4. HOUSING

4.1. Justification of Part 1 Policy

4.1.1. In accordance with the approved Land Use Strategy for the UDP, Policy 4 identifies the requirement of 9950 new dwellings to satisfy the future housing needs of Bridgend County Borough in the period 1996-2016.

4.1.2. However, opportunity and fairness of choice should lie at the heart of that provision if all present and future residents of the County Borough are to be in a position to contribute to, and participate in, the prosperity and benefits which should accrue from its pursuit.

4.1.3. This means that the housing policies should be designed to improve access to transport, jobs, shops, leisure and other facilities and vice-versa, in order to advance those sustainable objectives, whilst taking account of, and where appropriate optimising, the potential offered by the substantial County Borough-wide stock of housing sites (many of which already have planning consents for development) which have been carried forward from the former development plan.

4.1.4. Redevelopment of appropriate brownfield and under-used sites within existing urban areas can be particularly beneficial in reducing the loss of greenfield sites for new housing and to prevent the unnecessary expansion of its towns and villages.

4.1.5. A five year residential land bank will constantly be maintained across the County Borough as a whole throughout the plan period.

4.1.6. Improvements to the existing housing stock, its conversion where suitable, and its replacement by housing of higher density, perhaps in mixed use developments or incorporating housing above retail premises where appropriate, can also contribute towards achieving the Plan’s sustainable aims. This will incorporate a fair choice of location, tenure, and variety of housing (including affordable housing) for all residents, and those pursuing new employment prospects in the County Borough.

Part 2

4.2. Introduction

4.2.1. The provision of an adequate choice and supply of satisfactory housing is a basic human need, and presents major demands on the use of land. It is therefore a key topic area to be addressed in the Unitary Development Plan.

4.2.2. It is recognised that changes in social trends are creating new pressures for housing to suit different lifestyles. These changes have been taken into account in the formulation of the land use strategy for the UDP which promotes the limited dispersal of housing development to the main urban areas of the County Borough, wherever possible on redundant or under-utilised urban land, whilst optimising the use of committed housing sites consistent with the principles of sustainable development. Whilst such a strategy is unlikely to generate the same economies of scale which might have accrued from a concentration of growth on only one or two of the County Borough’s main settlements, it nevertheless provides for the appropriate reuse of brownfield sites and under-used sites in those main urban areas and for that growth to be dispersed in a manner which should help to conserve and enhance the local environment.

4.2.3. The consideration of environmental sustainability in its widest sense, is of ‘over-arching importance’ in the UDP for the assessment of all development proposals or proposed changes of use of land or buildings. Applying this principle to the release of housing land for development means that land should be located where it will reduce the need to travel, and where it will facilitate or encourage the use of alternative modes of transport to the car. The 2002 Housing Needs survey will inform the Local Housing Strategy and should foster local solutions to social needs rather than create new, or exacerbate existing, problems in environmental terms.

4.2.4. Another focus of the UDP’s strategy is on urban regeneration. The re-use of appropriate previously used, under-used, or disused land within the main urban settlements for housing will assist in limiting the loss of countryside for greenfield developments. Typical day to day journey lengths will tend to be shorter from housing sites within the main urban areas, and are more likely to be possible by public transport, walking and cycling. Community and other facilities are also usually more accessible in towns and some smaller settlements, and an increase in the local populations can assist in keeping those facilities viable. It should be noted however that not all brownfield, or under-used urban sites may be suitable for future housing, e.g. some may be required for other planned purposes, whilst others may have become naturally re-vegetated with consequent and future local importance to biodiversity.

4.3. Housing Needs

4.3.1. Bridgend County Borough’s population has grown almost continuously over the past forty years, however that level of growth has not been uniform over the period. In the 1960s, the population increased by 11%, whereas growth has been more modest since then marginally decreasing between 1991 and 2001. Nevertheless, the area’s population has continued to grow overall, rising from 108,950 in 1961 to 128,700 in 2001.

4.3.2. According to the 2001 Census 35.5% of the population is accounted for in the main child bearing age groups of 18 - 44.

