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9. ANP3: Affordable Homes To Meet Local Needs

9.1House prices have outgrown incomes in the area for many years. This means young people, in particular, are moving away which can be detrimental to themselves, family networks and the sustainability of our community as local services such as schools, public transport, shops, and pubs become less viable. The 2024 Parish Housing Needs Survey identified that the cheapest property on the market for sale in Albury, a one bed flat had recently sold for £460,000 which would require an annual income of £118,286 for a mortgage of 3.5 times salary. The average income for local salaries was £26-36k per annum. Source Parish Housing Needs Survey 2024 APPENDIX J

9.2AECOM produced the Albury Affordable Housing Site Assessment report in 2024 which assessed the suitability of 6 potential sites for affordable housing (sites A-F in MAP C). These sites had been included in the “calls for sites” in 2018 and 2023 for the Guildford Borough Council Land Availability Assessments and had subsequently been put forward as possible sites for affordable housing in the Neighbourhood Plan by landowners. The AECOM Affordable Housing Site Assessment report APPENDIX B should be taken into account for any proposed schemes. This report was included in the Neighbourhood Plan Parish Consultation 2024.

9.3Between April-June 2024 a Neighbourhood Plan Parish Consultation took place for parishioners to review the Neighbourhood Plan policies, and 6 potential sites for affordable housing (sites A-F) as identified in MAP C. Full details of how the consultation was advertised to parishioners and the outcome can be found in APPENDIX L. There were 61 potential properties shown across the 6 sites (A-F MAP C). The number of properties far exceeded the required 12 affordable dwellings identified in the 2024 Housing Needs Survey APPENDIX J and there was no expectation that they would all be built, but this approach provided the community with options to choose from.

9.415% of households registered on the Parish Electoral Register responded to the 2024 Neighbourhood Plan Parish Consultation. Of these 82% of respondents were in favour of building new affordable homes on some of the 6 sites (A-F MAP C) identified in Albury village, though many said they were only supportive provided several conditions could be met and not every site received positive feedback. This information helped the Parish Council make a reduced site selection for inclusion in the Neighbourhood Plan. It is important that parishioner’s comments received during the consultation are taken into account by landowners at planning application stage. The comments can be found in APPENDIX L.

9.5Taking into account the outcome of the Neighbourhood Plan Parish Consultation 2024 APPENDIX L, the AECOM Sites Assessment Report 2024 APPENDIX B and the AECOM SEA APPENDIX Q, and mindful that any new development must be within or adjacent to the village settlement boundary (the only settlement in the parish)- MAP A. the Parish Council has agreed to include 2 sites (site A Malcom’s Field and site C Birmingham Farm as identified in MAP B) as Rural Exception sites for affordable housing in the Neighbourhood Plan. Details of the Parish Council’s considerations can be found in APPENDIX Q. This decision is made on the understanding that:

  1. The number of properties built on these sites meets and does not exceed the need identified in the Housing Needs Survey 2024 APPENDIX J

  1. Planning applications for affordable housing on sites A and C in MAP B must demonstrate that they have addressed the concerns raised by the community in the Neighbourhood Plan Parish Consultation 2024. These can be found in APPENDIX L.

  2. To occupy the new affordable housing on sites A and C MAP B applicants must have a local connection to Albury parish. The parish Housing Needs Survey 2024 APPENDIX J identified households currently living in the parish who are in need of affordable housing though they are not necessarily on the Guildford Borough Council Housing Register. However, consideration should also be given to the 19 households registered on the Guildford Borough Council Housing Register who don’t currently live in the parish and were not eligible to respond to the survey, but who also have a local connection to Albury. It is recommended that the Parish Council keeps a register of those in need of affordable housing who live in the parish who can be contacted when affordable homes become available, and every opportunity is taken to it to ensure it is offered in the first instance to those with a genuine connection to Albury.

  3. In order to be aware of current affordable housing needs the Parish Council will undertake a new parish Housing Needs Survey every 5 years with the next due in 2029. This means there will be 3 future Housing Needs Assessments during the life of the Neighbourhood Plan in 2029, 2034 and 2039.

