More than 2,000
villages are missing out on new affordable homes because they are classified as
unsuitable for growth by the local planning process.
According to new
research by the CLA of 70 Local Plans from the most rural local authorities,
2,154 villages across England are judged to be unsustainable. This means
housing allocation, including the delivery of affordable homes in these
communities is either highly restricted or not permitted, further exacerbating
the rural housing crisis.
Cornwall tops the
list of areas with the most villages deemed unsustainable at 213, followed by
Wiltshire at 168 and Central Lincolnshire with 132.
The CLA has also
analysed how 50 local authorities use a settlement hierarchy when deciding
where new development will be allocated in a Local Plan. The hierarchy ranks
villages by scoring them against a range of services and amenities but the
CLA’s research revealed that just 18% of local authorities factor in broadband
when assessing the sustainability of rural settlements. This is despite the
range of services digital connectivity can facilitate, whether grocery shopping
online or ordering prescriptions.
Sustainable Villages – making rural communities fit
for the future argues that planning
criteria must be updated to reflect how people access services in the 21st
century and encourages local authorities to be more proactive in identifying
the housing needs of small rural communities.
CLA President Tim
Breitmeyer said: “Sustainable development is not just for towns and cities.
Finding and promoting sustainable solutions for rural communities is vital to
the long-term vitality of the countryside.
“Current practices
mean small settlements are dependent on very proactive local authorities to
meet their needs. Although Cornwall tops the list of the most unsustainable
villages, it is in fact an excellent example of a local authority actively
addressing the needs of small rural communities despite the classification.
Other rural local authorities should follow this lead and use all the
mechanisms available to deliver affordable housing.
“Updating rural
planning policy to include connectivity in sustainability assessments means
English villages will not be trapped in analogue when the rest of the world is
in the digital age and can access much of the housing they desperately need.”
The report also
calls on the Government to step in to address the housing needs of those
communities cut off from the Local Plan by requiring a housing needs assessment
in villages not allocated any housing.
Mr Breitmeyer said:
“Without more opportunities for young people to remain in the local area these
small communities face an uncertain future. We want people to be able to live
and work in the countryside but they are being held back by a lack of affordable
homes. Mandatory housing needs assessments will improve our understanding of
the rural housing crisis and will help towards building desperately needed
homes in the right areas.”
Cllr Martin Tett,
Housing spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “Councils are
committed to tackling the housing crisis and delivering the right homes in the
right places with the necessary local services and infrastructure.
“Crucially, this
includes councils working with their communities to develop and agree Local
Plans, setting out their vision for developments where they live.
“As every street,
village, town and city is different and will have different levels of need and
opportunity for housing growth, it should be for councils working with
communities to determine how and where new homes are built.”
Richard
Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “When a community wants and needs
to grow, it should be allowed to. Planning shouldn’t say ‘you’re too small for
new homes’. Clearly there’s a huge problem and the Government needs to fix it.”
Rico
Wojtulewicz, senior policy advisor of the HBA, added: “The CLA have proved that
planning fails to cater for our modern rural communities. If the Government
doesn’t take planning reform seriously, a whole rural generation will suffer
from unaffordable housing and mass unemployment.”