4.3.3. In-migration has had a significant influence in the past. Major improvements to the area’s infrastructure, for example, the construction of the M4 motorway in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, and prestigious inward investment projects by the Ford Motor Co., and Sony, created many high quality, well-paid employment opportunities which boosted the attractions of Bridgend, as a near neighbour to Cardiff, to in-migrants. Those inward investments bolstered the pre-existing local demand for additional housing in the area, and was satisfied to a substantial degree by the development of new residential areas e.g. the eastward expansion of Bridgend town at Brackla, and the extension of existing residential areas in other towns e.g. the progressive expansion of Porthcawl which also attracted people seeking retirement.

4.3.4. The projection methodology used to calculate the housing requirement, households and population of the County Borough incorporates a migration element that would account for ongoing regional and local factors which could influence future levels of in-migrant growth in the County Borough, e.g. the possible implications of an implemented Green Belt around Cardiff, and the realisation of the full potential of Cardiff Bay. The resultant in- migration element of the population projection is considered to be a realistic scenario for future overall population and household growth in the County Borough.

4.3.5. As a result of the Council’s projected overall housing requirement and resultant household change, the County Borough’s population is projected to rise to 140,355 by 2016.

4.3.6. This growth, coupled with national trends to form smaller households, produces an increase of 10,143 households, between 1996 and 2016.

4.37. This corresponds with a dwelling requirement of 9,950 between 1996-2016. Completions 1996-2000 have now reduced this requirement to 7,957.

4.4. Housing Sites

4.4.1. LOCATION OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

4.4.2. Policy H1 is in general accord with the Land Use Strategy of the UDP, which states that there shall be provision for an additional 9,950 dwellings in the County Borough in the period 1996 - 2016. Allowing for completions 1996-2000, there remains a residual requirement of 7,957 dwellings for 2000 – 2016. Policy H1 makes provision for 97.6% of this requirement providing for the whole range of dwelling types, whilst maintaining opportunity and fairness of choice for present and future residents in all parts of the County Borough.

Remaining Commitments (2000)

4.4.3. Development plans and UDPs are intended to provide a firm basis for rational and consistent decisions on planning applications and appeals). In this respect, substantial areas of housing land were identified in the Ogwr Borough Local Plan, many of which have extant planning consents for development. The Local Plan was adopted in 1995 and provided for the construction of 7,240 dwellings from 1991 - 2006. Many of those sites, remain either partially, or wholly undeveloped. Foremost among them are the two major sites to the South West and North East of Bridgend, now known as Broadlands, and Parc Derwen respectively, whose total capacities for development were previously acknowledged to extend beyond the Local Plan period.

4.4.4. All of the Local Plan sites have been monitored and re-assessed. This reveals that whilst most of them should be carried forward to the UDP, a substantial minority are agreed by the Residential Land Availability Group to have serious constraints which may have discouraged significant interest being shown in them by developers. For example, some sites have been found to be susceptible to ground instability, others are hampered by access difficulties or possible ground contamination, while a small number are affected by other infrastructural constraints or are liable to, and/or may exacerbate flood risk. These sites have been excluded from Policy H1 except where suitable mitigation measures, and/or where the Council is confident that those constraints can be overcome by Planning/Highway Agreements, to enable them to stand a realistic prospect of being implemented within the UDP plan period.

4.4.5. On this basis, remaining commitments in 2000 will provide for the ongoing development of 5,049 dwellings in the County Borough, which represents 64% of the target housing provision to be made in Policy H1. This places a clear restriction on the ability of the Authority to shift the balance of new residential development substantially towards ‘brownfield’ sites in this first UDP. Nevertheless, the development of all sites in Policy H1 will contribute towards improved access to public transport, jobs, shops, leisure and other facilities, whilst generally advancing the Council’s sustainable objectives.

New Housing Allocations

4.4.6. The Government advises local planning authorities in Wales to address the scope and potential for rehabilitation, conversion, clearance and redevelopment when considering suitable sites for future housing development.

4.4.7. Whereas the Government has specified an overall target in England for 60% of new dwellings to be built on ‘brownfield’ or ‘previously developed land over the next ten years, there is no similar specified target for Wales; however it is recognised as an issue which should be addressed, especially in UDP preparation.

4.4.8. Several opportunities for new residential development have already arisen in the County Borough since the adoption of the former Local Plan, most of which present development opportunities within the main urban settlements of Bridgend, Porthcawl and Maesteg; or have emerged through regeneration strategies. The new housing sites, it is estimated, should provide for an additional 2717 dwellings.

