CHAPTER 7 - REVITALISING THE HOUSING MARKET
INTRODUCTION
7.1 Delivering sufficient additional new homes in Middlesbrough is central to achieving the Core Strategy’s spatial vision of a wide range of housing opportunities in sustainable communities. It will be essential to Middlesbrough’s future economic prosperity, and of the Tees Valley city region, that these homes are provided in a variety of locations which offer a wide choice of high quality housing in terms of style, size and tenure, in order to meet the needs and aspirations of current residents and future migrants. New housing needs to complement the comprehensive package of measures proposed to restructure the housing market, including the selective demolition of housing that no longer meets modern aspirations, improvements to existing dwellings and to the environment. The introduction of these measures across the Tees Valley will need to be co-ordinated to ensure that the problems associated with market failure and a declining population are addressed adequately to the benefit of the success of the city region.
HOUSING REQUIREMENTS
7.2 The RSS Panel Report identifies a requirement of 6,800 dwellings for Middlesbrough for the period 2004 to 2021. This is a net figure and does not take into account proposed demolitions. As Planning Policy Statement 3 requires Local Development Documents to set out a 15 year housing supply from the date of adoption, the annual housing requirement in the RSS for 2016-21 has been projected forward to 2023. Table 7.1, below, identifies the gross housing requirement once demolitions have been taken into consideration.
7.3 The demolitions figures allow for 80% of those dwellings cleared to be replaced. This represents the approximate proportion of dwellings that are occupied at the time that the clearance programme is identified. Demolitions for the first phase, 2004 to 2011, can be identified with a degree of certainty. It is not possible, however, to identify with the same level of certainty demolitions for the remaining phases. These figures have been estimated having regard to the best information available at the time.
Table 7.1 Gross housing requirement 2004-2023
| 2004-2011 | 2011-2016 | 2016-2023 | TOTAL | |
| RSS net | 3,080 | 2,325 | 1,960 | 7,365 |
| Demolitions | +1,817 | +694 | +112 | +2,623 |
| Gross requirement | 4,897 | 3,019 | 2,072 | 9,968 |
HOUSING STRATEGY
7.4 Middlesbrough is a borough with significant housing challenges, inter alia:
- a declining population and longstanding trends of out migration to neighbouring areas;
- neighbourhoods with an unbalanced housing stock and housing markets that, despite rises, have not kept pace with the region or UK as a whole;
- major challenges around the future of older housing and areas of social housing decline;
- a significant emerging pipeline of development and regeneration opportunities; and
- a developer-driven demand for development of flats and apartments when the market is untested and aspirations research suggests demand is for more traditional accommodation.
7.5 In shaping this strategy, it must be recognised that significant progress has already been made in defining the shape of the approach, through the development of a series of ambitious proposals and projects for transforming the housing opportunities in many neighbourhoods. It is not a case of starting from scratch. However, this borough-wide strategy does provide the opportunity to draw the strands together, set them in context and help determine future priorities. The LDF therefore seeks to co-ordinate the successful restructuring of Middlesbrough’s housing market through the housing strategy. This identifies character areas of the town for particular forms of housing development and investment, whilst protecting the environmental character of existing buoyant market areas. The strategy reflects the Council’s development priorities as set out in policy CS1 and is derived from the Housing Regeneration Strategy (2006).
7.6 The neighbourhoods identified in this strategy reflect the significant differences that exist in the town, each offering different opportunities and challenges. North Middlesbrough, including Middlehaven and the town centre, provides the opportunity to deliver the environmental and market change necessary to support a high quality city-style urban/waterfront living. This will provide an important strand in the strategy to address population decline and foster growth in economic prosperity.
7.7 The emphasis in the inner urban areas will be upon restructuring and improving the housing market to deliver vibrant urban living and the creation of sustainable communities. These are areas where demand and sustainability are considered to be most fragile. The majority of properties are pre-war terraced houses, with the population being among some of the poorest and deprived in the area.
