7 Social

7 Social

7.1 The delivery of housing in the current market represents a significant challenge, including the provision of additional affordable homes. The National Planning Policy Framework requires the planning system to provide for the supply of housing required to meet the needs of our present and future generations.  Both the Sustainable Communities Strategy and the Council Plan prioritise the improvement of access to good quality and affordable homes in the borough. The Local Plan seeks to provide additional housing and affordable homes needed in the borough through Policies ‘SOC 1 Delivering affordable housing’, ‘SOC 2 Rural exception sites’, ‘SOC 3 Housing mix and type’ and ‘SOC 4 Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpersons accommodation’.

7.2 Ensuring the long-term health, social and well-being of our communities is an essential role of the planning system. Reducing health inequalities is one of the key priorities of the Sustainable Communities Strategy. The Local Plan seeks to enable the delivery of improved health care and leisure opportunities and facilities across the borough through Policies ‘SOC 5 Health and well-being’ and ‘SOC 6 Open space, sport and recreation’.

SOC 1 Delivering affordable housing

Explanation

7.3 Providing affordable housing directly supports the Council Plan key priority for ‘housing which meets the needs of our residents'.  The Cheshire Sub-Regional Housing Strategy 2009-2012 has four priorities – the first of which is ‘to increase the supply of affordable housing to support economic growth and development’.  The definition of affordable housing is set out in the NPPF and includes social rented housing, affordable rented and intermediate affordable housing.

7.4 The policy takes into account the most up to date evidence of need from the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA). It aims to give certainty to landowners, developers, local communities, and provide guidance for the preparation of neighbourhood plans.  The policy will help create balanced and mixed communities and help deliver much needed affordable housing. The policy needs to reflect changing market conditions over time.  It is recognised that the quantity of new affordable housing development will often, in practice, be determined as much by the financial viability of new provision as by the level of need.  The policy is therefore considered flexible enough to take into account the viability of each site and not be so restrictive as to unnecessarily prevent development.

7.5 In seeking to negotiate the maximum level of affordable housing on each site, the Council will have regard to the economic viability of site development, likely costs, market conditions, the availability of public subsidy and the aim of achieving a mixed, balanced and sustainable community. Developers will be expected to demonstrate the validity of such viability factors, providing supporting evidence.

7.6 The latest Cheshire West and Chester SHMA was undertaken in 2013.  The SHMA highlights that between 1996 and 2013, house prices in the borough increased by 190.3 percent.  The SHMA shows an annual net shortfall of 714 affordable homes each year across Cheshire West and Chester for the five year period 2013/2014 to 2017/2018.  This demonstrates the degree of imbalance between supply and demand for affordable housing, rather than being specific targets for affordable housing, and highlights that there is clear justification for an affordable housing policy across the borough.

7.7 The Economic Viability Assessment which accompanies the SHMA recommends a target of up to 30 percent provision of affordable housing on all sites, applied across the borough.  The Economic Viability Assessment suggests the targets be applied across the borough, including in urban and rural areas.  The dwelling type, tenure and size must be reflective of the most up to date SHMA and housing needs information.

7.8 Where it is proposed to phase developments, sub-divide sites or where recent sub-division has taken place, or where there is a reasonable prospect of adjoining land being developed for residential development in tandem, the whole site will be considered for the purpose of determining whether the scheme falls above or below the site thresholds for the provision of affordable housing.

7.9 Urban areas are defined as Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford, with the remainder of the borough being defined as rural.

SOC 2 Rural exception sites

Explanation

7.10 The 'Strategic Housing Market Assessment' (SHMA) highlights the need for affordable housing throughout the borough.  As planning policies are generally more restrictive in the rural areas, this can mean that fewer affordable homes are built in these locations, particularly within the Green Belt.

7.11 The 'Rural Housing Strategy' vision is to support communities in the rural areas, in terms of their housing needs and aspirations, to 'retain the qualities that make Cheshire West and Chester’s rural housing markets markets of choice, whilst ensuring that all current and future residents have the choice to live locally'. The strategy recognises the affordable housing need in the borough’s rural areas, and the effect that this can have on local communities and the rural economy. The strategy considers that innovative approaches to providing affordable housing will be necessary.