4.4.9. Nearly all of these new sites either fall into the definition of previously developed land (as defined by Planning Policy Wales) or utilise under-used land within the urban areas of the main settlements. All of the new sites are in accordance with the search sequence advocated by Planning Policy Wales and are therefore suitable for inclusion in Policy H1. The proportion of new housing that will be built on previously developed land within the new allocations is estimated at 65%.

4.4.10. Given the substantial number of remaining commitments which have to be carried forward, the Council considers that it will be establishing a robust and sustainable framework upon which the housing policies at the First Review of the Plan can build.

Development Briefs

4.4.11. Four remaining commitments, and a significant proportion of the new housing sites in Policy H1, will require Development Briefs and/or appropriate Planning or Highway Agreements to be agreed with the County Borough Council prior to development. This will provide the opportunity for the Council to secure with developers/landowners the appropriate level of relevant infrastructural requirements, improvements to local facilities, and/or improvements to the local transport network, in accordance with Part 1 Policy 22.

4.5. Residential Land Availability

4.5.1. LAND AVAILABILITY FOR HOUSING

POLICY H2

A FIVE YEAR LAND BANK FOR HOUSING WILL BE MAINTAINED IN BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH THROUGHOUT THE PLAN PERIOD.

4.5.2. It is Government policy that Local Planning Authorities ensure that sufficient land is genuinely available, or will become available, to provide a 5-year supply of land for housing judged against the general objectives and the scale and location of development provided for in the development plan. To be genuinely available those sites must be free, or readily freed, from planning, physical and ownership constraints, and be capable of being developed economically, in areas where people want to live, and they must be suitable to provide for the full range of housing types. Policy H2 ensures that this long-standing policy of successive Governments will continue to be achieved through the implementation of the UDP.

4.5.3. Residential land availability is monitored on a Unitary Authority basis annually by the WDA Land Division and agreed with the Local Planning Authority.

4.6. Additional Housing Sites

4.6.1. WINDFALL AND SMALL-SCALE HOUSING IN MAIN SETTLEMENTS

POLICY H3

IN ADDITION TO THOSE SITES IN POLICY H1, “WINDFALL” SITES, AND SMALL-SCALE SITES, UP TO, AND WITHIN, THE DESIGNATED BOUNDARIES OF THE MAIN SETTLEMENTS OF:-

ABERKENFIG
BLAENGARW
BRIDGEND
BRYNCETHIN
BRYNMENYN
CAERAU
KENFIG HILL
MAESTEG
NANTYMOEL
NANTYFFYLLON
NORTH CORNELLY
OGMORE VALE
PENCOED
PONTYCYMMER
PORTHCAWL
PRICETOWN
PYLE
SARN
TONDU

WILL BE PERMITTED FOR HOUSING.

4.6.2 SMALL-SCALE HOUSING IN SMALLER SETTLEMENTS

POLICY H4

SMALL SCALE SITES UP TO, AND WITHIN, THE DESIGNATED BOUNDARIES OF THE SMALLER SETTLEMENTS OF:-

BETTWS
BLACKMILL
CEFN CRIBWR
COITY
COYCHURCH
COYTRAHEN
EVANSTOWN
GLYNOGWR
HEOL-Y-CYW
KENFIG
LALESTON
LEWISTOWN
LLANGEINOR
LLANGYNWYD
MAWDLAM
PANTYRAWEL
PENYFAI
PONTRHYDYCYFF
PONTYRHYL/LLUEST
SOUTH CORNELLY

WILL BE PERMITTED FOR HOUSING.

4.6.3. The settlement strategy adopted in the UDP confirms that already established and adopted in previous Structure and Local Plans for the County Borough.

4.6.4. The term ‘main settlement’ derives from the original Mid Glamorgan County Structure Plan (1979). This was determined according to the extent and size of the built-up area, which is considered to be a reasonable expression of the physical and functional unit it represents. ‘Main settlements’ are listed in Policy H3 and range in population from over 35,000 down to 3,000 people as enumerated in the 1991 Census.

4.6.5. ‘Smaller settlements’ are those defined in Policy H4, all of which had populations in 1991 of less than 3,000 people. As in the case of the ‘main settlements’ in the County Borough, they are considered to be sufficiently and reasonably served by existing community facilities, utility services and employment opportunities. They are therefore capable of supporting further development and growth in their population proportional to their existing size in a manner consistent with the Preferred Land Use Strategy of the UDP and the principles of sustainable development; and which will not result in environmental harm (including encroachment/sporadic development into the countryside).

