Councils Warn That Permitted Development Is A Risk To Health And Wellbeing

Councils across England are warning that homes created using permitted development rights are a potential threat to people’s health and wellbeing, with the most vulnerable people in society being more at risk. A new report ‘Housing for a fairer society: The role of councils in ensuring stronger communities’ has found that half of councils in England think permitted development housing could threaten people’s health and wellbeing. Download the report from the APSE website.

https://www.apse.org.uk/apse/assets/File/Fairer%20housing%20(web).pdf

Planning Deregulation Reduces The Ability Of Councils To Secure Affordable Homes

A lack of investment in genuine affordable housing alongside deregulation of planning is reducing the ability of councils to secure homes, a report released by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) says. The research undertaken by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) reveals 98% of councils now identify their need for affordable housing as either severe or moderate. Setting out 10 recommendations, the report, ‘Delivering affordable homes in a changing world: Ensuring councils can meet local housing need’, has been released to coincide with the closing date of the government’s consultation on the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework. Read more on 24housing.

http://www.24housing.co.uk/news/planning-deregulation-reduces-the-ability-of-councils-to-secure-affordable-homes/

Whitehall Must Reform ‘Viability Tests’, Campaigners Say

The Government must amend the definition of ‘affordable housing’ and change its approach to viability testing in its updated planning framework, campaigners say. Two organisations have called on Whitehall to ‘clarify and strengthen’ its commitment to delivering affordable housing by amending the definition and reforming the viability test. The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) have made the call ahead of the publication next week of the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). New research from the TCPA and APSE found 60% of councils said the viability test had ‘hindered’ their ability to secure affordable housing in their local areas. Read more on the Local Gov website.

https://www.localgov.co.uk/Whitehall-must-reform-viability-tests-campaigners-say/44833

Public Believes Housing Inspections Should Be In Hands Of Council

The majority of the public believes housing safety inspections should be in the hands of local councils, survey reveals. A survey for the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) found 59% of the public support council Building Inspections, and just 23.4% support private inspectors. The poll, which was carried out by market research agency Survation for APSE, was a ‘wake up call to Government’, APSE chief executive Paul O’Brien, told a housing fringe at the Labour Party conference. ‘The public clearly support a role for local councils in keeping residents safe,’ he said. Read more on the Local Gov website.

Councils Warn Of Now ‘Severe’ Need For Affordable Homes

Nearly all UK councils now say their need for affordable homes is either ‘severe’ or ‘moderate’. Lack of investment in genuinely affordable housing alongside deregulation of planning is reducing the ability for local authorities to secure the homes the nation needs. A report by APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) – written and researched by the TCPA – finds that UK councils are becoming increasingly unable to meet demands for affordable housing. Overall, 98% of respondents describe their need as either ‘severe’ or ‘moderate’ with only 1% claiming that their need is not substantial. Download the report from the APSE website.

NPPF Viability Test Hinders Affordable Homes Provision

72 per cent of councils believe the viability test in the National Planning Policy Framework hinders their ability to provide social and affordable housing. Only 11 per cent of those surveyed for a report on housing need published by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) considered that the test would provide the numbers of homes needed. The survey of council leaders, chief executives, heads of planning, heads of housing and heads of finance said 96 per cent of councils describe their need for affordable housing as “severe” or “moderate”. Only seven per cent thought that the government’s starter homes initiative would help address affordable housing. Read more on the APSE website.