Land Economics and Planning - Report Example

Land economics and planning The metropolitan area of Medway is known as a modern place surrounding by green spaces and splendid quality of life. The government has recognized Medway as a project developing area. Situated in Kent of the South-East England, Medway is build up by the towns of Rochester, Strood, Gillingham, Chatham, Rainham and the Hoo Peninsula. It is run by Medway Council, which is a unitary authority that provides all the government services to the residents of the Medway.   At present the Medway is practicing development in high levels but in providing the services and facilities to the residents of Medway there are some deficiencies. For improving the key facilities and services to the residents, government has strategized that new development has to be sustainable so that it can provide more capability and new amenities and facilities in assembling the requirements of the residents. (Guide to Developer Contributions, March 17th, 2010).  Medway Council has required many development contributions on behalf of the developers for its residents in terms of the affordable housing policies. By affordable housing scheme it is argued by the council that the developers have to contribute towards development of social rented housing and intermediate housing that would be provided to the specified eligible households as market cannot support their needs. For development of new housing the council has specified the minimum limit of the site of development as the site area should be at least half of a hectare. The area should able to provide 15 or even more units. The council has set a objective of minimum 25% affordable housing complex in total residential units in a site. In accordance with the development proposals and the need of the identified housing in a site area, Housing strategy and Development team of the council is liable to determine the types and sizes of the units so that it can recommend the early occupants. A part of the units needs to be built in such standards so that the users of wheelchair can easily access the benefit. Prior to producing the designs and detailed layouts of a plan, developers need to consult with the Housing Strategy and Development Team. In Midway, the council is looking for housing units in an affordable way in the ratio of 40 percent, 30 percent, 20 percent and 10 percent in case of one-bed, two-bed, three-bed and four or five bed units successively. For promoting an incorporated and sustainable society, it is required that unlike to concentrate in a single area affordable housing units needs to extend all over the developed area. For identification of the planned distribution of the affordable housing units, an affordable Housing Plan is required before the submission of thorough applications. (Affordable housing - information for developers, March 17th, 2010; Developer contributions, March 17th, 2010) In case of design of housing, the council needs from the developers that their proposed schemes should be formed in such a way that these will meet or even may go beyond the quality standards and design of Housing Corporation. It is required from the developers that they must keep it in mind that at least two percent of housing has to be designed and built according to the standard of the user of wheelchair across the area of the site. It has been clearly mentioned by the council that all the developments on the site have to use modern construction methods and should obey the council’s specified standard for internal space. The minimum space standards for housing complex has been specified by the council as for one bed and two person the size has to be 45 to 55 square meter, for two bed and three persons it should be 60 to 65 square meter, for two bed and four persons the size should be 70 to 75 square meter where as for three bed and five persons and four bed and six persons the sizes are required to be 80 to 85 square meter and 90 to 110 square meter respectively. In case of the larger sites the developers will be responsible to choose the spot where the affordable housing will be located. However, in this case the developer should choose the spot for developing affordable houses which are near to the local bus routes and local facility areas. The land for those purposes will be provided to the developers without any impediment with the progresses of the development. On the question of delivery the council requires that in a site at least 70% of the affordable housing complex of all housing construction should be completed. If the site capacity has been changed, the Medway Council is responsible to take decision for construction of affordable housing and for planning the level for that. Keeping in view of overall development, the council will decide about the amount of contribution of a developer toward construction of affordable housing. When the price of the land will be negotiated, the developers have to keep in mind about the development costs and in this regard they may contact the ‘Housing Strategy and Development Team’. A developer will be confirmed about its contribution towards housing when the decision will be taken on the application. A discussion will be held between the ‘Housing Strategy and Development Team’ of the council and the developers. (Affordable housing - information for developers, March 17th, 2010; Developer contributions, March 17th, 2010).   The council seeks the provision of free service on the site boundary of the land of the affordable housing from the developers at the time of their negotiation with the council for their share of construction of housing. These services include provision of electricity, water, lighting, telephone facility, gas etc. to the edge of the site those are needed for overall infrastructural development such as facilities like roads, boundary walls, footpaths etc. All these facilities have to be provided at the land border and it is expected from the developers that there would not be any legal or financial or even any physical barrier toward servicing of the land with all the services. The price of the built house should not reflect such free land services of the developers. The council will decide for valuations of the affordable housing in which case the developers will fail to meet all the conditions and obligations of the affordable housing schemes. In this context, the developers required to be ready for discussion on the diverse cost components of their designs with the Medway Council and they have to meet the council’s independent judgment on the cost components of their plan which they have proposed to the council.    