Purpose

Background
 
The pre-submission (Regulation 14) version of
the Thriplow and Heathfield
Neighbourhood Plan was subject to public consultation in
January-March 2023.
 
This version of the Neighbourhood Plan
includes Policy THP10 which proposes to allocate the grain store
site (located outside of the development framework of Thriplow) for approximately 20 homes, with at least
40% to be affordable homes to meet needs in the parish. The policy
sets out (in part b) that “People with a strong local
connection to Thriplow & Heathfield
parish, as defined in the glossary, whose needs are not met by the
open market will be given priority of allocation (be first to be
offered the tenancy or ownership of the home) of the affordable
housing (including any First Homes) provided on this
site.”
 
The glossary of the Neighbourhood Plan sets
the definition for ‘local connection’ as “An
applicant will be considered to have a strong local connection to
the Thriplow and Heathfield parish if
they meet one of the following criteria:
a) The applicant has worked (paid employment)
in the parish for the last 12 months for sixteen hours or more per
week; or
b) The applicant has lived in the parish for
at least 5 years out of the last 8 years; or
c) The applicant has family members who are
resident in the parish. Family members are defined as parents,
children or brothers or sisters who have been resident in the
village for a period of 5 years or longer. Other close family ties
will be considered in agreement with SCDC on a case by case basis;
or
d) There are special circumstances that SCDC
considers give rise to a local connection to the parish, for
example where the applicant’s substantive role is as a carer
to a person resident in the village.
Source: Used by SCDC housing team –
local connection criteria for rural exception sites.”
 
In line with the agreed scheme of delegation
for decisions relating to neighbourhood planning in South
Cambridgeshire, officers drafted a response to the public
consultation, and this response was signed off by the Joint
Director for Planning and Economic Development, in consultation
with the Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, through an out of
meeting decision.
 
In the response, in relation to Policy THP10,
it states in the first bullet point in paragraph 36: “Housing
Officers at SCDC cannot stipulate that these houses will be given
to local people in the same way we prioritise exception sites to
local people. The Affordable Rented portion (70% of the 40% of the
affordable housing) will be allocated to people who are on the
Housing register for the whole of South Cambridgeshire. This is in
contrast to exception sites where local people are given top
priority through a Local Connection Criteria. Point b) therefore
needs to be amended to reflect this approach. The justification for
this can be found in South Cambridgeshire’s Local Plan Policy
H/10 and the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy (Annex 5, Paragraph
2.1).”
 
In reviewing the Council’s response on
the pre-submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan, ahead of
finalising the submission version of the Thriplow and Heathfield Neighbourhood Plan, the
consultant working with the Parish Council has queried our
objection. She has outlined that the community have worked very
hard to bring forward an acceptable site and that its allocation is
supported by an extensive evidence base (including site assessment
and landscape led development brief) and extensive community and
stakeholder engagement work. She has also highlighted that one of
the drivers behind the community support is that it can help
address existing affordable housing need in the parish.
 
Considerations
 
Neighbourhood Plans must meet a number of
Basic Conditions to successfully make it through their plan-making
process, and therefore proceed to a referendum. The Basic
Conditions include that the Neighbourhood Plan has regard to
national policies and advice, and that the Neighbourhood Plan is in
general conformity with the strategic policies within the
development plan for the area.
 
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF,
published in December 2023) does not include any specific policy in
relation to the use or otherwise of local connection criteria for
affordable housing, except in relation to affordable homes
delivered on rural exception sites.
 
Policy S/7 (development frameworks) and Policy
H/10 (affordable housing) are both strategic policies in the
adopted South Cambridgeshire Local Plan (2018). Policy S/7 allows
Neighbourhood Plans to allocate sites outside the development
framework. Policy H/10 requires developments to provide affordable
housing to address housing needs.
 
When affordable housing is provided, in
accordance with Policy H/10, on allocations identified within the
adopted South Cambridgeshire Local Plan (2018) or other windfall
sites, this is to meet district wide needs.
 
Any additional allocations identified in
Neighbourhood Plans (i.e. sites that are not already Local Plan
allocations or sites with planning permission) will contribute
towards meeting district wide needs, however, they are generally
brought forward in response to an identified need within the
neighbourhood area. Within the Thriplow
and Heathfield Neighbourhood Plan, a specific requirement is
therefore included for the affordable homes provided on the grain
store site allocation to be targeted at those with a local
connection. 
 
The Thriplow and
Heathfield Neighbourhood Plan outlines that “A Housing Needs
Survey undertaken in Thriplow in
September 2018 identified 22 households in need of affordable
housing with a local connection to Thriplow parish.” and “Because of the
high level of affordable housing need in the parish, the policy
requires the affordable housing units are offered to people with a
local connection (see glossary) on a preferential basis.”
 
Local connection criteria are applied to
affordable homes delivered on rural exception sites in South
Cambridgeshire. 
 
Considering this issue and
making a decision now, rather than waiting for the next round of
formal consultation on the neighbourhood plan, will assist the
Parish Council in being able to take forward their plan.
 
Proposed
Response
 
Advise Thriplow and Heathfield Parish Council (and their
consultant working on the Neighbourhood Plan) that the Council no
longer object in principle to the requirement set out in part b of
Policy THP10 that requires local connection criteria to be applied
to the affordable homes on this development.

Content

That
the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development, having
liaised with the Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, agrees that the
Council no longer objects in principle to the requirement in
relation to local connection criteria set out in part b of Policy
THP10.