7.12 It is recognised that rural exception sites are an important policy tool to deliver affordable housing to smaller settlements, which can help to maintain the sustainability of rural communities, including local service centres. However, in some instances the viability of schemes is becoming an issue. The availability of Government funding for affordable homes through the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has been significantly reduced. This has resulted in viability issues for registered providers, and has meant that in some limited circumstances it may be appropriate to allow a small element of market housing as ‘cross subsidy’ in order to allow for the development of affordable housing to go ahead particularly where this meets a local housing need. 

7.13 This policy will deliver 100 percent affordable exception sites and sites where it can be satisfactorily proven that a subsidiary element of market housing will facilitate the delivery of an identified local affordable housing need, subject to the proposals fulfilling the other policy requirements. Proposals containing an element of market housing must be supported by a viability assessment, which will be reviewed internally to ensure that the proportion of market housing provided is no greater than that required to deliver the agreed amount of affordable housing without the need for public subsidy.  The market units must at all times be subsidiary to the affordable housing element. 

7.14 Proposals must be well related and in sympathy with the scale, form and character of the settlement and the locality and should pay particular attention to the local distinctiveness of the settlement and the surrounding area. Environmental considerations including landscape and heritage matters and other constraints, including the impact on the openness of the Green Belt will determine the number of dwellings considered to be acceptable.

7.15 Where neighbourhood plans are not in place, developers are advised that the identification of appropriate sites and design principles will be best achieved through an appraisal of the whole settlements concerned and must include engagement with the relevant communities/parishes. Where proposals include an element of market housing, the design of the site and individual units should ensure integration with the affordable housing.

7.16 Development proposals should be consistent with the local need identified by an up to date housing need survey.  Occupancy will generally be restricted to persons with a local connection including living in, working in or having close family connection to the community or parish in the first instance, with a geographical cascade approach thereafter.  The locality to which this applies will be agreed with the Council when a planning application is submitted.

SOC 3 Housing mix and type

Explanation

7.17 Providing an appropriate supply of housing directly supports the Council Plan key priority for ‘housing which meets the needs of our residents.’ The 'Cheshire Sub-Regional Housing Strategy' has four priorities – including increasing the supply of affordable housing; meeting housing and accommodation related support needs of the sub region’s most vulnerable residents; and increasing the supply of market housing to support continued economic growth and regeneration to meet local housing needs.

7.18 The 'Strategic Housing Market Assessment' (SHMA) 2013 highlights the need for family housing. The SHMA states that houses remain the most popular choice of most households, particularly detached and semi-detached properties, with three bedroom properties most popular overall. It is considered appropriate to encourage the provision of smaller family homes of two to three bedrooms in order to enable new households to get on the housing ladder, and for older households to downsize.

7.19 It is recognised that the borough has an ageing population which will lead to specific accommodation needs. Providing a wider range of older persons' accommodation also has the potential to free up family accommodation. The SHMA highlights that the number and proportion of older people is increasing. In particular, the number of residents aged 75 or over is expected to increase by 79.6 percent, from 28,000 in 2010 to 50,300 by 2030. The SHMA recommends that the range of housing options available to older people should be diversified, for example with the development of open market housing marketed to older people, and the development of extra care accommodation and co-housing (your own home in a small community which shares facilities such as laundry).

7.20 The policy also provides for the development of further student accommodation within Chester. In areas close to the University of Chester, such as the Garden Quarter, there are a high concentration of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).  This can lead to specific problems such as negative impacts on the physical and environmental street scene, problems with disposal of waste, the deterioration of properties, and rises in anti social behaviour, crime, noise and nuisance. Where there are particularly high instances of HMOs, mixed communities are not being sustained.  It is therefore considered vital to effectively manage HMOs and, where necessary, implement Article 4 Directions.

7.21 The 'Student Accommodation in Chester Study' (Nevin Leather Associate, January 2012) reveals how 77 percent of the 805 properties with student exemptions in Chester are located within half a mile of the main University of Chester campus. The report also sets out that by 2010, out of the 1,422 properties in the Garden Quarter area, 482 (34 percent) were occupied exclusively by students, with additional rented properties occupied by non-student households or mixed student/non-student households. In order to help redress this imbalance and provide for existing and future need, the provision of specialised student accommodation in appropriate and sustainable locations will be supported.

