§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department's guidelines for the use of green 1233W belt land allows its use for low cost or rent housing in order for local people in villages to remain in the area under section 106 agreements. [179776]
§ Keith HillCurrent policy on providing for rural exception housing is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing, Annex B. The policy allows local planning authorities to consider including a 'rural exception policy' in their plans where there remains a lack of affordable housing to meet local needs. An exception policy enables a local planning authority to grant planning permission for small sites for affordable housing to meet local needs in perpetuity, within or adjoining existing villages, which may be subject to policies of restrains such as Green Belt.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's consultation document "Influencing the size, type and affordability of housing" proposes that the 'rural exception policy' is replaced by a 100 per cent. affordable housing allocation policy, which would deliver exactly the same objective except through the plan making process.