AMT Public

This section details Action for Market Towns recommendations to improve supply of affordable housing within market towns and future research required.  With a general election looming and England hopefully emerging from a recession, we are in a period of change.

We would welcome your experiences in developing affordable housing within your market towns;

• Working with housing associations and private developers;
• Source of funding in addition to Homes and Communities agency grant and housing association finance that you have been able to access to develop affordable housing;
• Arrangements for community participation in shaping the planned development;
• Examples of specialist accommodation provided within market towns that have serviced the town itself and the rural hinterland.

In preparing this Policy into Practice paper there are a number of recommendations relevant to organisations working to improve affordable housing supply in market towns.  These include national government and their regional partners, local authorities and registered social landlords and individual residents and community groups concerned about the future growth of their community.

Assumed level of knowledge

Within the majority of guidance and advice in relation to affordable housing and the planning system, there is an assumed level of knowledge which is above the level of knowledge that perhaps practitioners working on the ground have in this policy area.  There has been significant change in government’s approach to enabling housing and planning policy following most notable the Barker Review and Taylor Review.

We would ask that future guidance is created in an approach with does not discourage community members from wishing to find out more.

Master planning

The Taylor review called for a different approach to developing affordable housing within rural communities and we would support and encourage this approach.  Master planning is a process to map a strategic vision and plan for development that takes into account not just the buildings, spaces and street plans but also the social and environmental contexts of the community to provide a plan for achieving a fully shaped place.

In preparing their Sustainable Community Strategies we would ask that local and regional authorities adopt this approach for all communities where housing supply is to be targeted.

Partnership working

Effective partnerships are not necessarily those with the responsibility to enable affordable housing (local authorities, RSLs, HCA, Regional Assembly and private developers) and need to include all sections of the community from business interests to organised community groups.

We would ask for all projects to increase or regenerated housing supply that a stakeholder analysis is undertaken that incorporates all interested parties.  This in turn should inform community participation practices as regards housing development and regeneration.

Effective community participation

The Taylor review noted ‘Enquiry by Design’, a process developed by the Princes Trust to help communities understand and shape what new and existing communities want from development.  The event would be undertaken during the course of the design process bringing together relevant information about the site and sets out to harmonise this with the aims and aspirations of the community.

We would ask ‘Enquiry by Design’ becomes standard practice and seeks to involve all interested stakeholders.

Willingness to accept change

A sustainable community is often referred to as one which is socially, economically and environmentally vibrant.  In achieving a sustainable community the concept of change has to be accepted.  If guidance and advice was more targeted at practitioners and community residents living or working within market towns, it would help to alleviate the barriers caused by the concept of ‘what is the hidden agenda’.

We would ask town councils and market town residents to become involved in the decisions affecting their community, not simply when a planning application goes in, but in shaping their areas when local authorities seek to involve residents.

Go to Part X:  Useful websites