Policy SC 4: Residential Mix
- New residential development should maintain, provide or contribute to a mix of housing tenures, types and sizes to help support the creation of mixed, balanced and inclusive communities. This could include Key Worker Housing and people wishing to build or commission their own home.
- To meet the needs arising from the increasing longevity of the borough’s older residents, the council will require developers to demonstrate how their proposal will be capable of meeting, and adapting to, the long term needs of this specific group of people. This would include the provision of a variety of dwelling types and other measures to support Health and Wellbeing and independent living through new developments that recognise the needs of older people, those with dementia and other vulnerable people; this will include developing dementia-friendly communities.
- Development proposals for accommodation designed specifically for the elderly and people who require specialist accommodation will be supported where there is a proven need; they are located within settlements; accessible by public transport; and within a reasonable walking distance of community facilities such as shops, medical services and public open space.
Justification
12.31 The National Planning Policy Framework states that 'to deliver a wide choice of high quality homes, widen opportunities for home ownership and create sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities, local planning authorities should:
- plan for a mix of housing based on current and future demographic trends, market trends and the needs of different groups in the community (such as, but not limited to, families with children, older people, people with disabilities, service families and people wishing to build their own homes);
- identify the size, type, tenure and range of housing that is required in particular locations, reflecting local demand'.
12.32 In order to create mixed, balanced and inclusive communities, provision will need to be made for a variety of housing tenures, types and sizes. An appropriate mix of housing will need to be provided within individual developments, proportionate to the scale of development proposed. Smaller schemes will need to contribute to the mix of housing across the wider area. The mix of housing will be expected to include properties for key workers and for those who wish to self build or commission their own home. The council will keep a register of those who are seeking to acquire serviced plots of land in the plan area to build homes for themselves to occupy and will seek to supplement this with information from secondary data sources to obtain a robust assessment of demand for this type of housing. Further details of how this housing mix will be taken into consideration will be set out in a Supplementary Planning Document (PDF, 642KB) and the Site Allocations and Development Policies Document.
12.33 Facilitating more balanced communities, comprising a range of ages, household types and incomes may also help achieve wider social policy goals, such as reducing concentrations of income poverty and social exclusion.
12.34 The council will work in partnership, with developers and registered providers, to provide accommodation with a greater range of tenure options that is of good quality and good design, offering longevity and flexibility for the changing needs of ageing. Appropriate sites to meet this specific housing need will be identified within the Strategic Sites of the Local Plan Strategy and the Site Allocations and Policies Development Plan Document. The council may also seek a proportion of the overall housing land target to be developed as bungalows or houses suitable for older person households.
12.35 In the interests of sustainability and to ensure that new housing provision is sited in the most appropriate location, the council will require proposals for the elderly and/or specialist housing accommodation to be supported by evidence that there is a proven need for such accommodation.
12.36 The council will encourage the completion of Building for Life Assessments to ensure high quality residential development that meets the needs of all.
12.37 Neighbourhood Plans can play an important role in securing an appropriate housing mix. Their policies can reflect more local evidence regarding the need for particular types of housing.
Key Evidence
- Strategic Housing Market Assessment
- Ageing well in Cheshire East Programme - A Plan for People aged 50 and over (2012-2017)
- Housing Statistics - Communities and Local Government Live Housing Statistics / Cheshire East Council Housing Statistics
- Cheshire East Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013-2014
- Cheshire East Housing Strategy 2011-2016
- Cheshire East Supported Housing Strategy footnote 52
- Safer Places: The planning system and crime prevention.
(Footnote 52) This document is a technical report which along with further work will feed into the production of a Supported Accommodation Strategy
Policy information
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