The Medway council has evidently declared that the quantity of the affordable housing for the Medway residents will be decided according to a site’s net residential area. However a recalculation will be done regarding the requirement of the affordable housing for changing an area used for other purpose into a residential area. So the developers are required to be prepared for any subsequent changes that may take place for construction of the affordable housing for the residents of the Medway. The council can change the contributions of the developers if they think that necessary for overall development of the Medway society. (Guide to Developer Contributions, March 17th, 2010).   The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) has been planned to secure funding through which the local establishments in England as well as Wales will be allowed to charge on almost all types of new development. The income from this levy has been designed for overall development of the area by spending on local infrastructure. Adopting this levy, the Medway council can improve certainty and firmness for developers regarding their contribution what they will be asked to do. Along with this, CIL will help in increasing equality by the expansion of the array of developments that will be asked to the developers to contribute. Besides, with the levy of CIL the council can address the collective impact of the small developments in a better way. So the levy of CIL will not only improve to develop the infrastructural facilities in the Medway region that the Council is liable to provide the residents of the society, but also improve the accountability of developers. For this the developers have to provide all the detailed and necessary schemes in support of the CIL when they submit their affordable housing proposal to the Council. Therefore, if the Council wishes to adopt CIL for Medway, then the developers have to tactfully modify their proposal in such a way that can insist the Medway authority for giving them permission for developing the affordable houses. (Heighton M and K Johnson, February 15th, 2010; The Community Infrastructure Levy, (n.d.); Infrastructure Planning and the Community Infrastructure Levy, Planning Officers Society Advice Note, (n.d.); Planning Obligations (planning gain or planning contribution), (n.d.); The Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010, 6th April, 2010).     However, it may happen that the plan lay out of a developer for the development of housing in the area of Medway has been rejected by the Medway Council. To make their proposal acceptable to the authority in a sustainable way, the developers are required to submit an Affordable Housing Plan (AHP) to the council. For this they should agree to provide at least 25% affordable housing throughout the whole area of the site along with all the provisions of types and sizes of the housing given the council. The housing should be so designed that a ratio of 60 to 40 will be maintained for occupancy ownership of affordable housing in the area of all sites. From the part of the developers affordable housing should be so provided that they will agree a six month advance contract for the provision of the whole site. However, they can do this during the occasion of phasing. This provision is required to be agreed for all the subsequent phases six month before of commencing of their development. However, both these provisions should not be mutually exclusive, rather they should be mutually inclusive. Even the provisions should not be detrimental for the provisions of the affordable housing for the total site. For getting the approval of the ‘Housing Strategy & Development Service’ of the council, the developers should present their scheme with the intention of showing the affordable homes in two different colours that will reflect the two different reasonable residences by a plan layout  or by a floor plan if the homes are flats. The developers need to propose floor plans and a list of floor areas for their planned homes on the basis of total occupancy. The developers should clearly depict the location of their planned affordable homes on the area of their site plan that they will agree with the council. As a final commitment the developer is to provide written evidence that the scheme has been reviewed and evaluated thoroughly and meets both the design and quality standard of the affordable houses cited by the Medway council.                             References: 1. “Guide to Developer Contributions” (March 17th, 2010) Medway Council. available at: http://www.medway.gov.uk/final_approved_guide_may_08.pdf 2. Heighton M and K Johnson: (February 15th, 2010), “United Kingdom: New Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 Published”, CMS Cameron Mckenna, mondaq. available at: http://mondaq.in/article.asp?articleid=94054 3. “The Community Infrastructure Levy” (n.d.) Communities and Local Government. available at:  http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/communityinfrastructurelevy.pdf 4. “Infrastructure Planning and the Community Infrastructure Levy, Planning Officers Society Advice Note” (n.d.) Planning Officers Society Available at: http://www.planningofficers.org.uk/media/www/documents/Infrastructure-Planning-and--CIL-Advice-final-220209.pdf 5. “Developer contributions” (March 17th, 2010) Planning, Environment, Medway Council. Available at: http://www.medway.gov.uk/index/environment/planning/s106.htm#guide 6. “Affordable housing - information for developers” (March 17th, 2010) ,Housing strategy and development service, Housing, Medway Council. available at: http://www.medway.gov.uk/index/housing/housingstrategy/64758/65638.htm 7. “Planning Obligations (planning gain or planning contribution)” (n.d.)  .docstoc. available at: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/29653365/Planning-Obligations-%28planning-gain-or-planning-contribution%29 8. “The Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010” (6th April, 2010), Community Infrastructure Levy, England And Wales, OPSI. available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/draft/ukdsi_9780111492390_en_1 Read More