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5 Meeting the Needs of All Generations

5.1 The delivery of sufficient high quality housing of the right  type and mix in the most sustainable locations is essential to promote sustainable communities, and should be a key priority for the Joint Core Strategy.

5.2 Evidence from the emerging 'Housing Land Availability Assessment'  (Appendix 2) gives a broad indication of those sites which may have development potential.  In addition, the detailed 'Local Housing Needs Report' demonstrates that policy will need to change if significant affordable housing is to be delivered to meet needs across South Worcestershire.  Other issues that need to be addressed through further evidence gathering, include providing sufficient accommodation for the Gypsy and Traveller community and specialist housing provision e.g. 'Extra Care Homes'.

5.3 The Joint Core Strategy will have to respond to the housing targets which will be set by the Regional Spatial Strategy Revision when it is published in spring 2009 (see Stronger Communities section).

5.4 The Joint Core Strategy not only has to set out a broad policy framework to deliver this growth, but also ensure that new development does not compromise other important aspects of sustainable development, in particular climate change, biodiversity, environmental quality, infrastructure capacity etc.

5.5 The 'Meeting the Needs of All Generations' theme therefore relates to managing housing supply, including the delivery of affordable housing, providing a range of housing and how to meet the needs of gypsies and travellers.

5.6 The continuing significant rise in house prices, relative to incomes, and household formation, e.g. single occupancy, in South Worcestershire, means that the demand for affordable housing is increasing.  Affordable housing is subsidised (i.e. not provided by the open market) and made available to people whose needs cannot be met by the open market.  The definition includes social-rented accommodation and 'intermediate' housing where it is affordable based on local incomes and house prices.  However both the 2007 Housing Market Assessment for the South Housing Market Area, and the more detailed South Worcestershire Study, show that the cost of traditional models of shared ownership property currently available are no longer affordable to those in housing need.

5.7 The studies also show that the supply of social rented housing is well short of the level required to address housing need or appeal to wider demand.  Crucially the studies conclude that even under the highest housing target being considered in the Regional Spatial Strategy Revision (Option 3), with 50% of all housing being affordable there would still be a 20% shortfall of the identified need.  The Joint Core Strategy therefore is faced with trying to deal with a significant and growing social and economic problem. Pressure exerted on the Housing Market Areas within South Worcestershire from in-migrants clearly exacerbates affordability problems. At present no specific provision is made for key workers or employment sectors.

5.8 The Joint Core Strategy will need to address whether all housing proposals should make a contribution towards affordable housing or specify the size of site in terms of number of dwellings or site area, called 'thresholds', where contributions will be required.

Possible Options:

5.9 If we do not specify the size and type, e.g. one-bed, flat, semi-detached, of dwellings to be built, then the local housing need may not be met/satisfied.

Possible Options:

5.10 Although most housing across South Worcestershire is considered to be of good quality, there are some pockets where this is not the case. Our aim is to continue to deliver quality new development whilst improving the existing stock.

5.11 With an ageing population there will be more elderly people requiring care in one form or another.  In the past this has been provided by sheltered housing and elderly people's homes.  Currently 'Extra Care' homes and care villages are being promoted by the development industry.  Both of these initiatives claim to enable a more efficient and effective use of the total housing stock, e.g. allowing some of the elderly to 'down size' and release their larger units of accommodation to the market to meet  need for family accommodation.  Conversely, funding programmes such as 'Disabled Facilities Grants' allow elderly residents to remain in their homes as opposed to downsizing or seeking specialist accommodation.  Another initiative is the concept of 'lifetime homes' where the property is so designed to be flexible and adaptable for the different stages in people's lives, from young person, young families to the elderly.

Possible Options:

5.12 The Regional Spatial Strategy Phase Three Revision (formal consultation beginning in November 2007) will set out total pitch requirements for Gypsies and Travellers in each local authority area.  The Joint Core Strategy is required by Government (Circular 01/2006) to address the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers.  A separate study undertaken for the three local authorities as part of the South Housing Market Area study relating to housing need, and including the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers for permanent and transit sites, is expected to show that there will be a need to provide sites for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation across the South Worcestershire area.

5.13 The requirement for Joint Core Strategies to address Gypsy and Traveller needs is distinct from considering the needs of travelling showmen and economic/ migrant workers.  You may wish to comment on these needs under Option 3 below.

Possible Options:

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