Mole Valley Affordable Housing Policy

Mole Valley adopted their Core Strategy back in October 2009; it “has the principle of sustainable development at its heart and goes beyond just land use planning”.

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Policy CS 4 of the Core Strategy sets out the expectations regarding affordable housing in the district, this can be seen below:

Policy CS 4 The Provision of Affordable Housing 1. In order to increase the provision of affordable homes the Council will aim to secure a minimum of 950 net affordable units within the District between the period 2006 and 2026 (contributing towards the sub-regional target of 40% of all new homes being affordable). 2. In order to achieve this target the District Council will require where viable: a. that on all housing developments of 1 to 9 gross dwellings, a financial contribution equivalent to providing 20% of the total number of dwellings as affordable is made; b. that on all housing developments of 10 to 14 gross dwellings, 30% of the total number of dwellings are affordable; and c. that on all housing developments of 15 gross dwellings or more, 40% of the total number of dwellings are affordable. 3. On sites of 10 or more gross dwellings, on-site provision should be made and must incorporate a mix of dwelling types and sizes which reflect the site's characteristics, the development as a whole and the type of need identified in the most up-to- date Housing Needs Study and Strategic Housing Market Assessment. 4. Affordable housing provision must also incorporate a mix of tenures. The Council will negotiate the exact tenure split on each site. However, the presumption is that at least 50% of the total number of affordable homes provided on site will be for social rented accommodation. Where the Council considers it is appropriate, a higher level of social rented accommodation may be sought. 5. Small scale affordable housing schemes may be acceptable on an exceptional basis on sites outside of, but adjoining the settlement boundaries of the rural villages. 6. Where rural communities wish there to be provision of affordable housing, in their area, the Council will seek to identify and allocate land limited to affordable housing only, within the Land Allocations DPD having regard to the provisions of Policy CS 1 'Where Development will be Directed' (A Spatial Strategy) and CS 2 'Housing Provision and Location'.

As seen above, there are different requirements based on the number of dwellings proposed in a development, and also some different ways of delivering what is needed.

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For developments of 1-9 dwellings, the expectation is that a financial contribution equivalent to 20% will be provided rather than on-site units. It is often assumed that development under 10 units does not qualify for affordable housing contributions – however local authorities can request contributions on smaller sites based on need, so this is worth bearing in mind.

Developments of 10-14 dwellings will be expected to have 30% of the units on-site as affordable and sites of 15+ dwellings will have 40% affordable housing.

Policy CS 4 states that sites of 10 or more gross dwellings will have their affordable housing provision on-site rather than providing it another way. 1–9-unit sites will pay a commuted sum and this will be used to provide affordable housing elsewhere in the district.

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In February 2022, the Future Mole Valley (Local Plan2020-2037) was submitted for independent examination; therefore, it is likely that this policy may change in the foreseeable future, provided the new plan is found sound. New policy H3 states:

POLICY H3: AFFORDABLE HOUSING 1. The Council will require residential and mixed-use developments to include a proportion of all units to be affordable, applying the following thresholds: a. In the Designated Rural Area, developments providing a net increase of 6 units or more; or, b. Outside the Designated Rural Area, developments providing a net increase of 10 units or more or which have a maximum combined gross floorspace of more than 1,000m2.

On-site/Off-site Provision 4. In most cases, provision of affordable housing will be expected to be made on-site. Only in exceptional circumstances and in the case of older persons' housing will an alternative to on-site provision be considered. Integration with Market Housing 5. Affordable housing will be expected to be integrated within the wider development, using comparable materials, layout, and amenity space proportional to unit sizes, and with equal access to any on-site communal facilities such as play areas. Underdevelopment, the Subdivision of Sites and Phasing 6. Where developments are brought forward for nine or fewer units, the developer will need to satisfy the Council that: a. The proposal does not represent an underdevelopment of the site have regard to the density of the surrounding area; or b. A large site is not brought forward in phases to avoid the threshold at each stage. In such circumstances, the Council will apply the affordable housing target to subsequent phases based on the capacity of all phases, including those already permitted or built.

Please note, H3 is a draft policy – while it is reasonably likely to be adopted following examination by the Inspectorate, it may be amended before adoption. Keep up-to-date with the latest developments on our blog.

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Mole Valley Affordable Housing Policy

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