will be available to rent by local people in housing need.

This 100% affordable housing scheme will provide much needed housing in a sustainable location next to the park. The houses will be built to a high standard with gardens, parking for cars and private amenity space.

The site is within a short walking distance of Coppice Primary School and there are local shops on Roper Avenue. The site has good access to public transport and with its proximity to the county park future residents will benefit from the wide range out outdoor activities and amenities right on their doorstep.

The homes will be built over the next two years and will help to meet the shortfall in affordable housing in Amber Valley.

We work with developers of all sizes, from small companies working on one property at a time to large housebuilders and commercial organisations where multi-million pound schemes are the norm.

We believe in good architecture. Our approachable and experienced team comprises architects, architectural assistants, designers and technicians. We offer a comprehensive design service through all the RIBA work stages from concept through to completion.

Our core planning and architectural expertise is supported by specialists in Heritage and Urban Design. We always think innovatively, and a collaborative approach is at the heart of what we do.

For more information, or to discuss how we could help with a specific project or property please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

What is First Homes and how does it work?

29th November 202226th July 2021 by Gary Stringer

First Homes is a new scheme, which came into effect on the 28th June 2021, that has been introduced by the government to help first time home buyers onto the property ladder. The scheme requires councils to provide a new form of discounted housing for first-time buyers (and key workers). Thus, First Homes can be viewed as a type of affordable housing.

To qualify as a First Home, a property will need to be sold with a minimum discount of 30 per cent against the market value. However local authorities and neighbourhood planning groups can increase this discount to 40% or 50% if they can prove that there is a need for this. Once the discount has been applied, the first sale of the property must not be higher than £250,000, or £420,000 in Greater London.

The discount that is applied to First Homes will be passed onto all future purchasers of the property, meaning First Homes will always be sold below the market price. For example, if you buy a house through First Homes with a 40% discount, the house has to be re-sold with a 40% discount. Therefore, if the house was bought for £120,000 but it is worth £200,000, when it is re-sold for £240,000, the capital gain for the homeowner will not be £40,000 but £24,000 instead. With a lower capital gain, it will be difficult for homebuyers to progress up the property ladder. Furthermore, local authorities can restrict who can buy these homes and who they can be sold to, which is not only first buyers but certain key groups only too (e.g. teachers or nurses). As only a limited group of people can buy these properties, the difficulty of reselling is further heightened, and it is unlikely that these properties will increase in price.

Under the scheme, First Homes must account for at least 25% of affordable housing sold by developers. This is supported via a Section 106 agreement/planning obligation, a legal agreement between developers and local planning authorities to reduce the impacts of a development proposal. However, this could lead to negative impacts on the housing market.

How will the scheme affect other forms of affordable housing including shared ownership?

When a home is bought through the shared ownership scheme, it means a share of the property is bought and rent is paid on the rest. As First Homes must account for 25% of affordable housing sold by developers, a decrease will be seen in other types of affordable housing, including shared ownership. A reduction in affordable rented properties will have negative impacts on those who it does not suit to buy a house. Furthermore, the scheme is only applicable to new builds, which can have a premium price, consequently meaning the discount of First Homes may not have that big an impact. Therefore, it can be asked, will this new affordable housing scheme push out genuinely affordable housing options.

At Planning & Design we work with developers of all sizes, from small companies working on one property at a time to large housebuilders and commercial organisations where multi-million pound schemes are the norm. We have established a strong reputation for providing honest and sound commercial advice, skilled presentation, advocacy and negotiation. For more information, or to discuss how we could help with a specific project or property please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Planning permission achieved for 33 homes in Heanor

29th November 202223rd June 2021 by Gary Stringer

Working with East Midlands Homes and Grevayne Properties, Planning & Design Practice Ltd has secured planning permission for 33 affordable homes on land on the boundary with Shipley Country Park, in Heanor, Derbyshire.

Old Coppice Side lies to the southwest of Heanor and the road benefits from pedestrian access into Shipley Country Park. The site itself extends behind roadside houses and will provide a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes together with parking and landscaping.

The site proved challenging but in the end planning permission was forthcoming. We are pleased to have partnered both East Midlands Homes and Grevayne Properties and special mention should go to Andy Dudden from Grevayne whose dogged determination helped to push the approval through after long delays over viability and the S106 Agreement.

Developing brownfield sites is never easy but this site is very well located to provide a good residential environment with many facilities and amenities nearby. Whilst this is a 100% affordable housing scheme for rent, we still had to prove that the abnormal costs associated with the development of this site added to building costs to the extent that S106 off-site payments would not be required. The fact that the development was using public money did not prevent the council for asking for money towards schools, open space, and health services. One of the anomalies of the current system is that I can convert existing buildings into market housing under permitted development and not have to pay S106 costs. A clear overall of the system is required to exempt affordable housing from S106 payments. Lets see what the new white paper on planning does!

