A revised planning agenda for the South East has been published today.
The draft revised Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) for the South East aims to deliver:
- Sufficient new housing to meet needs
- 60% of all new housing on previously developed land or building conversions
- No greater use of greenfield land than originally proposed by regional housing body, SERPLAN
- Annual housebuilding to continue at currently planned rates for at least five years and then be reviewed.
The draft revised RPG now provides stronger guidance on the provision of affordable homes. Planning Minister Nick Raynsford, said: “A particular concern expressed by respondents to the previous consultation was about the availability of affordability of affordable homes in the region. We agree that affordability is of key importance, not least to maintain economic growth in the South East.”
The revised guidance significantly increases resources available for housing. It allows for the doubling of funding from the Housing Corporation’s approved development programme between 2001-02 and 2003-04 to support new social rented housing. Under the revised policy, there will be more than £360m spending next year by housing authorities in the South East outside London.
The revised guidance brings the proposed housing provision downwards to an average off 39,000 pa for the next five years (down from the 43,000 published in March in the proposed changes to draft RPG).
“As a result of our policies we intend that no more land should be used for housing than SERPLAN assumed would be required in planning for 33,000 additional dwellings a year,” Raynsford said.
EGi News 18/12/00
