Shropshire Council's new policy for barn conversions

Shropshire has changed its policy in relation to the requirement for developers of barn conversions having to contribute towards the provision of affordable housing in the county. The Council is currently consulting on its Core Strategy - part of the new Development Plan system that sets out the Council's planning vision for the development of its area to 2026.

To help ensure the future provision of affordable housing in the county, the strategy aims to ensure that new housing development meets housing needs in both towns and rural areas – including the need for affordable housing. To help meet this need, all new open market housing developments of fewer than five houses must, in future, make a financial contribution towards the provision of affordable housing. This contribution has been set at 20% of the cost of construction of an equivalent floorspace of affordable housing. It is in addition to contributions already sought from large developments. However in terms of barn conversions the policy requires that the contribution obtained from barn conversions will be set at 15% above the contributions gained from open market housing in settlements, subject to a ceiling of 50%. The policy applies a ‘sliding scale’ - the bigger the conversion the more the developer pays.

This is a novel approach and one which is already causing consternation amongst the farming lobby. For so long, developers have reaped the rewards afforded to them from being allowed to 'build' in the open countryside, often in the most unsustainable of locations. Shropshire at least sees this as an "innovative ‘rural rebalance’ approach ensuring that farmers and developers contribute to rural affordable housing for local needs.

The Core Strategy and all other supporting material, including representations made as part of the forthcoming consultation, will be submitted to the Secretary of State in July 2010. An independent inspector will then be appointed to examine the ‘soundness’ of the strategy during the autumn.

We wait and see how this policy develops over the forthcoming months but hats up to Shropshire planners for suggesting this policy.