We work with developers of all sizes, from small companies working on one property at a time to large housebuilders and commercial organisations where multi-million pound schemes are the norm.

Our core planning and architectural expertise is supported by specialists in Heritage and Urban Design. We always think innovatively, and a collaborative approach is at the heart of what we do.

For more information, or to discuss how we could help with a specific project or property please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Yorkshire’s tallest building coming to Sheffield?

4th November 2019 by Gary Stringer

Sheffield city centre could soon be the location of Yorkshire’s tallest building after an ambitious, £100m planning application was submitted by CODE Co-Living.

Plans have been put forward to build a development comprising three buildings, one of 12 storeys, a second of 16 storeys, and the third, the tallest reaching 36 storeys.

At almost 117 metres tall, the main tower would be higher than a 114-metre tall student scheme currently under construction in Leeds – which is currently set to be the county’s tallest – and would be a full 16 metres higher than Sheffield’s current title holder, City Lofts Tower, which stands at 101 metres.

The scheme would be on a prominent site to the side of the Vita building, just off Charter Row and close to The Light Cinema complex. The land was previously occupied by South Yorkshire Housing and a Dexel car repair yard.

CODE says the development would improve the environment of a neglected corner of the city centre and deliver a huge injection of vibrancy and activity to Charter Square, The Moor and Heart of the City II.

The proposed co-living scheme would provide 1,370 private studio apartments for rent, available for both students and non-students.

Communal spaces would also be incorporated, including dining and café facilities, a 50-piece gymnasium, cinema room, private study spaces and a large first floor south-facing outdoor roof terrace. There will also be a 24-hour concierge on site.

CODE has committed to providing 10 per cent of the apartments as affordable housing, with tenants having equal access to all the facilities within the development.

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design, who have just opened a new office based at the Workstation in Sheffield said

“We support the construction of new tall buildings in Sheffield as they show the city’s ambition and its drive to support appropriate development. A tall iconic building creates a buzz and it also helps to frame the debate of what is possible. Building in the city centre also put less pressure for edge of city development and protects the green belt.”

It is hoped that the planning application will be decided before Christmas. If approved, CODE hopes to be on site in spring 2020.

Jamie Lewis, of CODE, said: “We have been looking for a site in Sheffield for several years. From the outside, it is clear that the city is going places with Heart of the City II and developments on The Moor transforming the city centre. We want to be a part of this.”

Image: CODE

The Housing Delivery Test

20th August 20195th March 2019 by Gary Stringer

The results of the Housing Delivery Test were published in February. Local Planning Authorities sent figures to the Government for the last 3 years setting out the number of homes completed in their areas against their housing targets.

The majority of Councils in the Midlands met the target. However, seven failed. These were Derbyshire Dales (93%), Tamworth (86%), Melton (84%), Chesterfield (66%), Erewash (66%), Staffordshire Moorlands (64%) and Sandwell (61%).

Councils with between 85% and 99% delivery have to produce an Action Plan that sets out the measures the Council will take to boost the delivery of homes in their areas. This could include extra funding for affordable housing to increase the speed of delivery and incentivise builders; it could also include support for smaller builders using the government’s House Building Fund.

For Councils delivering between 25% and 85%; these councils must increase their housing target by 20%. This means allocating or granting planning permission for new housing sites; so, if a council must delivery 300 homes a year, the target is increased to 360 homes a year.

The housing delivery test measures housing completions. A completed house is a property with a Building Regulations Completion Certificate or a property that is ready for occupation today. Evidence has emerged from at least 1 council in Derbyshire that this strict definition is not being followed. The Council is assessing completions as homes which have a roof, walls and windows, weathertight but not completed. This inflates figures and includes properties to first fix, those held by builders, until a buyer has been found. These properties may not be ready for occupation for perhaps 3 or 6 months and should not be counted as completed. If this approach is being adopted more widely then the completion figures have been inflated, allowing councils to avoid providing more housing land, potentially limiting development and reducing the supply of housing to local communities.

The Housing Delivery Test is a difficult concept for Councils because they are not usually house builders; but the test exposes poor delivery by all parties in the house building industry and the Housing Delivery Test could become as important to the construction industry as the 5-year housing land supply.

Designing affordable homes with East Midlands Homes

What is First Homes and how does it work?

Planning permission achieved for 33 homes in Heanor

Yorkshire’s tallest building coming to Sheffield?

The Housing Delivery Test

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