  4. Rural exception sites are defined in the Guildford Local Plan as “small sites identified in rural areas used for affordable housing and to remain so indefinitely in order to meet the local housing needs of rural communities where sites would not normally be used for housing due to other policies. A proportion of market homes may be allowed at the local authority’s discretion, for example where essential to enable the delivery of affordable units without grant funding. Policy H3 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan then further explains that rural exception sites must meet the following criteria:

a) the site adjoins or is closely related to, and in safe and reasonable walking distance of a rural settlement, and

b) the number, size and tenure of homes would be appropriate to meet, or to contribute to meeting, the identified affordable housing needs of the local community, and

c) the affordable homes are secured in perpetuity.

9.6In line with Policy H2 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan, the threshold where they will seek an affordable housing contribution of at least 40% of the homes on these sites will be on sites providing more than 5 dwellings. For developments of between 6 and 10 dwellings inclusive (gross), a financial contribution in lieu of on-site provision of affordable housing will be sought which is of broadly equivalent value relative to on-site provision.

9.7Albury Parish is a ‘Designated Rural Area’ described under section 157(1) of the Housing Act 1985. Proposals for residential development will be required to provide affordable housing having regard to the ‘Designated Rural Area’ status of the parish, in line with Policy H2 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan (or any replacement) and the National Planning Policy Framework and according to policies in the Neighbourhood Plan and Albury Design Guidance and Codes APPENDIX A.

9.8Given the parish is entirely within the Green Belt and Surrey Hills National Landscape, and as the Guildford Local Plan does not allocate a housing target for the parish, it is unlikely the parish’s housing need could be met through market housing, as such the policy provides general support for rural exception developments where satisfying the criteria set in the policy above.

9.9New development should be designed to provide new green amenity spaces, reflecting and extending the existing network of accessible green spaces in the parish and be in accordance with policies within local and national planning policy and the Neighbourhood Plan.

Policy ANP3 – Affordable Homes To Meet Local Needs

  1. The Neighbourhood Plan allocates two sites, identified on Policy MAP B, as Rural Exception sites for 12 affordable homes plus 5 market homes to support the delivery of the affordable housing as set out in the 2024 Housing Needs Survey APPENDIX J.

    Site A: Malcom’s Field

    i. 6 one/two bed affordable homes

    ii. one/two bed open market homes

    Site C: Birmingham Farm

    I. one/two bed properties, 2 three bedroom affordable homes

    ii. one/two bed open market homes:

  2. Developments for affordable housing, including sites A and C as identified in MAP B and additional rural exceptions sites as defined in the GBC Local Plan, will only be supported where:

  1. They preserve the rural character of Albury village or its setting, and the number of new homes built is broadly in line with the recommendations of the current Housing Needs Survey 2024 APPENDIX J or any replacement.

  2. The scheme comprises an appropriate tenure mix (broadly consistent with that defined in the Albury Parish Housing Needs Survey 2024 APPENDIX J. (or most recent version thereof), unless there is clear evidence to support an alternative tenure mix. A small proportion of open market homes will only be acceptable where it is robustly demonstrated that the affordable scheme would not otherwise be financially viable. With 25% of affordable homes to be “starter homes” in line with recommended policy.

  3. The site is either (i) identified in MAP B (ii) a suitable rural exception site (see definition in supporting text) (iii) is within the village settlement boundary or built up area, or (iv) is on previously developed land or surplus farm buildings.

  4. The affordable homes remain affordable in perpetuity

  5. Affordable homes are offered in the first instance to those with a genuine connection to Albury.

MAP A – Albury Settlement Boundary

MAP A – Albury Settlement Boundary

MAP B – Albury Village Affordable Housing Sites – Revised post 2024 Parish Consultation

MAP B – Albury Village Affordable Housing Sites – Revised post 2024 Parish Consultation

MAP C – Affordable Housing Sites (Original Nominations from Land Owners)

MAP C – Affordable Housing Sites (Original Nominations from Land Owners)