Rushy Bank public consultation

Location of Rushy Bank proposed development
 and the other main growth areas of Charlbury

As part of the Rushy Bank Partnership we are holding a public exhibition of the proposals for the Rushy Bank development on Thursday 15 January 2015, 2.30 - 7.30pm in the Charlbury Corner House (Anne Downer Room).

We will be showing people our plans for community self-build homes on the site and inviting local people who express an interest in self-build to sign up.

The Rushy Bank Partnership includes Cornbury Estate as the land owner, Cox Development Partners, a Charlbury-based professional development team, Oxford Design Studio, a Charlbury-based architectural practice, The Beacon Project Charlbury dealing with the community self-build aspect, Young Dementia UK and a local housing association. 

The proposals are for the development of approximately 30 sustainable homes which will include 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 bedroom affordable rent, shared ownership, intermediate and full market sale housing, all designed to meet the needs of our community.

A possible layout for the site, with the
industrial estate and train station to the bottom

The proposals also include land for the Young Dementia UK supported housing scheme which will provide 10 units of accommodation and generate between 10 and 12 full and part-time jobs. The Partnership is committed to use local suppliers, sub-contractors and tradespeople wherever possible on this project. This is a really local partnership right across the board.

The principle is to create a sustainable community that will meet all levels of affordability with preference given to local people to rent or purchase at costs they can afford. The intention is to develop an exemplar for community development and all homes will be built to a high standard with good environmental credentials. There will be approximately equal proportions of each type of housing, subject to the requirements of the local planning authority; coupled with the need to create a viable scheme.

It's time to plan!

Forest Road site in Charlbury (source: Google maps)

After three years of discussion and negotiation about a self-build housing scheme for Charlbury families, it looks as though we have got somewhere at last. With the support of our local landowner Cornbury Park, the Beacon Project is now working as part of a development team for a mixed tenure eco housing development on land at Forest Road, opposite the train station and adjacent to the light industrial area. 

NB This is NOT the field behind the Cricket Club! This development would be on land behind the small industrial estate, which was once earmarked for possible expansion of that industrial estate.

We are currently working with the team on all the elements needed for a planning application later in the year, including the housing needs and specifications of the self-build houses themselves, as well as those of our affordable housing provider, Sovereign Housing. We are also looking at the sustainability and environmental aspects of the site and the common spaces.

If you are a Charlbury household (or have strong links to the town) and would like to express an interest in self-building at Forest Road, do get in touch.

Town Council update

Timber frame design sketch for Beacon Project by Oxford Design Studio, 2014

It has been nearly two years since the Beacon Project last updated Charlbury Town Council about progress, so on Wed 16 April Beacon Secretary Chris Morton addressed councillors ahead of the scheduled council meeting. 

The key points made to councillors were that the last two years have involved a considerable amount of community consultation and profile-raising, including:

• sending a detailed response to the consultations over the draft West Oxfordshire Local Plan in December 2012. The draft Local Plan recognizes self-build and environmental sustainability as key aspects of the UK National Planning Policy Framework and the Localism Act. Our response is detailed here.
• publishing an article on the aims and objectives of the project in the April 2013 edition of the Charlbury Chronicle, and gaining some good feedback and expressions of interest locally.
• having an information stand at the Community Led Plan public meeting in July 2013 in the Memorial Hall
• pursuing options over the Forest Road site with Cornbury Park; contributing towards the Community Led Plan; keeping a conversation going with Sovereign Housing as an affordable housing partner; opened up the core management group to new local families

The councillors were informed that the project has so far undertaken three years’ work towards its aims and objectives, that we are an organised community group with a limited company structure and directors. 

Whilst the project has shifted its emphasis slightly over that period from an interest in co-housing towards self-build, it remains committed to bringing a more cooperative style to any new housing development in which we are involved.

Councillors were also informed that self-build is now a recognised means of solving some sections of the housing requirement, particularly in rural areas. This was recognised in the current West Oxfordshire Local Development Framework.

An example of the project's commitment to environmental issues relating to development can be found in the groups proposals for the Forest Road site in Charlbury, in which we are in negotiation with Cornbury Park regarding feasibility. On this site we are interested in:

• harvesting natural spring water which rises in the copse above the field. It was estimated in the summer of 2012 as providing 40-50 litres/minute or 50-60,000 litres/day.
• Towards the bottom of the site we would like to extend the current pond to offset the increased run-off of water from construction and housing (important following the recent floods) as well as a reed-bed for waste management. Despite being next to the sewage works, we won’t need it!
• We are also discussing with Cornbury the potential of a combined heat and power unit for the whole site using wood by-products from the Estate.

