Decision details

The report seeks approval of the Council’s First Homes Interim Position Statement. The Council published and consulted on a Draft Interim Position Statement earlier this year. Following consideration of the issues raised in comments the final version of the Interim Position Statement needs to be approved. The statement sets out an interim position on First Homes until such time as planning policy on affordable housing is comprehensively reviewed through preparation of the new Local Plan.

(1)  To approve the First Homes Interim Position Statement (attached as Appendix 1 to the report) to provide interim guidance.

(2)  To delegate authority to the Head of Planning to make any necessary minor editorial changes, in consultation with the Cabinet Membger for Planning and Licensing, prior to publication of the approved First Homes Position Statement.

To address the relative unaffordability of First Homes, the Council’s Interim Position Statement on First Homes states that it is not mandatory for developers to provide First Homes on qualifying schemes/sites.  Instead, the Council will encourage provision of the low-cost home ownership element of affordable housing contribution to be delivered in the form of shared ownership tenure.  There may be circumstances where First Homes are considered suitable, such as First Homes Exception Sites and provision is made for this within the Statement.

The First Homes Interim Position Statement is approved in advance of adoption of the Local Plan 2022-2042 to act as guidance.  Taking this approach enables the Council to respond to the issue as set out above and to assess the effectiveness of the Interim Position Statement prior to preparation of the Local Plan.

The First Homes Interim Position Statement sets out the Council’s requirements in respect of developer contributions where First Homes are proposed as part of a new development scheme and upon approval will be a material consideration in decision making.  Planning applications that make provision for First Homes will also be determined against national policy, including the Written Ministerial Statement of May 2021.

The guidance within the First Homes Interim Position Statement will apply as soon as it is approved and be reviewed as part of the plan making process of the Local Plan 2022-2042.

(1)  To implement First Homes as per the Written Ministerial Statement and other guidance.  This option was not selected based on evidence that First Homes are less affordable than the existing preferred tenure, shared ownership.

(2)  To increase the discount applied to a First Home in B&NES to make it more affordable.  This option was not pursued because increasing the discount level would take developer contribution resource away from rented delivery.  Rented delivery best meets local need and a loss of this would have negative equalities impacts.