4.6.6. Windfall Sites are defined as unallocated sites of 10 or more dwellings generally situated within the main settlements as defined by Policy H3. They may include sites which rationalise surrounding land uses and do not result in environmental harm. Windfall sites may also include the restoration / conversion of existing buildings and / or the re-use of vacant or underutilised land, the detailed assessment to which will be subject to Policy H5.

4.6.7. In order to assess the contribution that windfall sites can make to future housing provision in the County Borough, it has been necessary to monitor such consents over the lifetime of the adopted Ogwr Borough Local Plan. Such a monitoring exercise was undertaken between 1995 and 2000 and reveals an average completion rate of 20 dwellings per annum, which equates to 320 additional dwellings contributing to future housing provision between 2000 and 2016.

4.6.8. Small scale sites are defined as those accommodating less than 10 dwellings, and may occur in main and smaller settlements. A small scale site will include an “infill site” which is defined as a site flanked by existing development within a substantially built up frontage, or a “limited rounding-off site”, which would constitute a site whose development would extend an existing built-up area in a manner which rationalises surrounding land use and does not result in environmental harm. Small scale sites may also include dwelling increases due to appropriate restoration, conversion of existing buildings (including the sub division of existing residential property and the re-use of vacant or underutilised land, the detailed assessment of which may be subject to Policy H5.

4.6.9. Small-scale sites are closely monitored by the Local Planning Authority on an annual basis and published by the WDA Land Division. Based on an annual completion rate on small-scale sites over the past 10 years, the UDP assumes a further contribution of at least 50 dwellings per annum over the 16 year period 2000-2016, thereby providing an additional 800 dwellings to the future housing supply.

4.6.10. New build housing development on windfall and small-scale sites within the specified settlements of the County Borough will be generally favoured under Polices H3 and H4, however this will still be subject to detailed planning considerations being satisfied for specific development proposals.

4.6.11. In addition to those housing allocations identified by Policy H1, subject to detailed matters being satisfactorily addressed, the realisation of windfall and small scale sites will broaden the choice and location of future housing in the County Borough, and when added to the other opportunities for the conversion of appropriate rural buildings, and new developments necessary for the purposes of agriculture, forestry etc. will ensure a satisfactory provision of housing.

4.6.12. In assessing the County Borough’s overall housing supply, the UDP assumes an average annual housing demolition programme of approximately 21 dwellings per annum. On this basis the future supply of housing between 2000 and 2016 is as follows: -

4.6.13. In accordance with Environment Policy EV13 proposed new housing developments which intensify pockets of development or scattered hamlets in the countryside i.e. settlements which are not listed as either ‘main’ or ‘smaller’ settlements in Policies H3 and H4, and/or those which extend into, or lie wholly within, the countryside will not be permitted.

4.7. Residential Conversions and Re-use of Buildings or Land

In Urban Areas

4.7.1. This section of the UDP addresses the scope for conversion, changes of use, clearance and rebuild, and rehabilitation of the existing (including empty) dwelling stock of the County Borough. Policy H5 stipulates criteria for the detailed assessment of such housing proposals in urban areas.

4.7.2 URBAN RESTORATION/CONVERSION OF BUILDINGS FOR HOUSING

POLICY H5

IN URBAN AREAS, AS DEFINED IN POLICIES H3 AND H4, DETAILED PROPOSALS FOR THE RESTORATION OR CONVERSION OF EXISTING BUILDINGS AND VACANT FLOORSPACE, OR THE RE-USE OF VACANT OR UNDERUTILISED LAND FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE PERMITTED, ONLY WHERE:-

1. THE FORM, BULK AND DESIGN OF ANY RESTORED OR CONVERTED BUILDINGS ARE IN KEEPING WITH THEIR SURROUNDINGS;

2. THE CHARACTER, DESIGN AND MATERIALS OF EXISTING OR ADJOINING BUILDINGS ARE RESPECTED, PARTICULARLY WHERE THEY HAVE ARCHITECTURAL, HISTORIC OR GROUP VALUE;

