Current Affordable Housing Policy
Current affordable housing policy comprises both the Interim Housing Policy and Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) (the SPG, Feb 2003 and SPG Annex July 2005, revision April 2010). Click on the link to view these documents/policies in detail.
The table below summarises current affordable housing targets:
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Housing Market Zone
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Total affordable housing required
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Proportion of social rented required
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Proportion of submarket/ intermediate required
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Outer area/rural north
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35%*
|
50%
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50%
|
|
Outer suburbs
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15%*
|
50%
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50%
|
|
Inner suburbs
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15%*
|
40%
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60%
|
|
Inner areas
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5%*
|
0%
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100%
|
|
City Centre
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5%*
|
40%
|
60%
|
*The Interim Policy requirement (in the SPG the figures are different). All other aspects of the SPG are unchanged.
Any application for planning permission for 15 residential units or more has to provide affordable housing in accordance with policy.
Permissions granted on the basis of the interim policy will normally be time limited to 2 years implementation to ensure that permissions are implemented reasonably swiftly, and to reflect the fact that the affordable housing policy will be reviewed through the Core Strategy and Affordable housing SPD.
The SPG Annex is revised each April solely to update the Affordability Benchmarks (the price per sq m for affordable housing).
Proposed future policy: Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
The SPD, once formally adopted, will replace the existing SPG and Interim Policy.
Leeds City Council commenced preparation of the SPD in 2008 but after formal consultation on the Draft Affordable Housing SPD and accompanying Sustainability Appraisal (29 September – 7 November 2008) chose to delay further work on the SPD and introduce it in tandem with the Core Strategy following further viability testing. This will allow full consideration of affordable housing issues and representations at examination in public of the Core Strategy. The SPD will be redrafted and go out for a further period of public consultation. Due to this, adoption of a final SPD will not be before 2012.
Viability Testing
The Council received several comments on the Report of Viability Testing 2008, which was produced as evidence to support the proposed affordable housing targets and threshold. However, the production of the Draft SPD and viability testing were carried out prior to the current downturn in the housing market. Government guidance requires that ‘an informed assessment of the economic viability of any thresholds and proportions of affordable housing proposed is carried out’ (PPS3 Housing, November 2006).
Leeds City Council therefore decided to carry out further work on the viability testing to ensure that the evidence is robust. The Council consulted on a set of assumptions to be included within the remodelling exercise (closing date 27 March 2009). However, due to resource constraints DTZ consultants took over this work. There was further consultation on the revised assumptions to go into the remodelling exercise (closing date 8 January 2010).
See: DTZ - Final assumptions and Appendices 1,2,3 and 4
Interim Affordable Housing Policy 2011
A Final Economic Viability Assessment (EVA) has been produced as the result of the work referred to above and is available to download on this page.
See: DTZ - EVA Final Report 2010
Due to the delay in production of the Affordable Housing SPD, it was considered that there is a need to introduce an Interim Affordable Housing Policy in the meantime, in response to the findings of the EVA.
Public consultation was held on the interim policy between Friday 18 February to 5pm Friday 18 March 2011.
The interim affordable housing policy was approved by Executive Board on 18 May 2011 to come into effect on 1 June 2011.
Documents available on this page
- Interim Policy - June 2011
- 2011 consultation document, appendices and response forms
- Draft SPD 2008
- Sustainability appraisal
- Report on viability testing - SPD supporting document
- Statement of SPD matters
- Comments form - for reference purposes only
Do you need further information
If you need any more information please contact: Nasreen Yunis, Planning Policy on 0113 247 8133