7.8 West and south Middlesbrough contain some of the town’s most affluent and sought after residential locations. Even in these areas there are pockets of housing in need of improvement. The overall strategy here is to focus on consolidating the success of neighbourhoods and managing the transition into maturity, including addressing some problems of peripherality and less popular housing types.
7.9 East Middlesbrough is an area of largely social housing, generally uniform in terms of tenure and house type, but pocketed with right-to-buy homes and some alternative property types. Demand in this typology is regarded as holding up, but with higher levels of vacancy than in other areas of social housing, and with some significant underlying socio-economic problems that threaten long-term sustainability, even if current social housing demand remains reasonable. There are limited housing opportunities for those with higher incomes. The strategy in these areas is to direct regeneration activity and investment in social housing, and further diversification of the housing stock to create a more sustainable community.
7.10 The last area identified is Greater Hemlington. Hemlington itself is an area where social housing predominates but is balanced by a sizeable proportion of private stock. Socio-economic circumstances are mixed, with some areas experiencing significant problems. This area also contains Hemlington Grange. The strategy here is to provide new housing that meets the aspirational needs of the population of Middlesbrough, and which is integrated with the regeneration of the existing Hemlington Estate.
7.11 Taken together, the strategies for the individual neighbourhoods will help to deliver the balanced housing market needed to achieve many of the spatial objectives and vision identified in this Core Strategy. The SA/SEA of the Issues and Options Report gives strong support to this strategy approach of regenerating older housing areas with some greenfield development to support population growth.
POLICY CS9 HOUSING STRATEGY
The housing requirements of the Regional Spatial Strategy will be provided in locations that are in general accordance with the development priorities identified in policy CS1. The strategic locations for meeting this requirement, and their phasing, are as follows:
| 2004-2011 | 2011-2016 | 2016-2023 | |
| Gross completions (up to 1 January 2007) | 996 | - | - |
| Commitments (up to 1 January 2007) | 2,452 | 350 | - |
| Housing allocations – strategic locations Greater Middlehaven Greater Hemlington Inner Middlesbrough/Grove Hill |
500 190 238 |
1,015 375 86- |
1,265 215 150 |
| Requirement for non-strategic housing allocations | 521 | 419 | 442 |
(all figures are gross additions to the dwelling stock)
The Council will work with partner organisations to ensure that the above housing requirements are provided in a manner that delivers a balanced and sustainable housing stock to meet the current and future needs of the population. This will be achieved through:
- supporting housing market restructuring and resisting those proposals that will prejudice its delivery;
- increasing the supply of housing to meet the aspirations of the economically active population;
- focusing investment and remodelling to transform areas of less popular housing stock;
- providing a wider range of housing types including more higher value dwellings and city-style urban living;
- consolidating and building upon the success of popular neighbourhoods; and
- seeking to accommodate a minimum of 70% of new housing development on appropriate, previously developed ‘brownfield’ housing sites.
This translates into the following strategy for different neighbourhoods/areas.
Greater Middlehaven
- creation of a high quality waterfront residential development;
- creation of a city-style living environment; and
- high density and quality residential development such as apartments and town houses.
Town Centre
- creation of a high quality environment to assist in establishing city-style living, and
- high density residential development such as apartments and town houses.
Inner Middlesbrough Older Housing and Grove Hill areas
- new housing to meet aspirational needs and create a sustainable and balanced mix of housing;
- housing and environmental improvements;
- where necessary, to support the creation of a balanced housing stock,
- within the Whinney Banks area - new housing to meet aspirations and create a sustainable and balanced mix of housing;
- selective increase in housing density around transport nodes;
- any new development will be of a high quality and density appropriate to the location; and
- apartments will not be allowed unless they are part of a larger scheme and required to create a sustainable mixed community.