One of the key points made to the councillors was 'who is Beacon Project for?' The points made here were that:

• Currently several Charlbury families make the core, several of who have rented in Charlbury for more than 5 years because they cannot afford appropriate family sized homes. We all have children in the primary and secondary schools and between us make a big contribution to local societies and the community in general. 
• We are a group from the (politician’s phrase) squeezed middle – an intermediate group who cannot afford to buy suitable housing in Charlbury, but who can afford private sector rents. We are a growing group nationally.

Why is the project important?

• If housing development is to take place in Charlbury at all (and it should if we are to remain vibrant), then it is better that we empower people who already contribute to the community to build houses so that they can stay here, rather than being forced to move out. Any other development of family homes in Charlbury will be sold at the rapidly inflating prices that we see today and not contribute to keeping a diverse socio-economic mix in the town.
• New housing here should reflect the special interest in environmental sustainability that Charlbury is known for, rather than being imposed on the town by developers who have no interest in the character of the town, beyond a superficial stereotype of what colour stone to use.
• We feel that a creative and environmental approach to local housing like the scheme we have developed will enable us to develop a Neighbourhood Plan that doesn’t just say where new housing might go, but also says what it should feel like as an extension of our current community, and how it will affect our local environment.

Self-build mortgages

Photo: Roger Bamber/Alamy published in The Guardian

There are a number of lenders still in the marker for self-build mortgages, according to an article in This is Money from July 2013. Lenders include Norwich & Peterborough, Saffron Building Society, BM Solutions, Leeds Building Society, or specialist Buildstore. Deposits, rates and terms vary depending on planning permissions and the stage of the building.

According to Buildstore, the amount you can borrow to purchase the land will be 75 per cent of its current value, and for the build costs, again you can borrow around 75 per cent of the end value.

A lender will want to see detailed plans for the property, a projection of costs and planning permission details, and the whole application process can take five months on average!

Lenders usually release the money for a self-build in five to seven stages, taking a project from foundations to the finished property. They may want to inspect each stage before signing off on the next slice of money.

According to an article in The Guardian way back in 2011, the UK Government is keen to make financing self-build projects easier to obtain, and from a more competitive selection of lenders.

Charlbury Community-Led Plan (CLP) - public meeting 20 July 2013

Charlbury Community Led Plan on charlbury.info

Earlier this year Charlbury Town Council decided to develop a Community-Led Plan in order "for the community to develop a sound understanding of local aspiration and need" in terms of future development. The Town Council's February announcement about this makes it clear that this Plan should be distinguished from what is termed a "Neighbourhood Plan" under the Localism Act 2012, which outlines specific planning policies for the area and which would require a full referendum of the community. 

We will be presenting the aims of the Beacon Project at the first CLP public meeting organised by the Advisory Group at the Memorial Hall on Saturday 20 July 2013, 9-2pm. The Group are asking community members to list 3 things that they like about the town, and 3 things the town might need over the next 5-15 years. Ideas can be filled in on the postcard sent to residents last week, online, or via e-mail plan@charlbury.info.

Community Housing Project

Published in the Charlbury Chronicle April 2013

Living in Charlbury, any resident might have a view on what constitutes a strong balanced community. Here we do appear to have good social, sporting, cultural and environmental facilities and in most aspects, the community is strong and cohesive. However, very few residents can be unaware of the current debate about affordable rural housing. The 2006 Charlbury housing needs survey indicated that there was a demand for 61 new households.  At present this provision is being met by 15 new social houses in Little Lees, and other schemes are in the discussion stage. Charlbury Town Council estimate however, that the figure of 61 probably still represents the demand level. There can be little doubt that a healthy community requires balance in its constituent parts.

Although there is a formal definition in planning legislation for affordable housing, there is another intermediate category which includes families who, under pre-financial crisis circumstances, would have been able to afford to buy into the housing market. This category often represent the groups that make the rural economy function and includes amongst  readers of the Charlbury Chronicle; nurses, teachers, electricians, builders, retired people and some professionals. This group has no formal recognition in housing need terms and must compete on the open market for either renting or buying properties.

