Policy information sourced from the Barking & Dagenham Local Plan

DMH 1 Affordable housing

1.

All development with the capacity to provide 10 or more self-contained units, or which have a gross internal residential floor space of more than 1,000 sqm, will be required to provide affordable housing (measured in habitable rooms) in accordance with Part 2 a) of Policy SP3: delivering homes that meet people’s needs as follows:

  • applying the threshold approach to viability in accordance with the London Plan 2021 Policy H5: threshold approach to applications, and/or guidance
  • providing early and advanced stage review mechanisms in line with Mayoral guidance to applications taking the Viability Tested Route (VTR) and those schemes where an agreed level of progress has not been reached in a specified time for Fast Track Route (FTR) applications, to maximise the delivery of affordable housing where development viability improves
  • maximising the delivery of affordable housing on-site and where appropriate, ensuring that all new dwellings contribute to the delivery of a range of housing tenures in accordance with the tenure split as shown in Figure 13 (or in any subsequent updates on affordable housing products)
  • as set out in Figure 14, affordable housing should be genuinely affordable for the people they are intended for. Applicants will be required to include homes that are affordable to households on a range of incomes, including
  • the local average income levels in the borough. Applicants will also be required to demonstrate, through their Affordable Housing Statement, how the affordability of the proposed tenure mix compares to average income levels in the borough 39.

2.

Off-site affordable housing or payments in-lieu will only be acceptable in exceptional circumstances where:

  • it can be robustly demonstrated that affordable housing cannot be delivered on-site and other sites may be more appropriate to provide affordable housing than the site of the proposed development to better deliver mixed and inclusive communities. If a suitable site cannot be found, a cash in lieu contribution towards the off-site provision of affordable housing may be accepted. The target for schemes delivering off-site affordable housing or in lieu contributions is 50% provided across the main site and any linked sites when considered as a whole. The applicant will need to clearly demonstrate that:
    1. it is not practical to deliver affordable housing on-site and off-site options have been explored but are not acceptable,
    2. it must result in additional affordable homes and all sites are expected to deliver at least the threshold level of affordable housing and any cash in lieu or off-site contribution should deliver units in addition to this,
    3. agreements for off-site provision or in lieu contributions should provide no financial benefit to the applicant relative to on-site provision and should include review mechanisms in line with the Viability Tested Route,
    4. it will not result in an over-concentration of a particular size of unit in any one local area, and
    5. it can provide a greater yield of family sized affordable rent product subject to individual site characteristics, viability and location.

3.

As per point 1 above, Affordable Housing will not generally be sought on housing schemes of under 10 units. Exceptions to this are:

  • where additional homes are proposed through amended planning applications within four years of the commencement of the original planning permission, affordable housing requirements will apply to the total number of net new homes), and
  • where development sites are split, or separate proposals are brought forward on neighbouring or nearby sites which are physically or functionally linked, affordable housing requirements will be assessed on the total number of net residential units proposed across all related sites.

For more information please see the Barking & Dagenham Local Plan