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Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Intermediate housing for sale helps households who can afford a small mortgage, but are not able to afford to buy a property outright, to become homeowners. There are two broad categories of products

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

At present there are three shared ownership products available in Northern Ireland via the Co-ownership Housing Association, which can be summarised as follows: Co-Own: A form of equity sharing where

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Discount Market Sale (DMS): Housing that is sold below local market value without any form of public sector subsidy to certain eligible households, determined with regard to local incomes and local ho

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Where residential units within a proposal are intended for private sale, consideration should be given to the inclusion of intermediate housing for sale as part of the development. In this regard, SSO

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Intermediate housing for rent (also referred to as 'Intermediate Rent') is private rented housing which can offer an alternative to open market private rental for those whose needs are not met by the

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Two products are available that fall within the broad definition of intermediate housing for rent, which depend on whether the rental discount is being delivered with or without public sector support.

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

A form of Intermediate Rent housing made available at a discount of at least 20% on average local market private rents at time of letting for a similar property size and type. It establishes appropria

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

A form of Intermediate Rent housing made available at a cost lower than open market private rents to certain eligible households without any form of public sector subsidy. In order to qualify as affor

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Where residential units within a proposed development are intended for rent, Intermediate Housing for Rent should, if possible, be incorporated into proposals. In this regard, SIR units offered via a

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Review framework in Appendix 3 for considering the most appropriate affordable housing products to use as part of your proposed development. You may also wish to consider the most appropriate model s7

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

A fundamental issue in terms of site design is how the affordable housing element is arranged within the scheme. Policy HOU5 requires mixed tenure developments where the affordable housing is fully in

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Whilst full pepper potting should be considered in the first instance, it is acknowledged that, for some developments, small clusters of affordable units may be more appropriate. In such cases, effect

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

In the case of apartment buildings, some mixing of tenures should also be possible, although pepper potting is more easily delivered with intermediate units for sale or rent alongside market units for

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

The agreed layout should maximise residential amenity for all tenures – pepper potting is the best approach to achieve this. Large clusters of, or segregated, affordable units should not occupy the le

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Closely aligned to the issue of mixed tenure is the term 'tenure blind.' This essentially means that there should be no visual distinction between tenures (particularly in the external specifications

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Approaches to mixed tenure housing development 1) Segregated - where the tenures are visibly separated 2) Clustered - where relatively small-scale clusters of affordable units are spread throughout th

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Dependent on the type of affordable housing products being delivered and the delivery method, tenure blind design may be easier or more difficult to achieve successfully. For example, as intermediate

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Affordable housing design standards: The DfC Housing Association Guide (HAG) design standards7 apply to all new social housing. Meeting these standards is a requirement for RHAs to access public fundi

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Similarly, DfC's Intermediate Rent Policy, requires all SIR homes developed with Government funding are required to meet the design standards in the "Homes for Intermediate Rent Design Standards" docu

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Failure to meet HAG or Intermediate Rent design standards would result in housing being unsuitable for use as social rented housing or SIR and therefore unable to meet affordable housing requirements.

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Adaptable and accessible accommodation: All housing (including intermediate housing for sale or rent) must be built in accordance with Policy HOU7: Adaptable and Accessible Accommodation, which lists

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Designs that include features/provisions which increase the management and/or maintenance costs of a development, may mean RHAs are unable or unwilling to take delivery of the affordable housing units

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

At an early stage, discuss proposals directly with a RHA who can provide advice on design and layout for the development of social housing, particularly the HAG's design standards. In relation to inte

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

When the Council becomes aware that proposed affordable housing provision is deemed to be unsustainable, we will notify the applicant at the earliest opportunity. In a case where an applicant consider

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

In this context, it is important to discuss any concerns in relation to meeting affordable housing policy requirements in full with the Council at an early stage. A PAD is therefore strongly recommend

