ESRC seminar Housing and planning futures delivering homes

ESRC seminar: Housing and planning futures: delivering homes and sites: setting the context Siân Sankey, Policy Manager, CIH Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org

Overview of today • To set the context for Gypsy Traveller housing policy in relation to housing needs/supply • Investment in housing supply and affordable homes • Traveller pitch funding, new homes bonus funding • GT numbers and housing need • Localism Act and National Planning Policy Framework • Potential mainstream housing policy and relevance for GT communities Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 2

Investment in housing supply Direct investment Supporting investment • £ 1. 8 bn for 170, 000 sub-market rent • £ 300 m for 15, 000 affordable homes & 5000 empties • £ 200 m for 5000 private rented homes • £ 570 m for 16, 000 stalled homes through Get Britain Building • £ 30 m for self build • £ 60 m for Traveller sites 20112015 • Debt guarantees up to £ 10 bn • Support for REITs and Build to Let • Public sector land release / Build Now Pay Later • S 106 renegotiation • Planning appeals on viability • Experts to help councils • £ 730 m Growing Places for infrastructure • Community Right to Build • New Buy Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 3

Housing development stats • Need 232, 000 new homes per year • 5 million households will form in next 20 years • Only 114, 160 homes built in 2011 (7% up on 2010) • Building starts down 30% since government took office Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 4

Traveller Pitch Funding Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) – funding for Traveller pitches provided in similar manner as funding for affordable housing • £ 60 million 2011 – 2015, bids on a continuous process but only 4/32 bids signed so far • However: No regional criteria so funding not necessarily going to areas that need it § Many bids don’t have approved planning applications so may not get built § Fewer. Learn bids expected 5 withthan us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org §

New homes bonus funding • Match funding for LA for increasing new housing supply – funding for new builds; for converting empty properties; extra funding if affordable housing (£ 350 a property); and funding for provision of new GT pitches • Funding equivalent to 6 years council tax funding – around £ 1400 a property a year (band D) • Is this sufficiently attractive to LA/councillors to increase GT site provision in local areas? • July 2011 – July 2012 § 184 new pitches built (96 pitches social rented pitches and 88 private rented funded pitches) Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 6

Gypsy Traveller caravan numbers • Only ethnic group we count twice a year…are these the real figures? • July 2012 – 19400 caravans, of which: • 84% on authorised sites 6800 social rented (increased 200 from July 2011) § 9400 private sites (increased 1300 from July 2011) § • 16% unauthorised sites 1800 unauthorised development GT land (decreased 200) § 1400 unauthorised encampment not GT land (decreased 600 but with 540 us. due towith Essex festival in 2011) 7 Learn with us. Improve Influence us | www. cih. org §

What is housing need? • Strategic v individual and need v demand • Normative concept - judgement call about what is considered need on an acceptable standard • Decisions on priority basis? • Localised decision making now key through allocations process • But – in context of electability, political stability, local agendas and leadership … Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 8

Gypsy Traveller housing need • 3200 caravans on unauthorised sites in July 2012 • Doesn’t include those in housing who want to go back to sites • BUT: very small numbers in comparison to the need for 232, 000 properties a year overall • Hence difficult political picture for development of new sites but pressure to ‘deal with’ unauthorised sites Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 9

Localism Act 1 • Decision making locally through decentralisation • Bigger powers to communities § Could argue in giving power to LA and residents – this has taken away from GT communities • Removal of regional spatial strategies § § Loss of GT pitch numbers at regional/local level LA becoming seat of contentious pitch allocations/site delivery • Councillor role changed § Communication role between resident groups/neighbourhood fora increased but role between LA/GT groups not necessarily more visible Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 10

Localism Act 2: mechanisms • Neighbourhood planning § ‘To empower communities to have more say in development in their area’; local people taking an interest in planning, shaping what development looks like in their area and incentivised to accept increase in supply • Community right to bid and right to challenge § § Take over local community facilities assets of community value Allows community groups to challenge LA service delivery • Community right to reclaim land § Underused land by public bodies • Duty to cooperate - between councils/public bodies in plan making and engagement Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 11

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Gypsy Travellers • I’m sure the RTPI will say more on this… • GT planning site guidance published separately to main NPPF; not incorporated yet into main framework - but many of same principles Still need to engage GT communities in accommodation needs § 5 years worth of sites and more § 12 month transitional period before 5 year land supply must be demonstrated otherwise will be material consideration in temp planning permissions § Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 12

Clear government focus on private sector supply … • Clear government focus on private sector delivery of supply Montague report into institutional investment in PRS; § REITS real estate investment trusts for social housing; § Use of Pension funds for housing delivery; § Developers solving the housing crisis § • BUT… GT sites aren’t built by large scale house builders/developers, pension funds or investment vehicles so private sector influence on site design/planning/building/management is minimal Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 13

Potential mainstream housing policy and relevance for GT communities • What current areas of housing policy could GT community groups, LAs/housing providers look at to fund/build GT sites? Access to land via public sector land release schemes § Custom build/self build schemes § Increasing use of community land trusts (e. g. Wessex projects in Somerset and Mendip) § GT resident groups accessing empty property funding – homesteading/employment § Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 14

Training/good practice • What seems to be needed? Training in site design/management (LA/housing providers and community groups) § Training in understanding site GT culture (Councillors, planners, neighbourhood groups) § • 1) Level 3 national certificate in traveller site management and housing practice – CIH accredited • 2) Understanding GT culture/society - Housing EAcademy course • 3) Contentious spaces JRF/DMU 2007 Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 15

L 3 Nat Cert Traveller site management and housing practice • CIH accredited; offered by Ad. Ed Knowledge Company; • Norfolk successful programme 2011 • Who: site managers, GT community, stakeholders, LA, health, fire, police services (12 students) § No formal education requirements • What: 2 days a month for 6 months, • Covers: Grounding in history/culture, legislation and planning rights, access to services, ownership and management of sites, and site design Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 16

L 3 Nat Cert Traveller site management and housing practice • Outcomes: 2 students to further accredited learning; 1 full time employment; 1 self employment; • And increased understanding of GT needs by service providers, shared context • Needs funding and supporting by stakeholders – this one had funding from HCA, LA and statutory partners service providers (Fire/Police etc) • Previous programmes also similar outcomes! Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 17

Understanding Gypsy and Irish Traveller Identity in Society • 2 hour online course developed with Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (GATE) • Delivered by Housing E-Academy and Virtual College info@housingea. co. uk • www. housingea. co. uk/Gypsy_Irish. Travellers • Course covers: § Past/current and future issues; way of life; attitudes/media’ social and political context in UK • Who for: § Anyone with an interest in and wants to learn about Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org GT population 18

Providing Contentious Spaces • Providing Gypsy and Traveller Sites: Contentious spaces 2007 JRF/DMU/CIH • JRF bookshop - contentious spaces • CIH bookshop - JRF contentious spaces • Identifies case studies; management of sites; management of unauthorised sites; leadership issues in localities; consideration of new site development • Still relevant, still good practice Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 19

Contact • Sian Sankey, • CIH Policy Manager • Chartered Institute of Housing • Email: Sian. sankey@cih. org • Tel: 024 76 85 1741 Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www. cih. org 20