About us - Tetlow King

APPEAL SUCCESS FOR PRIVATE SECTOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDER

Tetlow King Planning have been successful in obtaining planning permission at appeal for a rural exception scheme of 22 dwellings at Mount Hawke in Carrick District, Cornwall.

The appeal was submitted by THF Ltd who have developed a new, innovative model for the provision of intermediate affordable housing without any public grant subsidy. The scheme comprises of 17 shared ownership properties with prices for 2 bedroomed properties being a maximum of £111,000 or £123,000, for 3 bedroomed properties £140,000 and the 4 bedroomed house £160,000. Five of the units are also for social rented purposes. The sale prices reflect the developer costs of building the units with the only profit element being levied through an additional annual rental charge to each owner of £1,040. The sale prices being a substantial discount on open market values. The submitted Planning Obligation ensures that the initial sales price discount would be retained on subsequent sales and that occupation would be limited to eligible local households whose needs are not met by the market.

The Council had contested the proposed development principally on the ground that the units would not be affordable contrary to the sale price thresholds for intermediate affordable housing contained in the DPD Balancing Housing Markets that had recently been found to be sound following a Public Examination.

The Inspector accepted there was a growing need for affordable housing including intermediate housing at the District and more local levels. However, he noted that the appeal proposal would conflict with the price threshold requirements of the DPD albeit not Policy BHM5 on rural exception schemes which does not include price thresholds for affordability. He then went to note that the updated price thresholds tabled by the Council during the Inquiry were not accurate and if they were based on Carrick mean wages the thresholds would be significantly higher. Noting the Council had applied a degree of flexibility with the figures he considered a degree of flexibility in the application of the new thresholds is required to allow individual schemes to be considered on their merits.

He went on to assess the benefits which would accrue from permitting the scheme. This included that this proposal is the type of scheme encouraged in ‘Delivering Affordable Housing’ that complements PPS3. The capped prices of the proposed development would be substantially lower, and more affordable, than local open market prices. It could make an early contribution to the supply of housing than can be provided by the open market for which there is a clear need.

He was satisfied that even from the Council’s home seekers register, 13 households indicate earnings that would be likely to be adequate to fund a mortgage sufficient to buy one of the dwellings nor would a significant proportion of them have any difficulty with also paying the additional annual rental payment. In addition, THF had also submitted evidence on prospective purchasers who could afford to buy the properties. The Inspector referred to the benefits of savings and wider family support mechanisms that were referred to at the Inquiry by a local resident which can assist entry into the intermediate housing market. Overall he was satisfied the cost of the dwellings would be low enough for them to be affordable by a significant number of households in Mount Hawke and the nearby surrounding area. The scheme would also meet a need recognised in the West Cornwall Housing Market Area Study.

The Inspector was entirely satisfied with the details in the submitted Unilateral Undertaking which would ensure the dwellings remained affordable in the future. He was also satisfied with the cascade arrangements which allow for take up of the dwellings by eligible households from nearby parishes in appropriate circumstances which include one parish outside Carrick District.

He therefore concluded:

“On balance, I consider the overall benefits of the proposal in providing intermediate affordable housing and its accord with the aims of PPS3 in this respect, albeit not for households with the lowest incomes in the area, outweighs its conflict with the price thresholds identified by the Council pursuant to the Balancing Housing Markets DPD … I conclude ….. that the proposed dwellings would be affordable for a sufficient number of households in the local context now and in the future to ensure the scheme would accord with national and local policies for the use of rural exception sites and justify granting permission. I also conclude that occupation of the dwellings would be appropriately limited to those eligible local households where housing needs are not met by the open market. The scheme would, therefore, accord with PPS3 and DPD Policy BHM5 in these respects and would serve the wider aims of Regional Planning Guidance for the South West and the Cornwall Structure Plan 2004 to promote the supply of affordable housing”.

Mark Auchincloss who gave expert evidence to the Inquiry on behalf of THF on housing needs and planning policy issues commented:

“This is a very important decision not only in a Cornish context but has considerably wider ramifications. The Inspector endorsed a new, innovative approach to the provision of intermediate affordable housing provided by a private company without any public funding. As the Inspector emphasised, such an initiative actually helps to release grant aid for additional housing to be spent elsewhere. It therefore will help to supplement provision from traditional sources such as RSL led schemes and help to provide high quality affordable housing to local people”.

