zoe willcox, bristol cc - positive planning - delivering housing
TRANSCRIPT
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Zoe WillcoxService DirectorPlanningPlace Directorate
Positive Planning: Delivering Housing Unblocking stalled sites
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
1. What has been delivered to date
2. What are the issues for Bristol?
3. Housing Delivery Initiatives?
Delivering Housing in Bristol
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
What has been delivered?
Bristol housing completions
Source: BCC, Bristol Residential Development Survey 2014
• Housing supply peaked in 2008/09
• Supply has declined and not projected to recover to pre-recession highs
• Core Strategy housing target requirements likely to be met over next 5 years
• Over 82% of supply since 2006/07 has been flats Source: BCC, Bristol Residential
Development Survey 2014
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
What has been delivered?
Source: BCC, Bristol Residential Development Survey 2014
Affordable Housing supply 2000/01 – 2013/14
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
What are the issues for Bristol?
1. Demand is up but supply is down
2. Significant need for affordable housing in the city that cannot be met - existing supply declining
3. Significant increase in private renting
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
What are the issues for Bristol?
4. Limited number of strategic sites within Bristol
5. Over-supply of flats and smaller units of accommodation
6. Increasing student population7. High existing land values and
high build costs in the central area
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Housing delivery initiatives
Bristol Local Plan
• Focus on housing delivery (84 major sites identified)
• Flexible policies seeking affordable housing
• Re-use of vacant offices and upper floors for housing
• Higher housing densities with a focus on accessible centres
• Helping to redress housing imbalance including more family housing
• Set housing standards
• Clear strategy for student accommodation
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Housing delivery initiatives
Bristol Local Plan Review
• Requirement to review housing numbers in the Plan for 2016
• Bristol’s housing market – area in the context of the West of
England (WoE)
• Commissioned a WoE Strategic Housing Market Assessment
• Commitment to produce a WoE Joint Strategic Planning Strategy
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Housing delivery initiatives
Mayoral Homes Commission Key recommendations include:• Review of council land and property assets to increase land supply• Jointly identify and plan for new homes on a sub-regional basis • Create a ‘Results-not-Process’ culture • Establish a specialist stalled site team• Develop and nurture an alternative homes sector• Create a revolving investment fund set up by the council to promote
and support the development of site for new homes where short term finance represents an obstacle to development
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Housing delivery initiatives
Affordable Housing Delivery FrameworkSets out objectives (and action plan) to increase the supply of affordable housing in the city, including: • Bringing forward development opportunities in the Council’s ownership• Encouraging the release of other public sector development land. • The Council as a direct developer of new homes. • Encouraging new models of provision. • Working effectively with our partners. • Streamlining decision-making and working as a team.• Using the planning system to best effect.
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Housing delivery initiatives
Open for business
To ensure economically viable schemes can continue to be delivered. In particular:
• Positive approach to renegotiation of planning obligations
• Interim approach to affordable housing targets
• Flexibility over affordable housing tenures
• Production of Planning Briefs
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Housing delivery initiatives
Stalled sites programme
• 5000 residential units stalled
• Study to review and understand the lack of progress/delivery since
planning consent was granted
• Detailed analysis of 16 sites with largest number and prospects of
coming forward.
• Range of reasons including viability, developer in receivership,
relocating existing uses, discharging conditions, sites mothballed,
alternative use implemented.
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Stalled Sites : Recommendations to the 4 UAS
• To review signpost advice, guidance and further info
• To review planning processes post-consent, i.e. discharge of conditions
• To consider how to better monitor, collate and review planning
intelligence
• To consider whether engagement with property agents could be
improved, and whether the link with ‘Invest in Bristol and Bath’ could
be strengthened
• To consider whether better use could be made of the LEP network to
monitor and benchmark against similar projects
Housing delivery initiatives
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Stalled Sites : Action to date
• Proactively contacting all owners – including reference
to funding opportunities
• Establishing a stalled sites team – support from HCA
• Targeting developer interest – particular focus on
private rented sector
• Focusing on post decision support – reallocating
resources
Housing delivery initiatives
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Stalled Sites : More to be done
• Incentivise the rapid delivery of
permitted schemes
• More resources to bolster
proactively unblock sites
Housing delivery initiatives
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Five Neighbourhood Development Plans
What will they contribute to the delivery of housing?• Community awareness of and
greater involvement in planning process
• Up front community support for development
• Potential for small increase in housing delivery on sites not allocated by BCC
• Potential for change to local mix and balance of housing tenure
Housing delivery initiatives
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Housing delivery initiatives
Number of Prior Approval applications 56
Loss of floorspace (m2) 71,234
Dwellings 1015
Source: BCC, June 2014
Permitted Change of Use from Office (B1(a)) to Residential (C3)Prior Approval applications: November 2014
Place Directorate, Bristol City Council
• Understanding the consequences – affordable housing and sustainability • Regeneration benefits in specific parts of the city
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015
Thank You
Zoe WillcoxService Director PlanningPlace Directorate
PAS Peer Day 10th February 2015