This problem is nationwide of course and one solution developed elsewhere has been to form co-housing groups whereby like-minded people get together and form communities either to purchase a large property which is subdivided or to build a number of homes as a group. Co-housing usually adheres to strong environmental and sustainable agendas. Co-housing and community groups are recognised elsewhere and develop their own sustainable solutions to housing needs, often with the cooperation of their local authority.

Huge changes in legislation from the Big Society and including the National Planning Policy Framework, support for the preparation of local plans and Community Right to Build have been brought into law in the last year or so, most of which are intended to promote locally-driven development. Sustainability is a key driver and although over-used as a term, it not only means designing well-insulated houses in the right location employing appropriate materials but also should mean making sure that communities are well-balanced and thriving.

The current West Oxfordshire District Council Draft Local Plan published at the end of 2012 acknowledges the need for some 350 additional houses in the Charlbury/Burford Area and recognises that the houses must be provided where the needs are. The draft also makes provision for meeting community priorities, recognises that self-build will be one means of delivery and states that there should be a presumption in favour of sustainable development.

The Beacon Project Charlbury was formed and registered as a not-for -profit company in 2011 with the aim of promoting a community housing project , utilising local skills through a self-build programme which we argue is a viable option. We also believe that where communities help themselves there is a good chance of retaining and enhancing community values through shared services and self-management. The idea is not new but has been practised widely since the co-housing movement started in Denmark in the 1970s. 

The Beacon Project has been active in pursuing several potential sites for a community housing scheme (see our blog link) and is still investigating a number of sites including the Forest Road land adjacent to the small industrial estate on the west side of the station. It has to be noted that, although the District Council has stated an ambitious housing target, there has to be an increase in the current very restrictive release of land with suitable planning consent if these targets are to be met. 

We have therefore joined the Charlbury Town Council in their current initiative to prepare a Community Led Plan in which it is hoped there will be recognition of the needs of this key category which will lead to a suitable site being supported. We aim to develop some houses to Passive House standard which is the highest environmental level in Europe and have an established relationship with Sovereign Housing as well as a strong community agenda.

Given the recent changes in legislation and the economic climate in which we now all live, if the objectives outlined above cannot be achieved in a dynamic small town like Charlbury, one would assume that there is probably little chance of success elsewhere. This is not the case however, as up to 40 self-build and co-housing schemes are completed, underway or under consideration in other parts of this country. They are also being actively supported by several local authorities including Cambridge City Council.

Response to Draft Local Plan

West Oxfordshire Draft Local Plan consultation document

West Oxfordshire District Council's Draft Local Plan was published for consultation in October 2012. It contains a wide range of new strategies and provisions that have direct relevance to the aims and objectives of Beacon Project Charlbury, especially in its recognition of the aims of the UK National Planning Policy Framework and the Localism Act. 


The consultation period closed on 19 December 2012, and Beacon Project Charlbury submitted the following specific comments:


3.4. The need for additional housing provision at rural service centres is recognised [Charlbury is designated a rural service centre of the West Oxfordshire district]. 

4.4. The need to sustain rural areas is recognised. 

4.5. The requirement to address the needs of those who cannot afford to buy or rent suitable market housing, including those who wish to self-build is recognised. 

4.6. The overall strategy principles are lauded. 

4.11. The need to respect the local character is welcome although it must be noted that with changes in energy policy, rural as well as urban development may change in nature and appearance due to increasing environmental design requirements such as orientation, passive energy gain, materials and substantially increased Building Regulation requirements under Part L from 2013. The Local Plan should acknowledge that residential design may not in future be a traditional version of the Cotswolds' form but an interpretation of it. 

4.33. 4.34. The additional requirement for housing and the demographic changes for key members of the community in rural areas are recognised. 4.35. The need for an imaginative approach to development including self-build is recognised. What is missing is an acknowledgement that a flexible approach to interpreting the Local Plan may be required to accommodate this approach.




4.37. This is a valuable addition to the Local Plan but clarity is required as if affordable housing is required, formal recognition of the interpretation of this important policy is essential. 

4.93. A separate site allocation approach for suitable development would be welcome as it appears that the development of approved Neighbourhood Plans is likely to be a lengthy process. 

