Decision details

To seek approval to consult on the draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) – setting out the Council’s approach to the delivery of affordable housing in the Borough.

The Council’s Corporate Strategy 2023-2029 sets out the priority to provide housing choices for the Borough residents.   The strategy recognises that the ratio between average house prices and earnings is higher in Fareham that the national average.

To address this, the Corporate Strategy sets out that the Council will continue to provide high quality affordable housing that offers choice to residents.  The Fareham Local Plan 2037 supports this priority through its Provision of Affordable Housing Policy, requiring development to include affordable housing in their delivery of homes.

The purpose of the Affordable Housing SPD is to enable the successful delivery of affordable homes through planning applications by way of providing further detailed advice and guidance on policy requirements in the adopted Fareham Local Plan 2037.

This report provides a draft of the Affordable Housing SPD and seeks approval to progress the draft document to statutory public consultation.  It is the intention to consult over a six-week period from 16 February 2024 following which the Executive’s approval to adopt the SPD will be sought.

RESOLVED that Executive:

(a)  approves the Draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document as set out in Appendix A to the report, for public consultation for a six-week period; and

(b)  agrees to delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Regeneration, following consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Development, to make any minor amendments to the document prior to the consultation.