Housing Development Strategy - Report - Page 20
Term
Definition
Local Plan
A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community.
In law this is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
A local plan can consist of either strategic or non-strategic policies, or a combination of the two.
National Planning
Policy Framework
Sets out governments planning policies for England
Neighbourhood
Plans
A plan prepared by a parish council or a neighbourhood forum for a particular neighbourhood area (made under the Planning
and Compulsory Act 2004)
Right to Buy
A scheme in which qualifying tenants are entitled to purchase their homes at a heavily discounted price
Rural Exception
Sites
Small sites used for affordable housing in perpetuity where sites would not normally be used for housing. Rural exception sites
seek to address the needs of the local community by accommodating households who are either current residents or have
an existing family or employment connection. A proportion of market homes may be allowed on the site at the local planning
authority’s discretion, for example where essential to enable the delivery of affordable units without grant funding.
Section 106
Agreements
Section 106 is part of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990. Agreements under it cover requirements of developers as part
of planning permissions. These are agreed in the planning application process, to provide contributions (usually financial) to
develop facilities/amenities for the local community (e.g. education, open space affordable housing)
Self Build
Housing built by an individual, a group of individuals, or persons working with or for them, to be occupied by that individual.
Such housing can be either market or affordable housing. A legal definition, for the purpose of applying the Self-build and
Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 (as amended), is contained in section 1(A1) and (A2) of that Act.
Definition
Term
Social Rented
Social rented housing is affordable. Social rents are pegged to local incomes to keep rents affordable. Changes to social rents –
whether up or down – are controlled by central government. Social rents are lower than so-called ‘affordable’ rents which are set
at up to 80% of the market rate.
Special Needs
Housing
Housing to meet the needs of groups of people who may be disadvantaged, such as the elderly, the disabled, students, young
single people, rough sleepers, the homeless, those needing hostel accommodation, key workers, travellers and occupiers of
mobile homes and houseboats.
Staircasing
Buying more of the equity in your leasehold/shared ownership property normally can staircase to 100% unless in a exempted
area
Supplementary
Planning Document
(SPD)
Documents which add further detail to the policies in the development plan. They can be used to provide further guidance for
development on specific sites, or on particular issues, such as design. Supplementary planning documents are capable of being
a material consideration in planning decisions but are not part of the development plan.
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