3. RESIDENTIAL AMENITY IS NOT COMPROMISED;

4. THERE IS SATISFACTORY PROVISION FOR ACCESS, PARKING, UTILITY SERVICES AND AMENITY SPACE.

4.7.3. It is the aim of the Council that everyone living or needing to live in the County Borough has a home which is both fit, and affordable. The wider importance of good housing to determining the ‘quality of life’ and the contribution it can make to good health, educational opportunities, community spirit, controlling criminal behaviour, job prospects and personal development are now well recognised and are highlighted in the Council’s 2003 Housing Strategy/ and Crime Reduction Strategy 1999/2002. The former strategy concentrates on how best to meet people’s housing needs and, it recognises that the housing agenda, particularly in Wales, has shifted from a focus on ‘volume new build’ to considering how best to maintain and preserve the fabric of existing communities by promoting community regeneration. This shift in emphasis is welcomed and is wholly consistent with the need to establish more ‘sustainable communities’ in the County Borough. It is therefore an aim of the UDP to co-ordinate the findings of the Housing Strategy and the 2002 Housing Needs Survey which will identify specific local and social needs, and thereby provide for an adequate range of housing, especially through urban regeneration and renewal.

4.7.4. Policy H5 seeks to optimise the use of the existing housing stock in urban areas, and to assist its restoration and conversion to more immediately needed forms of housing. It also supports the use of other suitable land and buildings to maximise new housing opportunities within the communities in the County Borough where they are most needed.

4.7.5. The conversion of other buildings to residential use may also be supported. Many shops or offices in the established commercial areas of the County Borough have vacant or under-used upper floors, and residential conversions will not only make more efficient use of the building(s) but also can assist in maintaining the vitality and viability of the area, and can contribute towards reduction in local crime. Access and car parking provision in such areas should accord with the Council’s new standards as set out in its revised Supplementary Planning Guidance which particularly reflects Welsh Planning Guidance that car parking requirements in town centre locations will be sensitively adapted to the particular circumstances of those areas.

4.7.6. The conversion of properties in urban areas is eminently sustainable as existing property is thereby reused, the development of ‘greenfield sites’ is reduced, whilst accommodation is provided within the existing community where it is most needed and most accessible to local facilities, affordable to future residents - especially the young or displaced, and where extended commuting patterns for many can be avoided.

4.7.7. Conversions of existing buildings, however, will not be favoured where they will result in significant detriment to either the character of the existing building or its locality, or to the services and amenities enjoyed by existing residents and neighbours. Further guidance on the conversion or restoration of existing buildings, and/or the re-use or rehabilitation of land and buildings in urban areas can be obtained from the Council’s published Supplementary Planning Guidance on this matter.

In the Countryside

4.7.8. In the countryside, the situation with respect to new-build, and the replacement of existing dwellings, is quite different from that pertaining in urban areas. Policy EV1 defines the countryside as being .....that area of land lying beyond designated settlement boundaries, and in view of the constant pressures for development there, and the value placed on the countryside, a robust planning framework is necessary to protect it for its own sake. Policy EV1 therefore restricts any development in the countryside in accordance with national planning policies. Hence, new housebuilding or other development, including the replacement of existing dwellings, away from the designated settlements is strictly controlled in the UDP, and is the subject of the appropriate Environment Policies EV1 to EV8. Functional and financial tests are advocated to clearly establish any need for new dwellings, whereas, temporary agricultural or forestry accommodation is advocated to initially prove viability, and any consequent need for new dwellings. Government guidance in Wales is clear to point out that such agricultural needs do not include provision of new dwellings as retirement homes for farmers.

4.7.9. Similarly, all development for the conversion, extension or rehabilitation of buildings for residential purposes in the countryside will be strictly controlled in accordance with the detailed requirements of Policy EV2 and Policy EV6.

4.8. Housing Density and Design

4.8.1. The UDP acknowledges Government guidance as contained in Planning Policy Wales and Technical Advice Note 12: Design, that good design should be the aim of all those involved in the development process. Proposals which affect the built or natural environment (including construction or alteration of individual buildings and groups of buildings together with their settings), and larger development proposals, should exemplify what is commonly and/or professionally regarded to be ‘good design’. Such measures will assist in the promotion of sustainable development; improve the quality of the existing environment; attract business and investment; reinforce civic pride and sense of place; and may secure continued public acceptance for necessary new development. (See Environment - Section 3.17).

