Following publication of the Taylor Report “A Living Working Countryside” in 2008 the Government has recently published follow-up consultation documents outlining measures to support the growth of rural communities in the coming new decade.
These include making funding available to Local Authorities to provide technical skills and advice on master planning rural areas in order to help deliver affordable housing and economic development. Robinson & Hall supports the revitalisation of rural communities as set out in the Taylor Report. It is hoped that rural authorities in this region will apply for funding to help bring forward sustainable development in rural settlements.
Andrew Barr at Robinson & Hall’s Bedford office remarked that “We have always supported any initiatives to promote development in our rural communities. Master planning has hitherto been associated with large urban extensions or new settlements such as Cambourne or The Wixams but it can also play an important role in a more rural environment. We believe it should be welcomed by Local Authorities, Parish Councils and those living in the rural areas.”
The Department of Communities and Local Government is currently consulting on new ways to encourage the delivery of sufficient affordable rural housing for local people. The basis of the consultation is to establish how to make releasing land for affordable housing more attractive to landowners. These steps include the landowner having the ability to retain the freehold of the land subject to an appropriate lease arrangement with a housing association or similar body and having referral rights to nominate local people including family members and employees who are in need of housing to occupy the dwellings.
“Many landowners are deterred from putting forward land for affordable housing due to the lack of financial reward and the loss of control over the development or the eventual occupiers. This recent consultation has offered the opportunity to consider an alternative approach to the delivery of land for affordable housing”, says Andrew Barr.
We welcome any initiative which offers incentives to landowners to bring forward additional land for affordable housing in the future. We will be participating in the consultation exercise which expires on 18 February 2010. If you would like to discuss this initiative in more detail please do not hesitate to contact Andrew Barr on 01234 362926 or via e-mail ahb@robinsonandhall.co.uk or another member of the Planning & Development Team on 01234 352201 for more details.