West and South Middlesbrough
- maintain the quality of life through protecting existing high environmental quality of the areas;
- within the Whinney Banks area - new housing to meet aspirations and create a sustainable and balanced mix of housing;
- selective increase in housing density around transport nodes;
- any new development will be of a high quality and density appropriate to the location; and
- apartments will not be allowed unless they are part of a larger scheme and required to create a sustainable mixed community.
East Middlesbrough
- invest in sustainable social stock;
- diversify tenure and mix to create a more balanced housing stock;
- selective increase in housing density around transport nodes; and
- apartments will not be allowed unless they are part of a larger scheme and required to create a sustainable mixed community.
Greater Hemlington
- new housing to meet aspirational needs and create a sustainable and balanced mix of housing;
- creation of a sustainable urban extension of high value, high quality, mix, type and tenure housing; and
- apartments will not be allowed unless they are part of a larger scheme and required to create a sustainable mixed community.
Proposals for residential development that do not support this strategy will not be allowed.
This policy has been superseded by the Housing Local Plan
1 766 units at phase 1 Middlehaven have outline permission and are actually commitments. For clarity, these units have been shown in strategic allocations.
7.12 The housing trajectory on the previous page demonstrates the expected completions of net additional dwellings from existing commitments (as at 1 January 2007) and from the three strategic housing allocations identified in policy CS9. There is a projected shortfall of 1,382 dwellings up to 2023 compared to the RSS Panel Report allocation. This is spread between the phases as 521 in 2004-11, 419 in 2011-16 and 442 in 2016-23. Housing sites will be allocated in the Regeneration DPD to meet this projected shortfall.
7.13 The previously developed land (PDL) housing trajectory (also on the previous page) demonstrates that completions from existing commitments and the three strategic allocations are projected to exceed the targets for recycling of housing land that are set out in the RSS Panel Report for the sub-region (70% by 2008) and the region (75% by 2016). The additional housing allocations in the Regeneration DPD will be phased to ensure the RSS recycling targets are met.
7.14 The Council will use a ‘plan, monitor, manage’ approach to ensure that the housing requirement and previously developed land targets set out in the RSS Panel Report are achieved. The Council will monitor annual housing completions; the number of dwellings granted planning permission; the number of dwellings demolished and the proportion of completions and commitments on previously developed land through the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR). A full list of housing based monitoring is set out in chapter 14.
7.15 The monitoring process will be used to inform the scale of additional sites that need to be brought into the five year supply of deliverable housing, and the type of site. This five year supply will be updated annually through the AMR based on the following scenarios:
i
If the overall housing target is being achieved but the PDL target is not being achieved, additional PDL sites will be advanced from later phases into the five year supply of sites. If the level of PDL completions drops below 55% between 2008-16 and 60% between 2016-21, the following additional actions will be taken:
- the Council will consider intervention measures to assist the delivery of PDL sites, including land assembly through assisting existing occupiers to find alternative sites and the use of compulsory purchase orders;
- restrict planning permissions on greenfield sites, where this would not impact on achievement of the overall housing target; and,
- where there are no additional PDL sites to be brought forward into the five year supply, a partial review of the housing allocations in the Regeneration DPD will be undertaken.
ii If the PDL target is being achieved but the overall housing target is not being achieved, additional sites will be advanced into the five year supply with priority being given to sites which can be delivered in the shortest timescale. Where the level of expected overall housing completions is likely to fall below 20% of the target in any phase, the following additional actions will be taken:
- the Council will consider measures to assist the delivery of sites, including land assembly through the use of compulsory purchase orders;
- where there are insufficient sites to be brought forward into the five year supply, a partial review of the housing allocations in the Regeneration DPD will be undertaken.
iii If the overall housing target is being exceeded by over 20% in any phase, planning permission for additional housing development in that phase will not be permitted.
7.16 In each scenario, strategic locations will be brought forward in advance of other housing allocations where they are deliverable. In situations where there is a conflict between achievement of the housing target and the previously developed land target, the need to achieve the overall housing target will take precedence.
