HOU13: Homes Suitable for Family Occupation 3.12 Policy HOU13 requires all new residential housing with 3 or more bedrooms to include 2 separate rooms for cooking, eating and living. The preamble to the policy notes that this provision does not necessarily require any increase to the gross internal floor area but implicit to this, is the recognition that such requirements may result in an increase in the floor area. Therefore, this is in effect a quasi-space standard. 3.13 No evidence has

Hou14 - No justification is put forward for the various unclear requirements for different levels of accessibility standard via a building regulation criteria. The NPPG states that Local Planning authorities will need to gather evidence to determine whether additional standards are required.

Parts of the policy are unsound because they are a) unjustified; and b) ineffective. The NPPG states that local planning authorities will need to gather evidence to determine whether there is a need for additional standards in their area. In relation to the accessibility and wheelchair housing standards the local authority is required to assess: * the likely future need for housing for older and disabled people; * Size, location, type and quality of dwellings needed to meet specifically evide

HOU13 - National planning policy states that the guidelines for internal layout standards and this does not include two separate rooms to accommodate cooking, eating and living. This policy does not conform with national planning policy. This policy should be removed from the plan.

HOU14: Accessibility Standards 3.15 We have no objection to the requirement for the provision of wheelchair accessible homes. However, part b of the policy allows the Council to vary the requirement for wheelchair accessible homes depending upon the number of households on the waiting list and the suitability of the location for wheelchair users. The NPPF (para 154) advises that Local Plan policies must be 'clear'. Criteria b results in a significant element of uncertainty as to the total

This policy is unsound because it is contrary to national planning policy. It should be deleted from the Local Plan. This is a local policy that attempts to dictate the internal layout of new dwellings. National planning policy as set out in the Written Statement to Parliament of 25 March 2015 states clearly that, other than the Building Regulations and the three optional technical standards, no other local policies are allowed "relating to the construction, internal layout and performance of n

Please find see attached document - extract below: HOU13: Homes Suitable for Family Occupation 5.15 Para 5.98 of the Local Plan sets out the case for Draft Policy HOU13, which requires homes with 3 or more bedrooms to have at least 2 separate rooms to accommodate space for cooking, eating and living. 5.16 There is no evidence put forward by the Borough Council that substantiates this design requirement. It is up to individuals and housebuilders to decide how they wish houses to be laid ou

These representations are submitted on behalf of my clients, Pentland Homes Ltd, in respect of draft Policy HOU14 – Accessibility Standards. Whilst my clients fully support the principle of the draft Policy, they have concerns regarding the proposed scope of the requirements of the policy. The draft policy (a) requires that "All new build homes shall be built in compliance with building regulations part M4 (2) as a minimum standard". It is considered that this requirement is excessive and at o

The requirement for all new build housing to meet Part M4(2) standard as set out in Policy HOU14 should be supported by evidence that demonstrates that the demand for accommodation that meets these requirements justifies that all new build housing is built to this standard. Otherwise the level of provision of housing built to this standard should be reduced. In accordance with the NPPG the policy should also allow for exemption from meeting M4(2) in circumstances where the nature of the developm