Housing, Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople

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Welcome

• Housing, Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling
  Showpeople

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• It is important to remember that this is only a
  Partial Review of selected elements of the RSS
  not a Full Review.
• It is not proposed to undertake a fundamental
  review of RSS.
• We will not be reconsidering the overall strategy
  and vision that RSS seeks to achieve these are
  agreed and will remain the backbone of RSS.
• The overall strategy and those elements of the
  RSS not included in the Partial Review are not
  subject to revision and will continue to be in
  place as a statutory part of the development plan
  system.

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Topics covered by the Review

• 3 key priorities
• Housing (inc revision of district housing
  numbers, housing market areas, affordability)
• Renewable energy
• Waste

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Topics covered by the Review

• Other issues
• Gypsies Travellers pitch provision by District
• Travelling Showpeople pitch provision by District
• Review of Regional Car Parking standards

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Timetable
These Stages Managed by Assembly Launch of RSS November 2007
These Stages Managed by Assembly Preparation of Project Plan October 2007 April 2008 (consultation Feb \ March 2008)
These Stages Managed by Assembly Technical / Research studies Spring 2007 - April 2008
These Stages Managed by Assembly Development of Options April May 2008 (targeted consultation June 2008)
These Stages Managed by Assembly Preparation of Draft RSS Policies (including targeted engagement on interim Draft Polices) July 2008 March 2009 (October November 2008)
These Stages Managed by Assembly Approval submission of Draft RSS to GONW March - April 2009
These Stages Managed by GONW Formal Public Consultation on Draft RSS May July 2009
These Stages Managed by GONW Examination in Public process Estimated August 2009 January 2010
These Stages Managed by GONW Panel Report Published Estimated April 2010
These Stages Managed by GONW Governments Proposed Changes to RSS Estimated April - August 2010
These Stages Managed by GONW Final RSS issued by Government Estimated December 2010
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SEA / SA Process

• Combined approach covering
• Sustainability Appraisal
• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• Habitat Regulation Assessment
• Health Impact Assessment
• Equality Impact Assessment
• Rural Proofing

• Integrated into one process covering 5 stages
• Stage A The production of an SA Scoping Report
• Stage B Developing and refining options
• Stage C Preparation of the SA \ SEA Report
• Stage D Consultation on the Revision and SA \
  SEA Report, led by GONW
• Stage E monitoring and responding to adverse
  effects

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Engagement

• High level political engagement via NWRA
  Executive Board and its successor organisation
  from July 2008
• Building upon best practice from previous reviews
  of RSS (also RES)
• Primarily web based though facility for those
  who cannot access IT to be involved via hard
  copy, dedicated freephone number etc
• Supplemented by workshops during June 2008 for
  options stage
• Working with CAG Consultants to deliver this
• Specialist techniques being developed to work
  with Gypsy Traveller and Travelling Showpeople
  communities
• Use of other techniques to raise awareness

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Beyond RSS - Towards a Single Regional Strategy

• Current Government Consultation on Sub-National
  Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR)
• Proposal to develop a Single Regional Strategy to
  replace RSS and RES with a Single Regional
  Strategy (subject to primary legislation)
• Assembly already working with NWDA colleagues on
  initial work to develop a Single Regional
  Strategy
• Work on Partial Review will form an input into
  Single Regional Strategy and not be abortive
• Proposed to give the Regional Development
  Agencies (RDAs) the responsibility for developing
  the Single Regional Strategy, working closely
  with local authorities and other partners. The
  statutory functions of Regional Assemblies with
  respect to the RSS would be transferred to the
  RDAs (subject to primary legislation)
• Assembly already working with closely with NWDA
  colleagues on Partial Review of RSS
• Until these proposals are implemented the RSS
  responsibilities will stay with the Assembly (and
  its post July 2008 successor body), which will
  continue with bringing forward the Partial Review
  of RSS.

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Any Questions?
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Homes for the Future
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Issues to be addressed - One

• Existing policy issues which need to be refined
• Overall housing provision
• Affordable housing provision
• Target for the re-use of previously-developed
  land
• Housing trajectory
• Lifetime Homes
• Code for Sustainable Homes

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Issues to be addressed - Two

• Additional policy issues which need to be
  reflected through the Partial Review
• Planning on the basis of Housing Market Areas
• Managing the release of land within and across
  Housing Market Areas
• Rural housing provision (affordable and market
  housing)
• Broad locations Growth Points and Eco-towns

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Issues to be addressed - Three

• Other Links
• Links with other policy areas being reviewed in
  the Partial Review
• Links with other policy areas not covered in the
  Partial Review.
• Links to cross cutting themes
• Links to other regional strategies
• Cross-boundary issues

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Issues to be addressed - Four

• Social, Environmental and Infrastructure
  Implications
• Social Implications
• Infrastructure implications
• Environmental Impacts

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Evidence Base - One

• Regional Strategic Housing Market Assessment
  (SHMA) for the North West.
• Provides a picture of each of the 27 housing
  market areas identified in the region.
• Looks at a number of scenarios exploring the
  level of housing growth which may be needed
  across the region over the period 2007 to 2032,
  driven both by demographic and by economic
  factors.
• The range of figures produced by the Regional
  Strategic Housing Market Assessment work is from
  around 24,659 to 30,329 average annual dwellings
  per annum.

