AND COUNTRY PLANNING (USE CLASSES) ORDER 1987, THE CONVERSION OF DWELLINGS INTO NON SELF CONTAINED FLATS, THE USE OF A DWELLING BY MORE THAN SIX PEOPLE LIVING TOGETHER AS A SINGLE HOUSEHOLD OR ANY NUMBER OF PERSONS NOT LIVING TOGETHER AS A FAMILY.
3.65. In some streets the point has been reached and exceeded to such an extent that further provision may not detract from the existing character and amenities.
IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING HOUSING
3.66. In the early 1970's the deterioration of the town's older housing stock, built before 1919 was remedied by clearance action and demolition. Since then the retention and improvement of existing dwellings has been a prime concern of the Council. Renovation grant funding is targeted towards the improvement of the oldest housing in the worst condition where renovation is the most appropriate course of action. In addition the Council has targeted Local Authority Housing Association Grant towards renovation of unfit empty properties in partnership with Housing Associations. This strategy is deemed necessary from the findings of an on going House Condition Survey of the towns oldest housing. This survey indicates that there are about 3200 unfit dwellings within the Borough, although these are not concentrated in any particular area.
3.67. In addition to this approximately 3000 properties have serious rising damp problems and approximately 5000 are in substantial disrepair needing renovation (although are not unfit at present). It has been estimated that the cost of remedying the unfit properties and those in need of substantial repair is approximately £56 million. Improvement of these houses will continue to be actively pursued as cost effective measures to prolong the life of these older properties suited to first time buyers and smaller families. Following the Area Improvement action of the 1970's and 1980's the Council is currently targeting older housing in the Single Regeneration Budget areas of Far Cotton, Semilong and St James.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
3.68. It is important that those on lower incomes are able to secure access to housing. Affordable housing is considered to be housing for those with insufficient income to buy or rent adequate accommodation on the open market. In Northampton the average cost of buying a starter home requires an income of at least £10,400. Typical rent levels for the smallest privately rented property require an income of at least £10,300. Therefore in the context of Northampton affordable housing means housing which is affordable to those on incomes below this threshold.
3.69. There has been no significant affordable element in private sector housing development prior to the mid to late 1980s. This has been particularly so in the southern expansion area where affordable housing has only recently been introduced, although much of this is undoubtedly due to a reduction in demand for relatively higher priced housing together with a levelling off in the price differential. It has shown that in a buoyant housing market, developers will generally seek to provide "high cost" as opposed to "low cost" housing so long as there is a demand. Whilst this may be a generalised statement, experience in Northampton has certainly shown that the private sector cannot be guaranteed to provide adequate levels of affordable housing, and realistically there is no reason to suggest why this should be otherwise. 3.70. As planning authority, the Council's powers are limited in making adequate provision of affordable housing
and currently the Council is inevitably an enabler rather than a provider. It cannot insist on the inclusion of affordable housing as a requirement of granting planning permission although it can seek to secure its provision by Section 106 agreements, and will continue to do so. The Council is also mindful of the advice contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 (Revised) whereby the willingness of a developer to include an element of affordable housing on land allocated for residential use will be a material consideration in determining an application.
3.71. Northampton is an essentially urban area and although there are some areas within it which are of a rural character, there are no rural areas as such to which the rural exceptions policy, as contained in Annex A of PPG3, could be applied. Additional policies aimed at securing the provision of affordable housing will only be applied therefore to those sites where planning permission would normally be granted under other existing policies.
3.72. In 1994, the Council commissioned a survey to determine the townwide need for affordable housing and to identify specific areas within the town to which policies on the provision of affordable housing could be applied. The results of this survey suggest that the total requirement for affordable housing is 2,600 per year. The supply of affordable rented housing from the local authority is currently some 2,000 per year with housing association lettings at some 270 per year. The requirement for additional affordable housing is therefore estimated at some 330 dwellings per year up to 1998. Linking needs for affordable housing with projected population growth suggests that this requirement will fall to 190 per year by about 2005. The study recommends therefore that the overall target for affordable housing to be identified in the Local Plan is for 330 per year for the three years up to 1998, the preferred locations being the central area and Dallington/Kings Heath.
3.73. The Council will seek to negotiate on proposed housing sites of over 40 dwellings in particular in the Central and North Western areas of the town for the provision of affordable housing. It is expected that such housing will be mainly provided in the form of low cost rented accommodation or as part of a shared ownership scheme both involving a housing association in the management of the dwellings and secured through planning obligations. The Council maintains housing association partners and will encourage developers to work with them. Where a housing association is not involved in the provision of affordable housing, the Council will use planning conditions or obligations to restrict occupation of the dwellings to residents of Northampton who in the judgement of the Councils Housing Directorate are in local housing need and cannot afford access to housing on the open market.
3.74. The provision of affordable housing will also be indirectly met to some extent by bringing vacant housing units back into use, for example those above shops (policy H26), through conversions into flats (policies H21 - H25) or conversions of former offices (policy H11).
3.75. As an owner of land, the Council has taken the opportunity of entering into partnership schemes with housing associations as a result of which it can influence the accommodation mix and secure nominated occupation rights together with any long term limitations on occupation. This has been done at Pleydell Road, Far Cotton and at Kings Heath. The Council also owns further land at Kings Heath forming part of the proposed Kings Heath development area (see paragraph 3.11) where it would also be prepared to
enter into partnership agreements. It should be noted however that whilst every encouragement will be given to the provision of affordable housing, this will not be at the expense of the Council's standards for design and environmental quality.
H32 IN GRANTING PLANNING PERMISSION FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS OF 40 OR MORE