CITY of York Council's affordable housing policy offers the right balance between residents and developers.

That is the message from Conservative David Carr, the council's executive member for housing and safer neighbourhoods.

As negotiations continue over York's Local Plan, The Press sought the views of the council's four main parties on the subject.

Cllr Carr said: "On any new housing development greater than 15 units in an urban area, the developer is required to provide some affordable housing. The relevant proportions are 20 per cent if the development is on a brownfield site and 30 per cent for a greenfield site.

"The percentages apply to the whole scheme provided that the 15-unit threshold is exceeded.

"In rural areas, the threshold is two units and above, with affordable provision based on the above percentages, but met by a commuted sum up to the urban area threshold of 15 units, when the on-site percentages described above start to apply.

"The thresholds and relevant percentages may change as our thinking on the draft Local Plan evolves, but we believe the present policy provides the right balance between providing affordable housing and preserving the incentive for developers to proceed with much-needed housing development."

The Liberal Democrats form the council's ruling coalition alongside the Conservatives.

Cllr Sue Hunter, Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for housing, said: “The Liberal Democrats are committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing in York.

"It is deeply worrying when average house prices in the city are over six times average wages and some residents spend half their income on rent.

"Part of the answer is to build more houses - something the last Labour council failed to do.

"We are working on passing a Local Plan to deliver this development as well as looking at what we can do with partners to build ourselves.

“The council has targets for the percentage of affordable housing in each development with each site then assessed for viability before a final recommendation is made.

"The Government is bringing through a number of changes in this area, including altering the definition of affordable housing, extending Right to Buy and plans for new starter homes.

"We need to see the detail of these changes - some of which are controversial - as we consider changes to our polices through the Local Plan.

“A key challenge is ensuring that the affordable homes that are provided stay affordable.

"The Government’s starter homes initiative says anything up to £250,000 is affordable, but for many residents trying to get on the property ladder in York this is simply out of reach.”

York's Labour party will propose affordable housing percentages based on the evidence that comes forward during the Local Plan debate.

Labour spokesman for planning, Cllr David Levene said: “York Labour strongly supports the building of more homes that are genuinely affordable for all York residents, recognising there is a balance to strike between setting a target that is not too high to put off development and not too low that it exacerbates the housing crisis York is experiencing.

"We oppose both the local Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition refusing to address York's affordability problems in setting Local Plan housing targets, and the attack on social and council housing by the national Conservative Government."

Green Party leader Andy D'Agorne said: "York does have a clear policy on affordable housing and has been criticised for setting the proportion too high in the past.

"The policy now is far more flexible to respond to market conditions and the infrastructure costs of any particular site.

"The Green Party supports the policy of requiring developers to include a proportion of affordable housing within all new developments.

"We are opposed to the government approach of forcing registered social landlords to sell off housing - this will further reduce available affordable housing for young couples.

"The Green Party believes housing should be a basic right rather than being seen as a property investment and supports alternative approaches such as self build, new council housing and co-housing such as Yorspace are seeking to develop.

"We believe that new housing should be largely developed on brownfield sites and modest increases in rural settlements, in ways that provides for local needs and protects Green Belt.

"Large scale housing developments such as previously proposed are unsustainable unless transport, drainage, public services and other infrastructure requirements for new communities are also carefully considered.

"York's high housing costs are in a large part a reflection of a successful local economy and the expansion of the university coupled with the desire of the city to prevent urban sprawl beyond the current settlement limits.

"While new businesses like Hiscox are welcomed, they will inevitably attract some new well-paid staff who can pay well for the right property, as can executives who commute to London or Leeds taking advantage of our fast rail links."

 

York Press:

INNOVATION is key if the city is to get more affordable accommodation, according to Ben Hudson, pictured, a director at York estate agents Hudson Moody.

He said: "We have, through our agency at Hudson Moody, seen approximately a five per cent rise in rents per year for the last five years.

"I think this has been particularly exacerbated by the lack of building new homes in the York area during the recession which has had a knock-on effect.

"A one-bedroom apartment is now at around £600 per calendar month, two bedrooms at £750 plus and three-bedroom houses anywhere from £850 per calendar month."

The latest figures show that the UK's inflation rate rose to an 11-month high of 0.2 per cent in December, up from 0.1 per cent in November.

With rental rises showing no sign of tailing off, Mr Hudson believes significant change is needed to help York residents live in their city.

He said: "The good news is that there is a good pipeline now of new properties being built in the York area which will hopefully increase the supply of available properties, although I suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is required to provide more affordable accommodation.

"We see this on a daily basis whereby properties that are more affordable in the £500 to £600 per calendar month bracket often are receiving dozens of enquiries.

"I believe it needs some more innovative ways to create new homes at lower land and building costs to create more supply of affordable rental properties."

 

YORK'S Joseph Rowntree Foundation says the impact of private rent rises will only get worse unless action is taken.

JRF, which aims to inspire social change through research, policy and practice, believes agreeing a Local Plan is vital to help tackle York's housing problems.

Brian Robson, JRF policy and research manager, said: "Soaring rents and house prices mean many people can't achieve their aspirations for a stable, secure home - either owned or rented.

"Instead, people are forced to stay in insecure private rented sector tenancies, where rents are set to rise more than twice as fast as incomes by 2040.

"Alongside this, many households are seeing their budgets being squeezed as the rising cost of essentials like energy and childcare leave less money for housing costs.

"York urgently needs a Local Plan for more homes of all tenures, and the government must support the council to deliver more low cost rented accommodation as part of this."

The impact of private rental rises is seen by charities across York.

York Foodbank manager Laura Chalmers said: "The majority of people we see, from conversations, are actually council tenants. We have just been working with Advice York on the impact of council tax on Foodbank clients in particular.

"I would imagine that people working on a minimum or even living wage job would find it hard to afford to private rent here, particularly if you are a single person, which obviously makes everything more expensive.

"Single working age people are our biggest client group at Foodbank."