7.22 The SHMA 2013 household survey identified a strong interest in self-build from households planning to move (13 percent of respondents were interested). Self-build properties can allow members of the community to get a foothold on the housing ladder, and can add to the diversity and character of an area. Community Land Trusts can assist in the provision of land for self-build through the receipt of public land at little or no cost, purchase of a rural exception sites or through accessing funding.

7.23 Neighbourhood planning can be an excellent tool for undertaking local need surveys and for determining the specific requirements and needs of a community, determining levels and types of need and demand, and detailing specific design or density requirements for housing developments.

SOC 4 Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpersons accommodation

Explanation

7.24 There is a recognised need to provide accommodation for members of the Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpersons communities within Cheshire West and Chester. National guidance states that a criteria based policy to address the needs of these communities should be included within the Local Plan.  Providing accommodation will address any shortfall and will also help to limit the number of unauthorised encampments and developments throughout the borough. Providing sites directly supports the Council Plan key priority for ‘housing which meets the needs of our residents.’

7.25 The level of need for Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpersons accommodation within Cheshire West and Chester has been identified up to 2028 through the Cheshire Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) March 2014.  It identifies a need for 15 further permanent Gypsy and Traveller pitches 2013-2018, 15 in years 2018-2023, and 16 from 2023-2028.  From 2013-2018 the need is identified for 11 Travelling Showpersons plots, 1 plot between 2018-2023, and 1 plot between 2023-2028.  The GTAA also recommends that Cheshire West and Chester provides a transit site of between 5-10 pitches.

7.26 The Council is committed to ensuring that suitable sites are provided for at least the level of need identified in the GTAA. The GTAA provides the basis for the allocation of sites in the Local Plan (Part Two) Land Allocations and Detailed Policies Plan.  The criteria set out in the policy will be used to inform the allocation of sites and to determine planning applications, ensuring that proposed sites are suitable and capable of providing an appropriate living environment, whilst protecting the amenity and character of the surrounding area.

SOC 5 Health and well-being

Explanation

7.27 The health and well-being of our residents is a prime concern of the Council. The promotion of health and well-being is a key thread running through this Plan and is influenced by many of the policies and objectives within it, and within the Sustainable Community Strategy including promoting diversity, feeling safe, addressing community safety, health inequalities and reducing deprivation.

7.28 As stated in 'Developing a Health and Wellbeing Strategy/Refreshing the Sustainable Community Strategy for Cheshire West and Chester' 'Our well-being is affected by the nature of our physical environment; living in poor housing, in a neighbourhood with a lack of access to green spaces, impacts negatively on our physical and mental wellbeing. Poor housing conditions including homelessness and overcrowding are a risk to a range of health conditions such as accidents and poor mental health. Living in cold conditions and fuel poverty can contribute to excess winter mortality amongst older people'.

7.29 Health and well-being is closely linked to deprivation, with areas of significant deprivation having residents with poorer health and well-being. The Council will work to improve education and employment in these areas, and across the borough, and will also help to deliver physical improvements to the neighbourhoods themselves. Rural areas are particularly identified as needing improved access to services and facilities.

7.30 Fuel poverty is a further concern and is a particular issue in rural areas, but can happen anywhere across the borough. The Council will support the increased energy efficiency of new development, including refurbishment.

7.31 The diverse needs of residents within the borough, including the increasing proportion of older people, will require different approaches to health and well-being.  The 'Joint Strategic Need Assessment' (JSNA) is a statement on the health and social care needs of people living in Cheshire West and Chester, intended to be used to develop and improve services. The JSNA identifies the health and well-being needs of the local population, identifies any groups whose needs are not being met, provides information to be used in the planning, development and delivery of health services, and helps to reduce health inequalities.

