Since February 2019, the council have been unable to provide a five year housing supply – meaning not as many houses are being built to meet government targets.
This makes the council vulnerable to planning applications coming in for areas outside the approved local plan, including those for residential park home sites.
At the moment there is no specific policy on park home sites and consequently have nothing to hold new applications to account by.
This policy also give the council the opportunity to widen the housing options especially for the elderly, who make up an increasing part of the borough's population, and for whom there is no specific provision in the current local plan.
Having such a policy in place will also protect the council when it seeks to enforce the current 8-10 month occupancy rules, which are currently vulnerable to appeal.
The council has made it clear that any such sites are highly unlikely to be possible in flood zones or coastal erosion zones, and the number likely to come forward before the next local plan is expected to be very limited, approximately 2-300.
Cabinet Member for Planning Mike Baldock commented:
"Whilst we are in a position that leaves us vulnerable to speculative developments coming forward as a result of the failure of the existing Local Plan to deliver the expected housing levels, we are seeking to turn this vulnerability into a strength.
By arming ourselves with a strong policy we will ensure good quality housing is provided as well as finally start to provide accommodation for our elderly residents - something we will be doing in our Local Plan, but which we are pleased to now be able to deliver two years ahead of schedule.
There is a lot of misconception about residential park home sites.
These aren’t US trailer parks, and people making such ill-informed comments may perhaps be better informed by visiting existing park home sites to see the warm and supportive communities that live there.
This is not accommodation on the cheap - these are good quality homes.”
Cabinet will be discussing the report on Wednesday, 3rd June and the agenda for the meeting is available here
Cabinet will be discussing the report on Wednesday, 3rd June and the agenda for the meeting is available here
Swale Borough Council
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