Issue and Options 2023
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Results for Warwickshire County Council [Learning and Achievement] search
New searchThis approach will provide investment certainty and ensure that we can continue to grow the local economy. If existing allocations are not included, we will need to find alternative sites across South Warwickshire to meet our employment needs.
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Although the HEDNA provides a good basis for older people housing with care projections of future demand, we feel it is limited in its reliance on POPPI projections. We don’t believe any interaction with the county council took place to input into the HEDNA in terms of need for working age adults and specialised accommodation. To identify the future need of those with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, autism and sensory issues we suggest that this also considers WCC information on demand or need from the operational social work teams. For this local plan it would be positive to see partnership work between the district/borough housing authorities and the county council for future planning and projecting need for housing with care across the south. The county council do have opportunity to provide data and oversight of the demand being seen from operational social work teams regarding gaps in provision and where the demand sits across the south of the county. It is important to ensure that housing need and commissioning messages about housing with care are being aligned in local housing plans and county council commissioning strategies. WCC would also welcome a revised approach to the S.106 local connection criteria. This heavily prioritises a local connection, and while WCC recognises the importance of this for many of the people it supports, it is contrary to the wider reciprocal arrangement approach to housing across England to support those experiencing Domestic Abuse. WCC would welcome further engagement on this criterion to find a solution which both protects local housing for local needs, but also recognises the absolute need for reciprocal housing arrangements for those experiencing Domestic Abuse.
South Warwickshire Local Plan should seek to meet the local requirements for affordable homes (ideally between 30-40%). This should be done in partnerships with Housing Teams to ensure key local needs are met. Affordable homes should be included on a mixed site with privately owned homes, as this reduces exclusion and encourages integration within the community. In addition, there is a need for developing more 1-bedroom accommodations and bungalow provision to meet housing needs. Currently, Warwickshire County Council Energy Efficiency Rating is similar to the England average. [energy efficiency comparison chart presented here] The Warwickshire Director of Public Health Annual Report 2022 has made several recommendations to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities in Warwickshire. The recommendations are framed around the themes of housing, food, and transport to address the causes of poor health and wellbeing. Warwickshire Public Health request consideration into the development of new affordable homes as highlighted in the DPH 2022 report: “R.2 I recommend that housing, planning and health leads work together to prevent ill health caused by poor housing and living conditions. This should include a commitment to preventing new homes from being built with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of less than C and working with private and public landlords to ensure existing homes have an EPC of C or above and are mould free.” Implementation of the recommendations will rely upon the concerted efforts of key partners across health and care and the wider determinants of health. Warwickshire’s County Council Promoting Health and Wellbeing through Spatial Planning reports that “Marmot’s recommendations also remind us of the need to reduce health inequalities and mitigation of climate change and this is achievable through the improved energy efficiency of housing across the social gradient. This should result in a reduction in fuel poverty in deprived areas and a decrease in energy related emissions, which should help tackle climate change”. https://democracy.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/s2123/04%20Appendix%20A.pdf In summary, homes that are energy efficient and well insulated will have a positive impact on overall living conditions and the health and wellbeing of individuals whilst being kinder to the environment.
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Public Health Warwickshire encourage well designed places that are easy to navigate by foot (and for cycle). In addition, Warwickshire Public Health encourage the use of measured miles signage to encourage people to actively travel. Warwickshire County Council Promoting Health and Wellbeing Through Spatial Planning highlights that “poorly designed places that lack connections can stop many vulnerable people from leaving the home for example, due to fear of crime in public spaces, or fear of traffic and may be a barrier preventing elderly people from reaching services and community groups (Allen, 2008)”. https://democracy.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/s2123/04%20Appendix%20A.pdf Promoting safe access for pedestrian and sustainable transport provision for older residents is encouraged and supported. The Warwickshire Count Council Spatial Planning reports that pedestrians are one of the most vulnerable residents (and the largest) in terms of both real and perceived threats to their safety and personal security; and the quality of the local environment is of importance to pedestrians, and most particularly to children and older people, especially those with a health condition or specialist needs. Access to key services Design and layout can facilitate direct, convenient, and safe walking routes to town centres, green spaces, local neighbourhoods, health centres, hospitals, libraries, local shops, services and public transport facilities. Warwickshire Public Health encourage accessibility for people living with a disability and consider the Department of Health’s Dementia Friendly design principles. Warwickshire County Council Promoting Health and Wellbeing Through Spatial Planning highlights that, although people are living longer, they are spending much of their additional time in poor health. Opportunities to develop social networks and participation in communities can act as protective factors against cognitive decline and dementia for those over 65 (Fabrigoule, 1995). Those who are social isolated are between two and five times more likely to die prematurely when compared to those with strong social ties (Marmot, 2011) Consideration is encouraged given the ageing population of South Warwickshire that is set to continue and that a wide range of specialist types of housing is provided across South Warwickshire to accommodate older people that have a disability and / or a specialist needs.
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Q-H2.2: Option H2-2a or Option H2-2c. It would not seem useful to have different policies for the two LPA areas when this is a combined Local Plan. Q-H3: Option H3c: We feel that consultation with the population is essential to the development of plans. The County Council is currently carrying out a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) of the care and accommodation needs of older people. For awareness the JSNA is not a consultation document. We suggest that the findings are considered in planning for South Warwickshire. As part of this, we would want the plan to be informed by trends in the uptake of different kinds of support (e.g., Domiciliary Care at home; ECH; Care Homes etc) and in the unmet need and service gaps. Partnership working across district and county council is critical to success. We recommend that we continue to develop and maintain strong working relationships and strategic alignment to explore housing with care needs and the future planning needs. This would ensure housing with care developments are in line with other developments and plans for the local area. Housing with care covers both specialised supported housing and extra care, we note that in the consultation documents there is little reference to specialised supported housing and to people with disabilities. We recommend this is looked at in the remit of housing with care within the local plan and this should also be extended to include, for example but not limited to, those with mental health issues as this is an area of growing demand. Housing with care schemes for people with disabilities would clearly have the majority of spaces built to Building Regulations M4(2)/M4(3) standards. WCC has noted that the HEDNA does not specify details regarding the housing needs for other people with support needs e.g., Safe Accommodation, Learning disabilities, Autism, Mental Health, care leavers etc. WCC would therefore be happy to be involved in the later stages of the consultation to influence representation of these areas. There is strong evidence to suggest that poor space standards in housing can have an adverse impact on health and wellbeing. Therefore, a proportionate baseline would be that all new homes should be built to Nationally Described Space Standards, and a reasonable proportion M4(2 and 3). Again, WCC would welcome engagement on this at a later date as to what would be an appropriate proportion. Broadly aiming for both H3b and H3c would be a sensible ambition. E.g., H3c as a target, and H3b as the fallback position if developer viability demonstrates that only a proportion/ no M4(2 and 3) homes can be delivered. Q-H5: Option H5b seems to be the most deliverable. Q-H6: Options H6a and H6c seem to be the most deliverable.
WCC would like to better understand if any requirement to meet the Birmingham and Black country HMA (housing market assessment) shortfall would apply to specialist supported housing needs, and if so, then request an opportunity to engage further on this and related questions.
Any additional housing requirement should form part of the overall housing number. Growth to be located as close as possible to the overspill area.