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Evidence Base - Two

• The lower end of the range is close to the status
  quo position which continues the rate of at least
  23,111 dwellings per annum
• As a region we are required to test the advice
  provided to the Government by the National
  Housing and Planning Advice Unit.
• The higher end of the range set out in the
  Regional Strategic Housing Market Assessment work
  (30,329 dwellings per annum (average)) falls
  within the range that we anticipate will be
  covered by the NHPAUs advice (28,000 32,000)

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What has been decided?

• The target for the region will continue to be at
  least 70 on previously-developed land. set out
  how we will achieve a good mix of housing
• Set out the regions housing density policies
  including any target.
• Identify broad strategic locations for new
  housing developments and criteria test the advice
  provided to the Government by the National
  Housing and Planning Advice Unit
• We assume that all new housing provision will be
  built to Code for Sustainable Homes standards

• Set out by Housing Market Areas and Local
  Planning Authority areas in the North West
• Give the overall level of housing provision for
  the period 2007 to 2032.
• Give an affordable housing target for the region
  and each Housing Market Area
• Set a target for the proportion of housing
  development that will be on previously-developed
  land (PDL).

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Option A1.1

• Continue the level of overall provision set out
  in the Proposed Changes to Submitted Draft RSS
  at least 23,111 dwellings per annum (577,775 new
  dwellings over the plan period (2007 2032))
• Continue the existing spatial distribution
• Sub-region Spatial distribution Annual average
  dwelling requirement Overall provision 2007
  2032 (net of clearance replacement) North West At
  least 23,111At least

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Option A1.2

• Continue the level of overall provision set out
  in the Proposed Changes to Submitted Draft RSS
  at least 23,111 dwellings per annum (577,775 new
  dwellings over the plan period (2007-2032))
• Revised spatial distribution to increase the
  level of provision in rural areas

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Option A2.1

• The lower end of the range to be proposed by the
  National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU)
  in the region of 28,000 dwellings per annum
  (700,000 new dwellings over the plan period (2007
  2032))
• Continue the existing spatial distribution

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Option A2.2

• The lower end of the range to be proposed by the
  National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU)
  in the region of 28,000 dwellings per annum
  (700,000 new dwellings over the plan period (2007
  2032))
• Revised spatial distribution to increase the
  level of provision in rural areas

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Option A3.1

• The higher end of the range to be proposed by the
  National Housing and Planning Advice Unit - in
  the region of 32,000 dwellings per annum (800,000
  new dwellings over the plan period (2007
  2032))
• Continue the existing spatial distribution

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Option A3.2

• The higher end of the range to be proposed by the
  National Housing and Planning Advice Unit - in
  the region of 32,000 dwellings per annum (800,000
  new dwellings over the plan period (2007
  2032))
• Revised spatial distribution to increase the
  level of provision in rural areas

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Rural Housing Provision

• Option C1 Give no indication of the level of
  housing provision in rural areas
• Option C2 Give a figure for the level of
  provision to be made in settlements of less than
  10,000 population as part of the overall housing
  provision figure
• Option C3 Give a figure for the level of
  provision to be made in settlements of less than
  3,000 population and between 3,000 10,000
  population as part of the overall housing
  provision figure.

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Affordable Housing Provision

• Option D1 an absolute target (expressed as
  number of dwellings)
• Option D2 a proportional target (percentage of
  the overall housing provision for the region and
  each Housing Market Area)?

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Broad Locations

• Broad locations of any shortlisted growth points
  (which may include any or all of the following
  bids - Greater Manchester Liverpool / Wirral St
  Helens / Halton / Warrington Central
  Lancashire, Blackpool West Cheshire Carlisle)
  or future growth point or eco-town proposals.
• Housing Market Renewal Initiative Pathfinder
  Areas
• West Cumbria and Furness
• Lancashire Coastal Towns of Blackpool / Fleetwood
  and Morecambe
• Other urban areas in the Manchester and Liverpool
  City Regions in need of housing regeneration /
  market restructuring

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Any Questions?
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Issues to be considered

• Integral part of the wider housing agenda
• What is the difference between a site and a
  pitch? (or a yard)
• Results of a series of Gypsy and Traveller
  Accommodation Assessments (GTAAs)
• Transit sites

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Somewhere to live

• How legal sites offer a better physical
  environment for Gypsies Travellers (eg water,
  power etc) and access to services such as
  schools, doctors etc
• Benefits of closer integration with settled
  community, reducing isolation and marginalisation
  for Gypsies Travellers
• Benefits of access to services such as schools,
  doctors resulting in improvement of health, life
  expectancy for Gypsies Travellers
• Reduction in illegal camping improves the quality
  of life of every community
• Resource and costs savings for local authorities/
  police in enforcing and cleaning up illegal
  encampments.

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What has been decided

1. The RSS will specify pitch numbers required (but
   not their location) for each local planning
   authority (LPA), in light of the GTAAs conducted
   and a strategic view of need, supply and demand
   across the region is taken.
2. In order to adapt to current working and living
   patterns of Gypsies Travellers, the RSS policy
   will seek to promote the establishment of a mix
   of permanent and transit provision.

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Option One

• Use the results from the studies to distribute
  new provision based on the existing identified
  need where it arises basis.

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Option Two

• Use the results from the studies to distribute
  new provision based on the existing identified
  need where it arises basis and then modify the
  figures (upwards or downwards as appropriate) to
  ensure a minimum level of pitch provision in
  every district.

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Option Three

• Working with sub-regional partnerships and the
  Gypsy Traveller Community / the Showmens Guild
  agree a more balanced share of meeting need
  across districts, reflecting a wider range of
  factors other than solely the need where it
  arises basis.

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Any Questions?
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Next steps
Thank you