4.8.2. Good design is therefore particularly relevant in the development of new housing. The appearance of the proposed development, its scale and relationship to its surroundings are all material planning considerations, but the UDP should give clear indications of the Council’s design expectations. In this respect, Policy EV45 does not seek to impose any particular architectural style or taste on individual development proposals, rather, it seeks to promote or reinforce local distinctiveness, and to set a framework for the Council’s Supplementary Planning Guidance for the design of all new development - including housing.

4.8.3. The Government points out in its Good Practice Guide: Planning for Sustainable Development: Towards Better Practice (October 1998) that:-

Maintaining and raising residential.....densities can help towards achieving more sustainable urban areas.

Planning Policy Wales also encourages higher densities on easily accessible sites, although development will need to be carefully designed to ensure a high quality environment.

4.9. Affordable Housing Provision

4.9.1 ‘AFFORDABLE HOUSING’

POLICY H7

WHERE A LOCAL NEED IS DEMONSTRATED, THE COUNCIL WILL EXPECT AN APPROPRIATE ELEMENT OF ‘AFFORDABLE HOUSING’ TO BE PROVIDED ON SUITABLE SITES CAPABLE OF ACCOMMODATING 15 OR MORE UNITS OR EXCEEDING 0.5 HECTARES IN SIZE. SUCH AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE USE OF APPROPRIATE PLANNING CONDITIONS AND/OR OBLIGATIONS/AGREEMENTS AND/OR THROUGH CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN THE COUNCIL, DEVELOPERS AND REGISTERED SOCIAL LANDLORDS.

4.9.2. In acknowledging that there is a need to provide for a reasonable mix and balance in size and type of housing in its urban settlements, the Council also recognises the community’s need for ‘affordable housing’, which should therefore be addressed in this UDP.

4.9.3. The Council adopts as its definition of ‘affordable housing’, or ‘affordable homes’, that which is set out in detailed Welsh Planning Guidance, namely:-

..... both low cost market and subsidised housing (irrespective of tenure, exclusive or shared ownership, or financial arrangements) that will be available to people who cannot afford to occupy houses generally available on the open market.....
(PG(W) TAN(W)2 Para.5 refers).

4.9.4. There should therefore be no confusion between the terms ‘social housing’ and ‘affordable housing’ as referred to in the UDP. ‘Social housing’ refers specifically to ‘subsidised’ housing provided by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) but does not include ‘low cost market housing’. The strategic thrust of the UDP is the dispersal of new housing developments primarily to the main urban areas, and to regenerate redundant or under-used land and buildings in those areas, thereby satisfying both the Guiding Principle of sustainable development and the Housing Objectives set out in para 2.2.2. earlier. It is important to recall at this point, however, that sustainable development incorporates .....the need for social progress which recognises the needs of everyone. In this respect, the Council recognises how fit and ‘affordable housing’ can be a cornerstone in determining the quality of life of its residents, and it recognises that a need for ‘social housing’ will remain as long as there are people who cannot, or choose not to, enter the private housing sector in the County Borough.

4.9.5. The Council is committed in its Local Housing Strategy to providing more affordable housing within the County Borough to meet local needs by pursuing a standardised approach.

4.9.6. In order to demonstrate the need for affordable housing within the County Borough the Council has undertaken a Local Housing Needs Assessment, which was prepared in accordance with, the publication ‘Local Housing Needs Assessment: A Good Practice Guide’ by the Welsh Office (May 1999) and ‘Local Housing Needs Assessments: A Guide to Good Practice’ by the DTLR in July 2000. The 2002 survey estimates that for the next 5 years there is a shortfall of 234 affordable homes per year, and that an affordable housing target level of up to 40% on suitable sites could be justified. Of the identified shortfall, the survey also indicates that the greatest need is for 1 and 2 bedroom units. The survey provides the Council with a significant amount of evidence to negotiate with developers for a proportion of affordable housing on suitable sites. The site thresholds identified in Policy H7 is justified by the significant level of identified need and reflects the most up-to-date Planning Guidance published by the ODPM. Data from the survey indicates that on a geographical basis the greater shortfall of affordable housing is located in the south of the County Borough within the study’s southern market area.

4.9.7. Policy H7 is therefore framed to reflect the most up-to-date planning guidance contained in TAN(W)2 ‘Planning and Affordable Housing’ (November 1996) (paras. 14-19 refer) and the good practice advice referred to above. As advised, both planning conditions and obligations/agreements may legitimately be used by the Council, where justified, to achieve the development and use of land that ensures:-

• A mixed development that would contribute to the identified need for affordable housing; and

• That some of the housing built is occupied, either initially or in perpetuity, only by people falling within particular categories of need for affordable housing…(TAN(W)2 (para. 14 refers).

