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ESRC seminar: Housing and planning futures: delivering homes and sites: setting the context

ESRC seminar: Housing and planning futures: delivering homes and sites: setting the context. Siân Sankey, Policy Manager, CIH. Overview of today. To set the context for Gypsy Traveller housing policy in relation to housing needs/supply Investment in housing supply and affordable homes

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ESRC seminar: Housing and planning futures: delivering homes and sites: setting the context

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  1. ESRC seminar: Housing and planning futures: delivering homes and sites: setting the context Siân Sankey, Policy Manager, CIH

  2. Overview of today • To set the context for Gypsy Traveller housing policy in relation to housing needs/supply • Investment in housing supply and affordable homes • Traveller pitch funding, new homes bonus funding • GT numbers and housing need • Localism Act and National Planning Policy Framework • Potential mainstream housing policy and relevance for GT communities • Training needs and good practice examples

  3. Investment in housing supply Direct investment Supporting investment Debt guarantees up to £10bn Support for REITs and Build to Let Public sector land release / Build Now Pay Later S106 renegotiation Planning appeals on viability Experts to help councils £730m Growing Places for infrastructure Community Right to Build New Buy • £1.8bn for 170,000 sub-market rent • £300m for 15,000 affordable homes & 5000 empties • £200m for 5000 private rented homes • £570m for 16,000 stalled homes through Get Britain Building • £30m for self build • £60m for Traveller sites 2011-2015

  4. Housing development stats • Need 232,000 new homes per year • 5 million households will form in next 20 years • Only 114,160 homes built in 2011 (7% up on 2010) • Building starts down 30% since government took office

  5. Traveller Pitch Funding Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) – funding for Traveller pitches provided in similar manner as funding for affordable housing • £60 million 2011 – 2015, bids on a continuous process but only 4/32 bids signed so far • However: • No regional criteria so funding not necessarily going to areas that need it • Many bids don’t have approved planning applications so may not get built • Fewer bids than expected

  6. New homes bonus funding • Match funding for LA for increasing new housing supply – funding for new builds; for converting empty properties; extra funding if affordable housing (£350 a property); and funding for provision of new GT pitches • Funding equivalent to 6 years council tax funding – around £1400 a property a year (band D) • Is this sufficiently attractive to LA/councillors to increase GT site provision in local areas? • July 2011 – July 2012 • 184 new pitches built (96 pitches social rented pitches and 88 private rented funded pitches)

  7. Gypsy Traveller caravan numbers • Only ethnic group we count twice a year…are these the real figures? • July 2012 – 19400 caravans, of which: • 84% on authorised sites • 6800 social rented (increased 200 from July 2011) • 9400 private sites (increased 1300 from July 2011) • 16% unauthorised sites • 1800 unauthorised development GT land (decreased 200) • 1400 unauthorised encampment not GT land (decreased 600 but 540 due to Essex festival in 2011)

  8. What is housing need? • Strategic v individual and need v demand • Normative concept - judgement call about what is considered need on an acceptable standard • Decisions on priority basis? • Localised decision making now key through allocations process • But – in context of electability, political stability, local agendas and leadership …

  9. Gypsy Traveller housing need • 3200 caravans on unauthorised sites in July 2012 • Doesn’t include those in housing who want to go back to sites • BUT: very small numbers in comparison to the need for 232,000 properties a year overall • Hence difficult political picture for development of new sites but pressure to ‘deal with’ unauthorised sites

  10. Localism Act 1 • Decision making locally through decentralisation • Bigger powers to communities • Could argue in giving power to LA and residents – this has taken away from GT communities • Removal of regional spatial strategies • Loss of GT pitch numbers at regional/local level • LA becoming seat of contentious pitch allocations/site delivery • Councillor role changed • Communication role between resident groups/neighbourhood fora increased but role between LA/GT groups not necessarily more visible

  11. Localism Act 2: mechanisms • Neighbourhood planning • ‘To empower communities to have more say in development in their area’; local people taking an interest in planning, shaping what development looks like in their area and incentivised to accept increase in supply • Community right to bid and right to challenge • Take over local community facilities assets of community value • Allows community groups to challenge LA service delivery • Community right to reclaim land • Underused land by public bodies • Duty to cooperate - between councils/public bodies in plan making and engagement

  12. National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Gypsy Travellers • I’m sure the RTPI will say more on this… • GT planning site guidance published separately to main NPPF; not incorporated yet into main framework - but many of same principles • Still need to engage GT communities in accommodation needs • 5 years worth of sites and more • 12 month transitional period before 5 year land supply must be demonstrated otherwise will be material consideration in temp planning permissions

  13. Clear government focus on private sector supply … • Clear government focus on private sector delivery of supply • Montague report into institutional investment in PRS; • REITS real estate investment trusts for social housing; • Use of Pension funds for housing delivery; • Developers solving the housing crisis • BUT… GT sites aren’t built by large scale house builders/developers, pension funds or investment vehicles so private sector influence on site design/planning/building/management is minimal

  14. Potential mainstream housing policy and relevance for GT communities • What current areas of housing policy could GT community groups, LAs/housing providers look at to fund/build GT sites? • Access to land via public sector land release schemes • Custom build/self build schemes • Increasing use of community land trusts (e.g. Wessex projects in Somerset and Mendip) • GT resident groups accessing empty property funding – homesteading/employment

  15. Training/good practice • What seems to be needed? • Training in site design/management (LA/housing providers and community groups) • Training in understanding site GT culture (Councillors, planners, neighbourhood groups) • 1) Level 3 national certificate in traveller site management and housing practice – CIH accredited • 2) Understanding GT culture/society - Housing E-Academy course • 3) Contentious spaces JRF/DMU 2007

  16. L3 Nat Cert Traveller site management and housing practice • CIH accredited; offered by AdEd Knowledge Company; • Norfolk successful programme 2011 • Who: site managers, GT community, stakeholders, LA, health, fire, police services (12 students) • No formal education requirements • What: 2 days a month for 6 months, • Covers: Grounding in history/culture, legislation and planning rights, access to services, ownership and management of sites, and site design

  17. L3 Nat Cert Traveller site management and housing practice • Outcomes: 2 students to further accredited learning; 1 full time employment; 1 self employment; • And increased understanding of GT needs by service providers, shared context • Needs funding and supporting by stakeholders – this one had funding from HCA, LA and statutory partners service providers (Fire/Police etc) • Previous programmes also similar outcomes!

  18. Understanding Gypsy and Irish Traveller Identity in Society • 2 hour online course developed with Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (GATE) • Delivered by Housing E-Academy and Virtual College info@housingea.co.uk • www.housingea.co.uk/Gypsy_IrishTravellers • Course covers: • Past/current and future issues; way of life; attitudes/media’ social and political context in UK • Who for: • Anyone with an interest in and wants to learn about GT population

  19. Providing Contentious Spaces • Providing Gypsy and Traveller Sites: Contentious spaces 2007 JRF/DMU/CIH • JRF bookshop - contentious spaces • CIH bookshop - JRF contentious spaces • Identifies case studies; management of sites; management of unauthorised sites; leadership issues in localities; consideration of new site development • Still relevant, still good practice

  20. Contact • Sian Sankey, • CIH Policy Manager • Chartered Institute of Housing • Email: Sian.sankey@cih.org • Tel: 024 76 85 1741

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