Affordable Housing Design Considerations and Integration

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 accommodation at an early stage. Policy DM 17.4 requires that the affordable housing units should be distributed throughout the general housing layout of the proposal and not be easily distinguishable externally from the general housing element. Consequently, in order for housing schemes to be fully integrated in terms of tenures, the first key design principle that should be applied, relates to the 'pepper-potting' or effective distribution of the affordable housing units within the overall housing scheme. The segregation or clustering of affordable housing units within housing layouts will generally not be supported by the Council. The second key design principle, is that a 'tenure blind' approach should be applied to mixed tenure proposals. This means that the affordable element of the housing proposal, should not be visually distinctive nor be easily distinguishable by way of their general external design, materials or finishes, from the general market housing. Schemes which do not display this tenure blind approach will not be supported by the Council.