Leeds City Council has made some informal changes to housing policy which are linked to the recent adoption of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and to the need to increase provision of affordable housing in Leeds to address higher housing needs.

Affordable housing targets
The increases to the affordable housing targets for the SPG housing market zones are as follows:

All other aspects of the SPG would continue to apply as present. The new targets will apply to planning applications submitted on or after 21st July 2008. The RSS sets in indicative band for Leeds of 30-40% affordable housing.  Leeds’s Strategic Housing Market Assessment was published in May 2007 and identifies a need for 1889 new affordable dwellings to be provided in Leeds per annum.

The raised targets are an interim measure until the Supplementary Planning Document on affordable housing is completed as expected in December 2008.

A consultation paper was circulated to organisations interested in housing provision and comments invited between February 11 and 29 (see AH targets consultation paper pdf). A summary of comments received is also available (see summary of comments pdf).

Housing mix

The informal policy sets indicative guidance on the mix of houses and flats and sizes of dwellings in new housing developments:

New housing development will be expected to provide:

• at least 65% of new dwellings as houses with gardens
• at least 40% of new dwellings to be 3 or more bedrooms in size

With the following exceptions:

• not applicable to the city centre or town & district centres as defined in the UDP
• not applicable to small sites in locations where houses with gardens would be inappropriate in terms of urban character or where development of houses with gardens would make development unviable
• not applicable to specialist housing development, for example to house elderly people or students

The guidance is needed to reverse the increasing dominance of flats in housing supply over recent years addressing evidence of need for a broader mix of dwelling size & type.  It will apply to planning applications submitted on or after 21st July 2008.

A consultation paper was circulated to organisations interested in housing provision and comments invited between February 11 and 29 (see Housing mix policy consultation paper pdf).  A summary of comments received is also available (see summary of comments pdf).

New practice regarding requirements for affordable housing from student housing developments
Leeds City Council has recently consulted on changing its practice whereby new developments of student housing will be asked to contribute toward affordable housing provision. An 'overnight' introduction of the change in practice was abandoned in response to comments from student housing providers and the Universities. A consultation exercise with student housing providers was held in February/March 2008.

Historically, Leeds City Council had waived such requirements on the basis that there was a stronger need for purpose built student accommodation than affordable housing. The position of need has since reversed leaving no reason to continue with the waiver. 

The formal introduction of a new approach to seek affordable housing contributions from developments of purpose built student accommodation is likely in September 2008.