Every rule that governs your project, in one place.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Affordable Housing SPG Local Development Plan 2030. Supplementary Planning Guidance: January 2026

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Local Development Plan 2030 antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

The new Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Local Development Plan – Plan Strategy, was formally adopted by resolution of the Council on 3 July 2025. The Plan Strategy forms a high level, strategi

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Affordable housing is available to households who otherwise could not house themselves, for example, because they would struggle to afford the cost of housing in the open market, or they need a specif

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

The Local Development Plan 2030 - Plan Strategy identifies at paragraph 7.24, that for the purposes of the Local Development Plan, the current definition of affordable housing, is the same as the defi

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 establishes the plan-led system. This gives primacy to the Local Development Plan in the assessment of planning applications, unless material considerations in

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

The Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016. The Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order 2016 identifies Northern Ireland Housing Executiv

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Programme for Government 2024-2027. The Programme for Government 2024 - 2027 'Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most', identifies the Northern Ireland Executive commitment to deliver nine priorities with t

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Housing Supply Strategy 2024 - 2039. The Housing Supply Strategy was published in December 2024 by the Department for Communities and provides a 15-year framework for the development and delivery of p

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Regional Development Strategy (RDS) 2035. The RDS as the overarching strategic planning framework for Northern Ireland recognises that the provision of more affordable housing helps to build strong an

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Policy RG6 seeks to encourage mixed housing development, with neighbourhoods containing homes in a range of sizes and tenures, to facilitate stable communities and to reduce isolation. Policy RG8 requ

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

The SPPS identifies a range of core planning principles, which aim to facilitate sustainable patterns of development. One of these is 'to improve health and wellbeing', which includes supporting the d

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Strategic Policy 4 of the Plan Strategy seeks to provide a choice of housing for people in socially balanced and inclusive communities across the Borough. The Council wishes to encourage an affordable

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

In order to facilitate the delivery of affordable housing units within the Borough, the Plan includes a Detailed Management policy, which seeks to increase the supply of affordable housing through the

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Detailed Management policy, DM 18G: Affordable Housing in the Countryside allows support to a proposal by a Registered Housing Association for a small group of dwellings (no more than 14 units) in the

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Where the Council considers it necessary to provide a higher proportion of affordable housing in a specific location, policy DM 17 may also be supported through the Local Policies Plan, by the zoning

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is the planning authority with responsibility for preparing the Local Development Plan, as well as determining the vast majority of planning applications within

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

DfC is responsible for setting housing policy at a regional level in Northern Ireland, as well as providing grant funding for the Social Housing Development Programme. DfC may also provide loan fundin

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

DfI has responsibility for the publication of regional planning policy, in terms of the RDS and SPPS, as well as bringing forward planning legislation. DfI can also act as the planning authority in th

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Developers and applicants play a key role in the delivery of affordable housing. They are required to engage early in the process and establish a partnership with a RHA in relation to affordable housi

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

NIHE is the strategic housing authority for Northern Ireland and its statutory functions are principally set out in the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. These include the examination and assessm

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

A RHA provides social rented and/or intermediate accommodation (via a subsidiary of a RHA where relevant) and may specialise in accommodation for special needs groups. They are the main developers of

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

The requirements of Policy DM 17.3, DM 17.4 and DM 17.5 will apply to proposals for housing development and mixed use development that incorporate an element of housing, together with proposals for re

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

The affordable housing policy within the Plan Strategy may be supported by zoning for affordable housing or affordable housing key site requirements within the Local Policies Plan, where appropriate.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Where a planning application is submitted to the Council and is subject to an affordable housing requirement, the Council will liaise with NIHE to confirm if affordable housing is required on the site

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

As outlined in Section 2 of this guidance, the SPPS and hence the Plan Strategy has adopted the revised DfC definition of affordable housing. If an applicant is unsure about whether a particular produ

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Affordable homes are generally delivered via specially designed products, such as those detailed below, which are operated according to specific criteria to ensure that, where government funding is pr

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Social rented housing is housing provided at an affordable rent by a RHA, that is, one which is registered and regulated by DfC as a social housing provider. Social rented accommodation should be avai

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Intermediate housing for sale is typically provided through a RHA and helps households who can afford a small mortgage, but that are not able to afford to buy a property outright. The property is spli

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

DfC has developed a new Intermediate Rent Policy (March 2023) to create an additional supply of affordable homes. It intends to provide an additional rental choice for lower to moderate income househo

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

demand, in the local area, having been met or has decreased, the affordable housing requirement can be lowered or removed.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Intermediate Rent homes are intended to remain as Intermediate housing for rent for the longer term. By offering tenancies of up to five years at a time with the option to renew, (subject to agreement

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

From the very outset in drawing up a housing proposal, where a developer identifies that a scheme will trigger the requirements of policy DM 17, they should contact a RHA or other relevant operator of

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Applicants are encouraged to seek information on the affordable housing requirement from a RHA or other relevant operator, prior to a Pre-Application Discussion (PAD) with the Council. Advice should b

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Prior to the PAD, applicants should also refer to the NIHE 'Commissioning Prospectus' which provides housing associations, developers and other interested stakeholders with detailed information about

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Following initial discussions taking place between the applicant and a RHA or other relevant operator, the use of a well-informed PAD between an applicant and the Councils will support the preparation

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

A PAD service is available from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council planning section and applicants are very strongly encouraged to use this service if they are proposing development on a site tha

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

It is in the applicant's interest to engage in the PAD process so as not to cause any unnecessary delays to the processing of a planning application. Advice given through the PAD will be without preju

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

In those exceptional circumstances, where an applicant envisages making a case for reduced or no affordable housing provision on grounds of viability, then they are encouraged to raise this during the

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Where the Council receives a Pre-Application Notice (PAN) for a housing scheme, a PAD process will be automatically opened to engage consultation with NIHE.

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

It should be noted, that if an applicant decides not to submit a completed 'Affordable Housing Proposal Form and Checklist' along with their planning application for a housing scheme of 40 units or gr

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Each proposal for housing within the Borough will be required to accord with the provisions of the Local Development Plan, unless exceptionally, other material considerations indicate otherwise. As a

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Conservation Areas will also apply. Accordingly the design of the proposal will be required to have due regard to enhancing the character and appearance of the conservation area where an opportunity t

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Policy DM 17 requires a proportion of affordable housing to be included on all sites where 40 housing units or greater are proposed. The policy requires, as a minimum, that 10% of these units are requ

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Sites can however be phased in a manner which meets the affordable housing requirements. Where a phased approach is advocated, this should be discussed with the Council from the outset to ensure that

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Policy DM 17, when triggered by the threshold, requires a minimum of 10% of units to be provided as affordable housing. E.g. A 40 unit housing proposal = 4 affordable housing units to be provided. Whe

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

It is important to note that in most cases, affordable housing will be delivered as part of a wider mixed-tenure housing scheme and therefore applicants should consider general design considerations f

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

The design approach to a proposal under policy DM 17 should be a consideration from the outset and should be closely aligned with discussions with RHAs on the required mix of tenure, size and type of

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

It is however acknowledged that for certain types of proposals, which for example propose affordable homes by way of apartment development within the general layout, that small clusters of affordable

Antrim and Newtownabbey·SPG Affordable Housing

Design standards in respect of social rented housing are contained within the Housing Association Design Guide, which is included within the Housing Association Guide, maintained and published by DfC.