All, for info - see letter below that I sent to our MP last week. I copied in all our local councillors. To date, I have had no response back from MP.
"Dear Ms Morris,
The Housing and Planning Bill and Starter Homes
I note it is the government’s policy that Starter Homes, which outside of London can cost up to £250,000, should not only be officially defined as a form of Affordable Housing but that Local Authorities will have to actively encourage the provision of these Starter Homes as part of any Affordable Housing provision. Furthermore, I understand that the government is saying that all local authorities should promote Starter Homes to the extent that they should form 20% of any Affordable Home provision.
During the H&P Bill’s time in the House of Lords, an amendment was passed stating that it should be up to individual councils to decide on the amount of Starter Homes needed. I agree with that amendment. Not least because I am gobsmacked at the centralist nature of a policy that seeks to dictate to councils what their local affordable housing need is and, more to the point, how it should be met. Whatever happened to Localism?
I feel at this point that I need to state that I am not in any way against people owning their own homes. I am a homeowner myself. And whilst I would far rather people owned their home I am not so blinded by home owning ideology that I do not see that there are many who, although they would love to do so, are not in a position to become homeowners.
We do after all live in a predominantly low wage/ high housing cost part of the country.
So the question is, how are such people, who cannot afford to buy, be housed? In the private sector where market rents prevail or in the housing association affordable rental/shared ownership sector where rents are lower? What will be the impact on the housing benefit bill if social/affordable rented and shared ownership properties are not provided thus pushing people into the more expensive private rented sector?
This is what the Local Government Association had to say on the matter:
“Starter Homes: As local planning authorities, councils need the flexibility to shape the
number, type and quality of Starter Homes within and across developments alongside
other types of affordable housing. It is vital that new housing products are delivered in
response to the needs of residents and economies in local housing markets as
assessed locally by councils as part of developing their local plans.”
The Teignbridge Local Plan
So, on the matter of Local Plans let us look then at the situation in your constituency. What does the Teignbridge Local Plan (adopted May 2014) have to say about Affordable Housing need and Affordable Housing provision. This link should take you to the TLP https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=41652&p=0
Might I suggest you take a look at the Wellbeing section that begins on page 48. Note that at the top of page 50 the following is written:
“The Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2012 indicates the need for affordable housing is expected to amount to about 40% of the overall housing need. It is the Council’s aspiration to meet this need.”
That would be affordable housing of the affordable rental/shared ownership variety of course. So what happens then to all those comprising the 40% in need of affordable rental/shared ownership homes if the government has its way and insists on 20% of the affordable homes now being Starter Homes which can cost up to £250,000 to buy?
What on earth is the point of local authorities doing the necessary research on their own local housing market and housing need and then going through all the procedures and bureaucracy attached to the forming and adoption of a Local Plan only for the government to come along and tell the local authority that it (central government) knows better.
Eh?!
Another TDC document that you might like to look at is the draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document dated July 2015. This link should take you to it:
https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=45365&p=0
Note that at section 6 it talks of the Affordable Housing being broken down into 75% affordable rental and 25% intermediate housing (eg shared ownership). So what will happen to all those in need of such housing if TDC have to promote 20% of the 40% as Starter Homes? Will they all suddenly find the financial wherewithal to afford to buy? Some might. But what about those who cannot buy and who need affordable rental accommodation? How will their housing needs be met?
Dawlish
Although the Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2012 indicates a 40% affordable housing need, the TLP settles for a 25% affordable housing provision within new developments in Dawlish. And as this percentage was arrived at before the concept of Starter Homes as Affordable Housing arrived on the scene I’ll take it that the 25% was to be comprised of affordable rental and shared ownership schemes of some kind presumably in that 75%/25% ratio as outlined in the draft July 2015 Affordable Housing SPD.
BUT WAIT! For the situation has now changed as, according to the government ,20% of that Affordable Housing provision should now be of the Starter Home variety!
And yes, I do know that Starter Homes are to be priced at 20% below open market level.
The government it seems now sees affordable housing not as that of below market level rented housing but as a 20% discount for first time buyers of Starter Homes.
But what about all those in need of housing who do not have the financial wherewithal to buy a home even allowing for a 20% discount?
How will their housing needs be met?
I would be very interested to receive your views on all the issues I have raised above."
Please 