Affordable Housing

POLICY H3: WINDFALL SITES - Development proposals for infill and redevelopment sites will be supported where:

a) They are within the Settlement Boundary of Glenfield;

b) They help to meet the identified housing requirement for Glenfield in terms of housing mix (Policy

H2);

c) They reflect the character and historic context of existing developments within Glenfield;

d) They retain existing important natural boundaries such as trees, hedges and streams;

e) They provide for a safe and suitable vehicular and pedestrian access to the site and any traffic generation and parking impact created does not result in a severe direct or cumulative impact on congestion or road and pedestrian safety unless appropriate mitigation measures are undertaken;

f) Adequate on-site parking is to be provided in line with Leicestershire Highways standards;

g) They do not result in an unacceptable loss of amenity for neighbouring occupiers by reason of loss of privacy, loss of daylight, visual intrusion or noise;

h) They do not reduce garden space to an extent where it adversely impacts on the character of the area, or the amenity of neighbours and the occupiers of the dwelling.; and

i) They do not include tandem development.

Affordable housing is defined in the NPPF (Annex 2) as “social rented, affordable rented and intermediate housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market”. The 2021 NPPF references ‘housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market (including housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership and/or is for essential local workers)’ and identifies four elements – affordable housing for rent starter homes; discounted market sales housing and other affordable routes to home ownership. The Planning Practice Guidance (PPG 2a-022) describes affordable housing need as being an estimate of “the number of households and projected households who lack their own housing or live in unsuitable housing and who cannot afford to meet their housing needs in the market.”

Affordability is a housing consideration for the Parish. The latest housing affordability data for England and Wales shows that on average, full-time workers could expect to pay an estimated 7.8 times their annual workplace-based earnings on purchasing a home in England and Wales in 2018. This affordability ratio has increased by 0.8% since 2017, but this change is not statistically significant, however, median house prices increased faster than median gross annual full-time earnings (the price paid for properties rose by 3.3% while earnings rose 2.6%).

The housing affordability gap continues to widen between the most and least affordable areas. In Blaby District, the gap has worsened with average house prices estimated at being 7.2 times workplace-

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