5.32 This is a crucial item in the Draft Local Plan for the Beacon Project Charlbury. It reads:


"The NPPF refers to the possibility of allowing some market housing in rural areas where this would facilitate the provision of significant additional affordable housing to meet local needs. Any such proposal will be considered against the relevant policies of the Local Plan including in particular Core Policy 2 – Locating Development in the Right Places. Where the site is in a location that would not normally be considered appropriate for new housing, it will be for the developer or landowner to demonstrate not only why the site is suitable for housing, but also why a traditional rural exception site approach, i.e. one with 100% affordable housing, is not appropriate or achievable. In other words, they will need to demonstrate why the market housing is needed to subsidise the delivery of the affordable housing. In such cases, any market housing would be expected to be a subsidiary element of a predominantly affordable housing scheme."


The Beacon Project welcomes the provision for more flexibility in terms of the delivery of affordable housing, especially with regard to cross-subsidy by market housing. Since many landowners will not sell land for affordable only given the low land prices available for this, a more flexible planning approach will be necessary in order to achieve more affordable housing of a high environmental standard, as well as releasing more appropriate land for community housing projects, self-build projects, and other developments that will keep rural communities alive and dynamic places to live. 

SUMMARY

Generally, the proposed changes in the Draft Local Plan are welcome, however, for a group such as ours, representing a section of the local community who have been trying to self-manage a much-needed community housing project for some years, there remain what at times seem insurmountable obstacles. There are several important clauses in the NPPF which do not appear to be specifically addressed within the Draft Local Plan although general references might apply. These are highlighted as they have considerable significance for a group such as The Beacon Project:

•               The NPPF states that policies in local plans should follow the approach of presumption in favour of sustainable development so that it is clear that development which is sustainable can be approved without delay. All plans should be based upon and reflect the presumption in favour of sustainable development, with clear policies that will guide how the presumption should be applied locally (NPPF para 15). This does not appear to be formally acknowledged in the Local Plan as all presumptions and national objectives are subservient to the Local Plan conditions.

•                The NPPF states that planning policies should avoid the long term protection of sites allocated for employment use where there is no reasonable prospect of a site being used for that purpose. Land allocations should be regularly reviewed. Where there is no prospect of a site being used for allocated employment use, applications for alternative uses of land or buildings should be treated on their merits having regard to market signals and the relative need for different land uses to support sustainable local communities (NPPF para 22).

•               The NPPF states that if sufficient edge of centre sites cannot be identified, set policies for meeting the identified needs in other accessible locations that are well connected to the town centre (NPPF para 23). Applicants and local planning authorities should demonstrate flexibility (NPPF para 24).

•               At the heart of the NPPF is a presumption in favour of sustainable development which should be seen as a golden thread running through both plan-making and decision-taking (NPPF para 14). This sections states that local planning authorities should positively seek opportunities to meet the development needs of their area, and local plans should meet objectively assessed needs, with sufficient flexibility to adapt to rapid change. For decision-taking, the NPPF advises where the development plan is silent or relevant policies are out-of-date, granting permission unless any adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against policies in this framework taken as a whole or, specific policies in this framework indicate development should be restricted. (NPPF para 14).

•               The NPPF also states that housing should be located where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities (NPPF para 55) and that Local Plans should allocate sites to promote development and flexible use of land, bringing forward new land where necessary and provide details on form, scale access and quantum where appropriate (NPPF para 157) and addresses the needs for all types of housing, including affordable housing and the needs of different groups within the community... sic,  and caters for housing demand and the scale of housing necessary to meet this demand (NPPF para 159).

•               The planning authority is charged by the NPPF to use their evidence base to ensure that their Local Plan meets the full objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing in the housing market area, as far as is consistent with the policies set out in the framework including identifying key sites which are critical to the delivery of the housing strategy over the plan period (NPPF para 47).

  


Changing economic and demographic circumstances, the Localism Bill, Community Right to Build and the National Planning Policy Framework all indicate that a community group such as the Beacon Project should be able to undertake a sustainable community-based project as most stakeholders agree these objectives are essential to keep balanced rural communities. The Draft Local Plan offers encouragement through some new clauses referred to above, yet these steps are all meaningless unless the Local Plan is interpreted flexibly and with the intent to achieve positive outcomes as set out in the NPPF. The principles required to encourage sustainable community-led self-help development especially in the provision of balanced housing now exist, but an innovative interpretation of the changing legislation and overall direction indicated by the NPPF will be necessary from a planning policy perspective.