Memorandum by Dunsfold Park Ltd (DPL)
(AH 60)
I am writing on behalf of Dunsfold Park Ltd
(DPL), who own Dunsfold aerodrome near Cranleigh, Surrey, and
who are planning to develop a new settlement (provisionally some
2-3,000 dwellings on a brownfield site) that will be an international
exemplar of sustainable development. DPL are working with the
local authority, Waverley Borough Council, to integrate their
proposals with the Council's emerging Core Policies in the Local
Development Framework.
We respond, briefly as requested, to the topics
set out in the Committee's statement of issues:
THE POTENTIAL
BENEFITS OF
AND SCOPE
TO PROMOTE
GREATER HOMEOWNERSHIP
1. We see the key issue being the provision
of market affordable housing as well as social affordable housing
in order to reduce the risk of future households being forced
into dependence on social housing, thus increasing the need for
social affordable housing.
THE EXTENT
TO WHICH
HOME PURCHASE
TACKLES SOCIAL
AND ECONOMIC
INEQUALITIES AND
REDUCES POVERTY
2. There are two key issues: one the interplay
between the social and market housing sectors (see above) and
two the need to provide new forms of housing that are affordable
in open market conditions for example houses and flats that young
people can share as if they were rented but on an ownership basis
ie they would own shares in the dwelling which would be tradeable.
This would improve access to home ownership for many people who
might otherwise become clients for social housing.
THE ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL
IMPACT OF
CURRENT HOUSE
PRICES
3. The impacts in Surrey are significant
and varied: people are forced to travel long distances to work
(usually by car) from affordable housing areas eg in Sussex or
Hampshire, causing congestion and pollution; there are labour
shortages in both private and public sectors, threatening the
viability of rural services; and families and communities are
split up and disrupted because young people cannot find homes
near their parents' home (if they want it). DPL are contemplating
giving nomination rights to local employers on the housing to
be developed in the planned new settlement.
THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN HOUSE
PRICES AND
HOUSING SUPPLY
4. The supply of housing is relatively insensitive
to price as the evidence in Surrey indicates. Prices are roughly
ten times annual incomes yet housing supply is lagging way behind
demand. The principal factor is that housing allocations in both
existing local plans and in emerging regional and sub-regional
strategies are very inadequate. It is primarily the planning system
that is constraining supply. Supply will however also be subject
to fluctuations according to the changes in the housing market.
OTHER FACTORS
INFLUENCING THE
AFFORDABILITY OF
HOUSING FOR
SALE INCLUDING
CONSTRUCTION METHODS
AND FISCAL
MEASURES
5. See above re new forms of tenure and
funding of house purchase.
THE SCALE
OF THE
GOVERNMENT'S
PLANS TO
BOOST HOUSING
SUPPLY
6. The Government's housing targets are
not being taken seriously in the local authorities in Surrey;
the County and District Councils are fighting to keep their housing
allocations down in spite of the often acknowledged need for both
affordable and market housing.
THE RELATIVE
IMPORTANCE OF
INCREASING THE
SUPPLY OF
PRIVATE HOUSING
AS OPPOSED
TO SUBSIDISED
HOUSING
7. Both sectors are important as they are
interconnected. Housing strategy planners need to gain an understanding
of sub-regional housing markets and related issues such as labour
shortages and travel to work patterns. DPL have undertaken their
own housing market study on a sub-regional basis and looked at
achieving sustainable targets such reductions in the need to travel
especially by car.
HOW THE
PLANNING SYSTEM
SHOULD RESPOND
TO THE
DEMAND FOR
HOUSING FOR
SALE
8. The planning system should look at sites
that have a low base value where there is scope for value increase
and for private funding of affordable housing and related infrastructure.
DPL intend to fund all the affordable housing and the infrastructure
to serve their new settlement from private sources.
THE SCALE
OF HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT REQUIRED
TO INFLUENCE
HOUSE PRICES
AND THE
IMPACT OF
PROMOTING SUCH
A PROGRAMME
ON THE
NATURAL AND
HISTORICAL ENVIRONMENT
AND INFRASTRUCTURE
PROVISION
9. These issues need to be studied carefully
at a local/sub-regional level.
THE REGIONAL
DISPARITIES IN
THE SUPPLY
AND DEMAND
FOR HOUSING
AND HOW
THEY MIGHT
BE TACKLED
10. No particular reflections on this issue.
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