7.32 The document 'Developing a Health and Well-being Strategy/Refreshing the Sustainable Community Strategy for Cheshire West and Chester' identified the following issues for Cheshire West and Chester:

• Life expectancy compares well to the national average. However, life expectancy for women is lower than the national average in Winsford and Rural East and Ellesmere Port, and whilst life expectancy for all residents is improving, this rate of improvement is slower in more deprived areas.
• Average life expectancy is highest in the area of the Rural West Area Partnership Board and lowest among men in Ellesmere Port and amongst women in Winsford and Rural East.
• Although life expectancy has been improving across the borough, this has been slower in more deprived areas.
• 16 percent of children grow up in poverty, with particular areas of concern in west Winsford and parts of Ellesmere Port and Chester.
• 35,000 households (24.7 percent of the total) are in fuel poverty.
• Between 2009 and 2019, the number of people aged 65-84 will increase by 13,000 (25 percent), and the number of those aged 85 or over will increase by 3,000 (39 percent).

7.33 Responses to 'Our Community Survey 2010' ranked health services as the second most important factor in having a good place to live.

7.34 The 'Strategic Leisure Stock Review' was produced in order to ‘identify the strategic needs for leisure provision in Cheshire West and Chester in order to identify what replacement, refurbished and new facilities are required to meet changing demands, based on demographic change and a desire to increase participation, over the next 25 years'. Generally, it identified that the current leisure facilities are of poor quality. Replacement facilities at Northwich and Ellesmere Port are to be prioritised, which will contribute to improve health and well-being in those areas.

7.35 The 'Open Space Audit' identifies the existing amount of open space, sport and recreational facilities and sets out appropriate standards of provision to which new development could contribute, with the aim of ensuring that all households can access a broad range of high quality and accessible facilities. Similarly, the 'Green Infrastructure Framework for North East Wales, Cheshire and Wirral 2011', sets out the future development for green infrastructure linkages and provision across the borough, and the 'Playing Pitch Strategy' guides the delivery of playing fields. It is important to ensure that recreation land, particularly for outdoor recreation, is retained and kept in use.

SOC 6 Open space, sport and recreation

Explanation

7.36 The above policy will be supported by the Local Plan (Part Two) Land Allocations and Detailed Policies Plan.  The general expectation will be that proposals on existing open space will include provision for equivalent or better open space, sport or recreation facilities.

7.37 The 'Open Space Audit and Assessment of Need' provides an audit of public and private open space areas and identifies local needs and aspirations through consultation with the public. A series of standards of provision have been established and will be monitored and regularly updated. It is the application of these standards that will underpin future decisions around existing and proposed new open spaces, sport and recreation facilities across the borough together with the 'Playing Pitch Strategy'.

7.38 The Council will seek to develop consistency of provision across the borough, meeting shortfalls or developing innovative approaches to redress the balance, including enhancing links to existing green corridors and networks. There will be a strong focus on improving the quality of existing open space in particular where there are higher levels of existing provision.

7.39 The provision of public open space in association with new developments provides an important link to Green Infrastructure provision, and also helps to provide a good quality of life. New developments which require open space provision will be expected to create new open spaces on site in accordance with the standards, as set out in both the 'Open Space Audit and Assessment of Need' and 'Playing Pitch Strategy'. They will determine the amount of additional demand that will be generated by new development.

7.40 Further policy guidance on the factors to be taken into account when providing open space will be set out in the Local Plan (Part Two) Land Allocations and Detailed Policies Plan.

7.41 Open space includes formal managed open space such as parks, sports grounds, amenity green space, play areas, allotments, cemeteries and church yards. It also includes natural and semi-natural open space, which is less intensively managed with more attention given to natural habitats of value to wildlife. Many of these areas form greenway links between the countryside and urban areas. Enhancing the recreational role of open spaces, together with appropriate management will assist in diverting pressure away from these sensitive areas.

7.42 For the purposes of the Local Plan, types of open space, sport and recreation facilities are defined as:

• Parks and Gardens – including urban parks and formal gardens.
• Amenity Green Space – including informal recreation green spaces, and green spaces in and around housing.
• Outdoor Sports Facilities – including natural or artificial surfaces either publicly or privately owned for sport and recreation, formal playing fields, golf courses and school playing fields.
• Other outdoor sports areas.
• Natural and semi-natural green spaces  – including woodlands, scrub, grassland, heath or moor, wetlands, open and running water and bare rock habitats.
• Green Corridors – including rivers and canal banks, road and rail corridors, cycling routes, pedestrian paths, and public rights of way.
• Other – including allotments, community gardens, cemeteries and churchyards.