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

This seminar discusses the context of Gypsy Traveller housing policy in relation to housing needs and supply, investment in housing supply, Traveller pitch funding, and the relevance of mainstream housing policy for GT communities.

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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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