Local Plan Regulation 18 - Housing mix

4.38 There is a particular need in this borough for more family sized housing (three or more bedrooms), particularly affordable housing. The Council's emerging Family Housing Strategy seeks to increase the amount of family housing available to all people in housing need in the borough for both affordable and market tenures.

4.39 The LHNA identifies a significant need for one and two-bedroom social rented homes. This reflects the large number of single-person and couple households in need of affordable housing. Furthermore, the LHNA projects an increase in single person households and couples without children. While the LHNA identifies a high modelled need for one and two-bedroom social rent homes, the council's Housing Register however shows a significantly higher proportion of households requiring two and three-bedroom homes. Additionally, the LHNA identifies that overcrowding remains an issue, particularly in the social rented sector, where 7.7% of households are overcrowded, often due to a lack of suitably sized family homes. The proposed housing mix therefore balances the long-term modelled need with the immediate, evidenced demand from the housing register. The amounts set out in the policy are approximate and will be negotiated on a site-by site basis, noting that some sites may be more appropriate for families with children, particularly sites with safe access to amenity and playspace, than other sites that are in town centres where access may be more difficult. For social rented homes larger than one bedroom, it will be important for accommodation to come in a variety of sizes and bedrooms to assist in meeting housing needs. For example, with two-bedroom low cost rented homes, the council will encourage developers to provide half of these with capacity for four persons (with the other half for three persons). The same approach should be applied to three-bedroom properties with 50% being capable of accommodating five persons and six persons and so on for larger properties. Although there is a recognised need for larger house sizes in the intermediate housing market, costs of larger units can mean that the level of subsidy required to make three or more-bedroom dwellings affordable can make it difficult to achieve a higher proportion of the other affordable family dwellings. In addition, the council's LHNA has identified a high need for 1 and 2-bedroom properties. Therefore, the focus of the policy is on one and two-bedroom dwellings whilst ensuring that schemes should also include larger family homes. As set out within the policy, this will be negotiated on a site-by-site basis.

4.40 The Council also seeks to encourage a greater provision of family homes within the market sector. Market housing should provide for a variety of home sizes and opportunities for family as well as non-family households to purchase new housing in the borough as set in the policy. The council's LHNA has identified a need to support a range of household types within the sector. Since property investors prefer to invest in smaller properties, the requirement to provide family homes within the private market will also serve to discourage overseas property speculation.