Purpose

To approve the Affordable Housing
Supplementary Planning Document for adoption.

 

The Affordable Housing
Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is proposed to replace the current
Affordable Housing SPD which was adopted in December 2005.  The new SPD seeks to support the implementation
of the Fareham Local Plan 2037 affordable housing policies HP5 and HP6 by
providing information, guidance and advice on meeting policy requirements for
affordable housing.

 

The SPD highlights the importance
of early engagement with the Council’s Planning and Housing teams, whilst
drawing attention to the importance of design and placemaking, to ensure that
development achieves consistent design quality and social inclusion.

 

To accompany the SPD, a commuted
sums calculator has been commissioned by the Council.  This calculator will inform the level of
financial contributions which will be payable by developers in the event that
affordable housing provision cannot be provided on-site and a financial contribution
towards off-site provision is agreed.   

 

The draft SPD was presented to
the Executive on 5th February 2024 and approved for public
consultation.  A six-week period of consultation
was undertaken between 16th February and 29th March
2024.  Following the consultation, the
responses have been considered, summarised and responded to in the Council’s
Statement of Consultation and the final version of the SPD is now presented to
the Executive for consideration.

Decision

RESOLVED
that the Executive:

(a) notes the consultation comments received on
the Draft Supplementary Planning Document together with the Council’s responses
to the representations as set out in the Statement of Consultation at Appendix
A to the report; and

(b) agrees to
adopt the Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document as set out in
Appendix B to the report with effect from the 1 July 2024.