Policy information sourced from Redbridge Local Plan

LP3: Afordable Housing

The Council will seek to maximise the provision of afordable housing in the borough by setting a minimum strategic afordable housing target of 35%. The Council will achieve this by:

  • Delivering on average, a minimum of 393 additional afordable homes per year;
  • Requiring afordable housing to be provided on sites with a capacity to provide 10 homes or more, to be calculated in accordance with the density matrix set out in Table 3.2 of the London Plan;
  • Providing a tenure mix of 60% social/ afordable rent housing and 40% intermediate (including starter homes);
  • Assessing the level of afordable housing on a site by site basis. Proposals will need to provide a viability assessment in order to justify the level of afordable provision on each site. Should proposals be below the minimum 35% policy requirement or where public subsidy is required to deliver the 35%, the Council will then employ a review mechanism, and should viability have improved the Council will seek further on site provision up to a maximum of the deferred sum;
  • Delivering and supporting the delivery of afordable housing through other sources of supply, such as local authority new builds and estate regeneration; and
  • Monitoring the level of demand for selfbuild or custom build in the borough and planning for this need accordingly.

Implementation

The Council will support the delivery of additional afordable homes through mechanisms identifed in the Redbridge Housing Strategy 2017-2022. This includes working with Registered Providers, engaging in direct Council house building and taking measures which can deliver more afordable homes from the existing stock such as estate regeneration, bringing long term vacant properties back into use and Purchase and Repair schemes;

The Council will prepare a Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document to assist in the interpretation and implementation of this policy;

The Council has an updated Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), 2016 and this will inform guidance on tenure size and mix of afordable housing;

The Council will keep its supply of afordable homes under review and regularly update its performance through the Authority’s Monitoring Report;

Delivery of the Council’s Housing Zone designated in Ilford;

Delivery of the Council’s Housing Implementation Strategy;

The Council’s Planning Service will produce guidance for the Right to Build and custom house building to inform the public of the opportunities aforded by the Government initiative, and the process for registering an interest and applying for serviced plots. The Council will keep a register of individuals and groups interested in self and custom build, and use the identifed demand to inform planning policy; and

The Council will work in partnership with volume house builders and registered social landlords to implement Right to Build on schemes large enough to accommodate its delivery, and will ensure that such development proposals will provide appropriately serviced plots, with agreed details for access and plot layouts and identifable plot boundaries, through the planning application process, using conditions on grant of planning permissions.

For more information please see the Local Plan