General Discussion
Although I have yet to look at the detail it would seem that a bun fight is developing over who should get to build the care home. So neither this scheme nor that submitted last month for land in DA2 at Gatehouse Farm conform to the Draft Development Framework Plan - about which the public is currently invited to respond.
Gary Taylor
Well, given as the care home is to be part of the 25% affordable housing requirement to be honest I'm amazed that we have had only the two planning applications with it in their plans.
After all, a care home will go upwards I imagine. Therefore it will not take up as big a footprint as affordable homes of the two storey variety.
Therefore if a developer can get the planning permission to built the care home (thereby fulfilling quota of affordable housing required on that particular site) then that developer will have more land on which to build open market housing and therefore a greater potential profit margin.
And yes, I know I'm cynical.
Wonder who says care homes are affordable, probable only council lords and council higher ups can afford a room in them.
Right there is something I have just noticed. Gatehouse have applied for an Extra Care unit (see below) replacing Daw Vale and Langdon a Care Home, much needed since so many have closed in Dawlish. So they are both different provisions, therefore do not conflict with each other. The Extra Care Units are basically warden controlled flats and as we all know care homes you pay to live in a room with shared facilities. Therefore both are needed in Dawlish to bring back those residents relocated outside the town due to lack of provision in recent years! As for mixed tenure, if it is affordable housing then Social Rented will be included.
http://www.housinglin.org.uk/Topics/browse/HousingExtraCare/
The term 'extra care' housing is used to describe developments that comprise self-contained homes with design features and support services available to enable self- care and independent living. It comes in a huge variety of forms and may be described in different ways, for example 'very sheltered housing', 'housing with care', 'retirement communities' or 'villages'. Occupants of may be owners, part owners or tenants and all have legal rights to occupy underpinned by housing law (in contrast to residents in care homes).
In which case my suggestion concerning the 25% provision of affordable housing if provided via care homes (of whaever variety) still holds?
If the developer can meet the affordable home requirement via a care home of some description then that could leave more land on that particular development for more open market housing (= more profit)?
(note my ?s. I am not stating that this is necessarily the case - merely suggesting that it might be)
Remember there is a ratio of 1:4 affordable housing whatever they build for the open market. So there maybe more open market housing, but the affordable housing will increase also, so it is better use of land and at least they are providing for the older generation/disabled etc and not just focusing on the young in Dawlish!
But remember we now have to see how the new Planning and Housing Bill unfolds and how that will impact on affordable housing provision and how affordable housing ends up being (re)defined.
However, it might not be in for a while, since the Housing and Planning Bill 2015-16 hasn't had its second reading and no date is set yet and until the Bill is through all remains the same. See http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/housingandplanning.html.
Yes I agree that whatever it will contain when it becomes an Act is not known yet and that until it is an Act it is not law.
However, we are talking sometime soonish and remember that the Local Plan (howsoever many times it gets amended between now and 2033) will no doubt be subject to other planning and housing legislation between now and 18 years time.