§ Mr. Peter BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of affordable housing need in(a) rural areas and (b) villages of less than 1,000 population. [51488]
§ Mr. RaynsfordMy Department recently commissioned a study on the nature of demand for housing in rural areas, including affordable housing. The research looked at five different types of rural areas in England with populations ranging from 7,500 to 15,000 people, where most of the main settlements were of less than 1,000 population. A report on this project will be published by the contractors, DTZ Pieda, soon.
All local authorities are encouraged to carry out assessments of housing need to inform housing strategies and development plans. Local assessments provide the justification for local authorities to specify a proportion of affordable housing to be provided on suitable sites identified in the development plan, and to negotiate the inclusion of an element of affordable housing in private developments.