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In preparing a strategic vision for an area every local authority should have in place four key things, Local Strategic Partnership, Sustainable Communities Strategy, Local Area Agreement and Local Development Framework.  If affordable housing is a critical issue in your district, the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) will highlight this as a priority and the local authorities housing strategies and planning policies should have been created to be in effect the detailed delivery mechanisms for affordable housing.

What are Local Strategic Partnerships?

Local strategic partnerships (LSPs) bring together local councils, other public sector agencies, the business sector, and the third sector – voluntary and community organisations. They are non-statutory partnerships, established over the past decade in each local authority area in England.

LSPs have a significant leadership role in their area. However, this does not mean the same in every area, as LSPs vary in how they see their role and go about their business. It is for the LSP, working with the local council, to decide how far this role should be developed.

The basic principles of the framework for local strategic partnerships are:

1)      Local councils have broad ‘community leadership’ responsibilities for their area, extending to all public services – this wider role for local government has become common ground between the main political parties.

2)      Ideas of ‘leadership of place’ and ‘place shaping’ have gained prominence; LSPs are expected to play an active part in joining up otherwise fragmented public services.

3)      Local area agreements (LAAs) have created a more meaningful role for LSPs and a new framework for collaboration throughout the public sector and between central and local government.

4)      Total Place thinking and inevitable reductions in public expenditure add a new urgency to the tasks facing LSPs

Diagram 2:  The place shaping agenda

What is in a Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS)?

The SCS sets out the overall strategic direction and long-term vision for the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of a local area – typically for 10 to 20 years.  It is prepared by local partners – the Local Authority and Local Strategic Partnership.  This document will set out the overall priorities for housing within your area, market and affordable.  It will contain each local authority’s housing strategy, and if prepared at a sub-regional level a sub-regional housing strategy representing all the local authorities in that sub-region.

The real value of the Sustainable Communities Strategy is as a vehicle for consulting with local people and key partners on the long-term priorities for an area and it will contain the following elements:

1. the long-term vision based firmly on local needs – this will be underpinned by a shared evidence base informed by community aspirations
2. key priorities for the local area, based upon this vision which may realistically be achieved in the medium term – these will inform the strategy’s delivery agreement – the local area agreement (LAA)

It also provides a policy framework for several other planning processes

1. Providing the framework for the three-year outcomes and targets for the LAA.
2. strategies at a higher geographic level, such as sub-regional plans or multi-area agreements (MAAs)
3. setting the ‘core strategy’ for the local development framework (LDF) – the spatial and land use plan for the area

What are Local Area Agreements?

Local Area Agreements set out the ‘deal’ between central government and a local area and as such, is the shorter-term delivery mechanism for the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS).  It is agreed between central government and a local area (the local authority and Local Strategic Partnership) and other key partners.

LAAs are a more devolved form of local governance moving decision making away from a ‘Whitehall knows best’ philosophy.  Comprehensive Area Assessments (CAAs) are a new inspection framework for local government and as well as ‘use of resources’ assessment focussing on the council itself,  there is also an ‘area assessment’ looking at how well the whole area is working together to achieve the priority outcomes that the LSP has identified in the LAA.

Central Government and the local area agree on up to 35 targets from a list of 198 national indicators which central government has identified. The LAAs simplify some central funding, help join up public services more effectively and allow greater flexibility for local solutions to local circumstances.

Within the LAA, Local Authorities will have committed to certain targets or indicators that will measure their performance.  A number of these targets relate to housing provision, affordable and market.  The ones most likely to be within your area’s LAA are:

NI 154: Net additional homes provided

NI 155: Number of affordable homes delivered (gross)

NI 156: Number of households in temporary accommodation

NI 158: % non-decent council homes

NI 159: Supply of ready to develop housing sites

NI 160: Local Authority tenant’s satisfaction with landlord services

What are Multi-Area Agreements?

In some areas you will hear that a multi area agreement is in place.  Multi-area agreements (MAA) are designed to be cross-boundary local area agreement (LAA). They bring together local partners (local authorities and LSPs) in neighbouring authorities to agree in partnership priorities for the wider area.  The major issues that MAAs can tackle include, housing market imbalances, transport and infrastructure projects and economic development.

‘Total Place’ thinking

When talking about the new ‘place shaping agenda’ for local authorities,  you may also hear mentioned ’Total Place Thinking’.

The ‘Total Place’ Initiative is a pilot programme looking at how public money is spent in a local area and how it can be used more efficiently to improve local services. One of the intended outcomes of the project is to explore ways in which business, voluntary and public sector bodies can work together to provide a wide range of public services under one roof.

£5 million is being invested in 13 areas which were chosen by the former Communities Secretary to pilot the initiative following trials in Cumbria and Birmingham. The pilots consist of two-phases. Firstly, to bring leaders together from all public sector bodies to agree the needs of the area, the services to be provided and the levels of public spending. Secondly, working groups will explore ways to overcome organisational and cultural barriers to improvement.

Local area agreements (LAAs) set the targets that local strategic partnerships (LSPs) are working together to deliver. Total Place is a new initiative that looks at how a ‘whole area’ approach to public services can lead to better services at less cost. It seeks to identify and avoid overlap and duplication between organisations – delivering a step change in both service improvement and efficiency at the local level, as well as across government.

Local Development Framework (LDF)

A Local Development Framework is a collection of planning documents prepared by your local planning authority to outline how they will manage development and land use in your area including delivering affordable housing, how much and where.  All these documents should be available from your local planning authority.  LDFs were introduced by, ‘The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004’ and are in effect a new ‘two-tiered’ plan system, where the regional spatial priorities have to reflect the local spatial priorities:

TIER 1:  Regional Spatial Strategies

Setting out a broad spatial planning strategy for how a region should look in 15 to 20 years time and possibly longer.

TIER 2: Local Development Frameworks

The LDF is a folder of local development documents prepared by district councils, unitary authorities or national parks that outline the spatial planning strategy for your area. The Local Development Framework, together with the Regional Spatial Strategy, will determine how the planning system will shape your community and as regards affordable housing the numbers of properties to be built and where.

In terms of planning requirements at a local level, as regards provision of affordable housing, the planning documents (some or all) included in an LDF are:

A Core Strategy – containing a policy setting out the intent to deliver affordable housing through the planning system.  This should comprise a percentage target of affordable housing in line with that set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy and a threshold for affordable housing on new developments related to local circumstances.

Development Plan Documents (DPDs) – Local Development Documents (LDDs) setting out the key development goals of the LDF that have been agreed after public consultation and examination by an independent planning inspector.

Supplementary Planning Document – provides more detail on affordable housing requirements and the mechanisms your local authority has in place to deliver housing through the planning process.

Proposals Map – highlighting particular housing market pressures faced by local authorities in delivering affordable housing.

Area Action Plans – highlight areas where significant change or conservation is needed, e.g. regeneration, detailed affordable housing requirements including mix and tenure.

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) – this sets out how the public will be involved in the process of preparing and reviewing all LDDs and other development control decisions.

Go to Part V: Enabling affordable housing at a local level?