Policy information sourced from the Central Befordshire Local Plan

H5: Rural Exception Sites

Proposals for the development of Rural Exception Sites outside of the Green Belt will be permitted where:

  1. They are designed to meet identified affordable housing need. Local needs must be identified and evidenced through a housing needs survey, conducted by an independent body;
  2. They will provide affordable homes that will remain as affordable in perpetuity via a S106 legal agreement or Unilateral Undertaking;
  3. They provide only a limited number of market dwellings expressly for the sole purpose of making the scheme financially viable. This will be subject to site specific viability testing and be limited to up to 20% of the total dwellings;
  4. They are allocated in accordance with the Council’s adopted Local Lettings Policy;
  5. They deliver small scale development – usually limited to 10 dwellings in order to preserve the character of the settlement. However, if a housing needs’ survey supports, a demand for more than 10 dwellings and it can be demonstrated that a larger development will not have an adverse effect on the character of the settlement, larger sites may be considered;
  6. They will deliver a mix of tenures to be made available to meet the identified need from the housing needs survey; and
  7. The site is situated outside the existing settlement boundary but relates well to the existing pattern of development and is in keeping with the surrounding character.

In the case of shared ownership, stair-casing or purchasing additional equity shares will be restricted to 80% of the properties open market value. This will ensure the property remains as affordable in perpetuity.

For more information, please visit the Central Befordshire Local Plan