Affordable Housing in Harwell
Question and Answers - January 2008
The Government is concerned that people with low to middle incomes are finding it harder and harder to get on the housing ladder. The Government therefore asks all local authorities, when they grant planning permission for developments, to include an element of affordable housing.
What is affordable housing?
There are several types of affordable housing. The scheme the Parish Council are pursuing is called a Rural Exception Site. This means that the planning authority accept that there is a need for affordable housing in the village and are prepared to grant an “exception” to their general policy of not allowing any new development on the edge of the village, providing that the development is affordable housing that will be available to local people in perpetuity.
The scheme in Harwell will provide homes that are both shared ownership and for rent.
Why is ‘exception affordable housing’ different from ordinary affordable housing?
Exception site affordable housing is different from that provided elsewhere in the district because the allocation of the housing is restricted to people that have a local connection with the parish of Harwell. It is therefore very much for local people.
In addition the rules governing the scheme will ensure that the homes remain available only to local people into the future. It will do this by not allowing the shared ownership properties to be sold outright so they always are offered to local people.
Who will be able to apply for this housing?
The exact detail of who will be able to apply has yet to be agreed. However the Parish Council will look to ensure that the homes are available to, for example, those who either live or work in the village or who have close relatives living in Harwell. The Parish Council is, for example, aware that there are numerous employers in the village who will welcome affordable local housing.
Who chooses who lives in the affordable housing?
The District Council will agree the allocations scheme with the Parish and will allocate the properties accordingly. All applicants will need to join the District Council’s Housing Register.
How do people pay for their affordable house?
A proportion of the properties will be rented and the occupants will pay rent to their housing association landlord. However a proportion of the houses will be for shared ownership. This means that the occupants will buy a percentage of the property by raising a mortgage on that proportion and will pay a ground rent for the percentage remaining in the ownership of the housing association.
What happens if somebody buys their house outright?
The Parish Council has stipulated that this will not be allowed. This will ensure that the houses remain available to local people in housing need into the future.
What happens if somebody moves away?
If the person occupies a shared ownership house they are required to sell the house back to the housing association. The District Council will then allocate the property according to the agreed policy.
If they rent, then the housing association can offer the house to those that qualify from the allocations policy
Which site is being considered?
The Parish Council has looked at several sites over the last few years. Unfortunately the owner of the first choice site at the bottom of the Winnaway is unwilling to sell.
Though other sites have been explored around the village they have been rejected as not suitable for affordable housing development because of infrastructure costs or access. Some sites were deemed to be too far from the centre of the village. This leaves a site off Orchard Way as the current choice.
What is the Parish Council’s view?
The Parish Council is in favour of affordable housing because it accepts that there is a real need for such housing demonstrated by the results of the local housing needs survey. The Parish Council will support the residents of Orchard Way to ensure that any scheme put forward is in keeping with the locality.
Why not wait for Great Western Park development for affordable housing?
The Orchard Way site will be limited to people who have a connection to Harwell and will be for local people. The development at Great Western Park will be for people in housing need from across the Vale of White Horse district. It will also not be ready for some years.
What will happen next?
The District Council will hold planning consultations and all interested parties will be able to comment. As part of this Oxfordshire County Council highways will comment on the changes to traffic flow.
The Parish Council is seeking to arrange visits to affordable housing schemes in the Vale to talk to residents and neighbours of those schemes.
Finally the scheme will be considered by the District Council’s Planning Committee.
Where do I find out more?
The relevant minutes of the past Parish Council meetings are on the website.
Our two Vale Councillors are taking a lead on the affordable housing project. Contact information here.
This Q&A also appears in the February 2008 Harwell News.