4.9.8. Contractual arrangements which are legally binding will also be used by the Council with the aim of securing an appropriate long term local provision of ‘affordable housing’ in the communities in greatest need in the County Borough. Further guidance on this matter is contained in TAN(W)2 which will assist the Council in achieving this aim.

4.9.9. On the basis of past demands, and the findings of the Housing Needs Assessment the Council anticipates that the greater provision of future ‘affordable housing’ will continue to be made in the ‘main urban areas’ as defined in Policy H3 of the Plan as there has been very little locally expressed concern or identified short fall relating to the provision of affordable rural housing in the County Borough. This is hardly surprising, as much of the County Borough is relatively urbanised in character, and consequently no part of its countryside lies more than 4 to 5 miles from a ‘main’ urban settlement. The Council considers that there is already sufficient scope for the provision of affordable housing to meet the urban and/or rural needs of local people throughout the County Borough principally within the main urban areas as defined in Policy H3, and in limited circumstances, where justified by the Housing Needs Assessment within the smaller settlements defined by Policy H4. Affordable housing will not be permitted in the countryside outside settlement boundaries unless necessary for the purposes of agriculture. In such rare instances, suitable agricultural occupancy conditions will be applied in addition to those conditions/ contractual arrangements to secure the dwelling’s continued ‘affordability’ in the longer term.

4.9.10. Policy H7 will ensure that ‘affordable housing’ development meets the same high standards which will apply generally to new housing developments as provided for in Policies EV45. In this respect, the Council acknowledges that higher densities should be encouraged on easily accessible sites, whilst a quality environment should be secured through careful design of development.

4.10. Residential Caravans and Gypsy Sites

4.10.1. Unitary Authorities no longer have a statutory duty to provide and manage gypsy sites. However, they should still indicate what regard they have had to meeting gypsies’ accommodation needs by making adequate provision for sites in their UDPs and by including a criteria-based policy which will enable gypsy site proposals, which may come forward, to be considered in the appropriate manner.

4.10.2 GYPSY SITES

POLICY H8

ANY NEW SITE TO ACCOMMODATE GYPSIES RESIDING IN, OR RESORTING TO, THE COUNTY BOROUGH WILL BE PERMITTED ONLY WHERE IT:-

1. HAS REASONABLE ACCESS TO SHOPS AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES;

2. AVOIDS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT;

3. IS COMPATIBLE WITH NEIGHBOURING LAND USES;

4. IS CAPABLE OF BEING ACCESSED SAFELY FROM THE HIGHWAY NETWORK AND BE CONVENIENTLY SITUATED FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT;

5. IS ACCEPTABLE IN TERMS OF THE CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE PROVISION OF UTILITY SERVICES; AND

6. IS CAPABLE OF BEING SCREENED AND SUITABLY LANDSCAPED TO A STANDARD COMPATIBLE WITH EITHER ITS URBAN OR RURAL SURROUNDINGS.

4.10.3. Neither Bridgend County Borough nor the former Ogwr Borough have been an area in which any sizeable numbers of gypsies have resided, or resorted to, in recent years. However, Policy H8 is intended to provide broad guidance for development of gypsies sites in the future. The policy is based on similar policies which have been found to be acceptable in previous Structure Plans in Wales, and includes a number of criteria to guide site evaluation.

4.10.4. In accordance with Policy H8, a site should therefore have a reasonable chance of being used, (i.e. be sited usually in an area traditionally used by gypsies). This will inevitably mean that it should not be remote from the strategic highway network. In addition, it should be conveniently located for retail and community services (including schools) and be regularly served by public transport. The site should also satisfy other transportation requirements e.g. it should not give rise to traffic hazards and have safe access to the highway; whilst close proximity to residential development should be avoided where possible. The site should not be located in such a way as to give rise to conditions unsuitable for residential development, particularly with regard to the effects of neighbouring land uses. The site must also be capable of being supplied with utility services at a reasonable cost. In some circumstances a countryside location may be acceptable where an urban option is both unavailable and unacceptable. In all cases, a site must be acceptable in terms of environmental conservation and landscape protection, and it must be capable of being properly screened.

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