7.17 There are risks associated in achieving the level of housing delivery identified for the three strategic locations. Both Greater Middlehaven and Inner Middlesbrough will require land assembly over part of the respective sites. Greater Middlehaven is also a largely untested market whilst the delivery of new housing in Inner Middlesbrough is dependent on the timing and scale of clearances. The delivery of Greater Hemlington will be dependent on provision of infrastructure. These risks have been taken into account in establishing the housing figures in policy CS9. If insufficient dwellings are being brought forward on strategic sites, other housing allocations will be brought forward into the five year supply of deliverable sites.
7.18 The Council actively engages with housing providers through the use of pre-application discussions, regular meetings of the Housing Forum and through organised tours of housing sites. These existing initiatives will continue to be used to ensure that housing delivery objectives are well understood and are realistic.
REPLACEMENT DWELLINGS
7.19 Delivery of a balanced housing stock requires there to be some clearance and redevelopment of properties in those areas where the market has failed and there is an oversupply of certain types of dwellings. Not all of the properties cleared as a result of regeneration activities will be long-term vacancies. A priority of any clearance and redevelopment scheme will be to find suitable alternative accommodation for occupiers of those properties to be cleared. Some will find suitable accommodation that meets their needs from within the existing market, others however will not. For those unable to find suitable alternatives it will be necessary to ensure that new developments, as they come on stream, contain an element of affordable housing of the right size and type to meet their needs. As part of the work on preparing area frameworks for these renewal areas, the Council and partner organisations will be able to build up a detailed picture of residents’ housing requirements. This will be used to negotiate an appropriate number of replacement dwellings when applications for residential development come forward.
POLICY CS10 REPLACEMENT DWELLINGS
To support the regeneration priorities identified in policy CS1 the Council will work with partner organisations, including the local community, developers and RSLs to identify opportunities to provide replacement dwellings for those residents displaced by clearance activities. Proposals for residential development on unallocated sites will be expected to include an element of housing to accommodate this need.
The level of this need, and the housing mix required to meet it, will be identified in pre-application discussions with the Council.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
7.20 There is a lack of high quality affordable housing in Middlesbrough. Most affordable housing is located in areas of high abandonment and poor quality housing. Achieving a good supply of high quality affordable housing will be important to provide housing choice for families affected by the Council’s proposals for selective demolition in inner Middlesbrough and to contribute to the achievement of balanced communities.
POLICY CS11 AFFORDABLE HOUSING
The Council will work with partner organisations to ensure there is an adequate supply of good quality affordable housing distributed throughout the town. This will be achieved by having regard to an up to date housing market assessment and:
- requiring the provision of affordable housing to meet the relocation requirements arising from housing market renewal (see also policy CS10);
- requiring affordable housing that meets local needs, the elderly and other special needs groups, in those areas where there is a significant affordability gap, and limited supply of affordable housing; and
- limiting the amount of new affordable housing in those areas where there is already a significant supply, and where further provision could harm the ability to achieve sustainable communities.
Gypsy and travelling show people
7.21Middlesbrough has a small Gypsy community at Metz Bridge and a site for travelling show people in North Ormesby. The Regeneration DPD safeguards these two sites for these uses, unless a suitable alternative site can be provided.
POLICY CS12 GYPSY AND TRAVELLING SHOW PEOPLE SITES
When considering proposals for Gypsy and travelling show people sites regard will be had to an up to date assessment of need and the level of existing provision. Where a demonstrable need cannot be met by existing provision sites will be identified having regard to a sequential approach for site selection and provided that they:
- are not beyond the limit to development or within a green wedge or in an area identified as protected open space;
- are conveniently located for access to schools, shops and other local facilities;
- have no significant detrimental impact upon residential amenity;
- are landscaped and screened to provide privacy and maintain visual amenity;
- have suitable highway access; and
- have parking provided in accordance with adopted standards.