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Each application will be considered on its merits and, where relevant, the Council will aim to be flexible in terms of agreeing suitable alternatives to the affordable housing requirement. However, in

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Where an alternative is agreed on sustainability grounds only, it will be based on the assumption that the scheme is considered viable when meeting full policy requirements. A reduction in the number

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Where contributions are reduced below the requirements set out in Policy HOU5, s76 Agreements will incorporate review mechanisms to enable viability reassessment over the lifetime of the development t

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Ultimately, the weight to be given to the outcome of a viability assessment is a matter for the decision maker, having regard to all the circumstances in the case. Should a development be brought forw

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

As noted above, the Council's over-riding aim when considering the suitability of alternative affordable housing provision is to secure the maximum viable number of affordable housing units on-site as

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

However, we also acknowledge that there may be exceptional cases where off-site delivery may offer an acceptable solution, particularly where there are additional benefits in terms of the quality, qua

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

The donor site(s) should be located as close as possible to the main site, within the same Local Housing Area. In other words, it should help to meet the same need identified for the main site, with a

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

The onus will be on the applicant to establish a case for off-site delivery. When considering the appropriateness of an off-site arrangement, the Council will assess the main application site against

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Where the suitability for off-site provision is accepted by the Council, a parallel planning application should be submitted for the development of the donor site. The implementation of any approved s

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

As outlined above, the use of a financial payment (or 'commuted sum') in lieu of on-site delivery of affordable housing is a last resort that will only be considered in exceptional circumstances once

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

However, where accepted as the only remaining option, an appropriate commuted sum will be calculated on the basis of the number of affordable housing units required by the policy – i.e. 20% of the tot

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

The calculation will therefore be carried out as follows: ( Total number of units in scheme x % affordable housing units required by Policy HOU5 ) x Total Cost Indicator (TCI) per unit = Required fina

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

By way of example, a fictional scheme of 30 units, is required to provide 6 affordable houses. Based on NIHE's evidence, this should be provided as a 4 two-bed and 2 three-bed houses. The TCI rate for

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Any commuted sums will be ring-fenced for use in addressing affordable housing need in Belfast. There are a number of different ways in which commuted sums may be used to assist the delivery of afford

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

• Supporting the purchase of land for the purpose of providing affordable housing (monies may assist with cash flow issues or enable more attractive finance loans to be achieved by an RHA, for example

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

It is important that any money sourced via commuted sums is additional to that already administered by the DfC and NIHE as part of the relevant affordable housing programmes and does not result in the

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

In the first instance, spending of commuted sums will be prioritised in the local area in which they are generated. If after 3 years no suitable scheme has been identified within the relevant area, th

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

If following a total of 7 years from receipt, the contribution has not been spent or committed to be spent, it will be returned to the developer at a rate adjusted to reflect interest accrued over the

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Section 76 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, provides that any person who has an estate in land may enter into an agreement with the relevant authority (referred to as a s76 Agreement). A s

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

As a number of possible methods exist for the delivery of the affordable housing, clauses within the s76 Agreement will need to be tailored to reflect the proposed delivery methods, products used and

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

As part of the planning process for any proposal to which affordable housing obligations will apply, developers should submit proposed Heads of Terms for the s76 Agreement for discussion with the Coun

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

If the sustainability or financial viability of your development is likely to be an issue, we would strongly recommend that this and proposed remedies are discussed with the Council as part of a PAD.

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Commuted sum Where a developer does not provide affordable housing, but makes a financial payment (based on an agreed formula) that equates to the cost of providing the affordable homes on the site. T

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Department for Communities (DfC) The central government department responsible for housing in NI. It sets the overall housing policy for the region and provides grant or loan funding for social rented

Belfast·SPG001 Affordable Housing and Housing Mix

Appendix 1: Affordable housing proposal form 1 Name of Development 2 Site Address/Location of development 3 Zoning reference, if applicable (see Local Policies Plan) 4 Affordable housing requirement