Please direct any queries to Mark Auchincloss on 0117 9561916 in the first instance.

05/09/08

If you would like further details of this or any other cases please telephone us on 0117 956 1916 or e-mail all@tetlow-king.co.uk.

more news items...

TETLOW KING PLANNING

Tetlow King Planning Ltd is a separate company within the multi-discipline Tetlow King Group, which dates back to 1977. The Group companies have five offices based at Bristol, Maidstone, Romsey, Tewkesbury and Worcester and offer a range of professional services nationwide.

The informal Group arrangement enables Tetlow King Planning to offer a comprehensive range of other specialist planning, environmental and design services beyond our core planning and development consultancy services.

The constituent companies are as follows:
Tetlow King Planning Ltd - Town Planning and Development Consultants.

Tetlow King Ltd - Architecture, Building Surveying, and Urban Design.
http://www.tetlowking.co.uk/

Tisdall King Ltd - Landscape Architects and Environmental Consultants.
http://www.tisdall-king.co.uk/

Escher Silverman Ltd - Consulting Civil Engineers.
http://www.eschersilverman.co.uk/

The companies can be instructed either individually or in collaboration, at the discretion of clients.

Our involvement in the planning process is extremely varied, ranging from influencing strategic policy at the national and regional levels through to promoting small scale development proposals at the local level. The following headings give an indication of the scope of our work:

NATIONAL POLICY ADVICE
REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGIES
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTS
SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
POLICY AUDITS
LAND STUDIES
SITE SEARCHES
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
PARTNERSHIPS
PLANNING APPRAISALS
URBAN REGENERATION
RURAL REGENERATION
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
PLANNING NEGOTIATIONS
SECTION 106 AGREEMENTS
PLANNING CONDITIONS
PLANNING APPEALS
LISTED BUILDING APPLICATIONS
ENFORCEMENT
EXPERT WITNESS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
PROJECT PROMOTION
PLANNING STATEMENTS
URBAN DESIGN
MASTERPLANNING
DEVELOPMENT BRIEFS
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL
RESEARCH/GOOD PRACTICE
EDUCATION /TRAINING
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
NEW SETTLEMENTS
URBAN EXTENSIONS

Further detail of the scope of our work and specialisms are set out on other pages.

We are experienced in planning for all types of development, with particular specialisms in housing and advertising. The following headings give an indication of the full scope of projects we undertake:

HOUSING
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
RESIDENTIAL CARE
CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES
ADVERTISEMENTS
RETAIL/COMMERCIAL
OFFICE/BUSINESS
MIXED USE
INDUSTRIAL/STORAGE
AGRICULTURAL
HEALTH/EDUCATION
RESTAURANTS/TAKEAWAYS
PUBLIC HOUSES/BARS
HOTELS
LEISURE/TOURISM
WASTE/ENERGY
COMMUNITY USES
SUI GENERIS

TETLOW KING PLANNING - KEY PROFESSIONAL STAFF

ROBIN TETLOW

MSc Dip Surv FRTPI FCIH FRICS FRSA

Founder and Chairman/Managing Director based at Bristol since 1985. Previously, he spent eight years working with South Glamorgan County Council, London and Quadrant Housing Trust, Cotman Housing Association, Adamsdown Housing Association, Swaythling Housing Society and on secondment to the National Housing Federation as Chief Officer Development. He has been a visiting lecturer on planning and housing development at the University of the West of England. He is author of numerous publications including ‘Implementing Town Planning’ (joint author), ‘Land, Planning and Housing Associations’ (joint author) and 'Continuing Care Retirement Communities: A Guide to Planning'. He was a regular columnist in Housing Today on planning issues for four years. He is an experienced expert witness, having given evidence at two House of Commons Select Committees, over 100 development plan examinations and inquiries and over 50 appeal hearings and inquiries.

STEPHEN HINSLEY
BA(Hons) MRTPI

Director of Tetlow King Planning South Eastern Regional Office based at Maidstone since 1989. Previously he spent six years in local government with Broadland District Council and the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, and two years in the promotion of environmental education at the Leicester Urban Studies Centre. He was an Implementation Planner within the Surrey Docks Area Team of the London Docklands Development Corporation during the period 1987 to 1989. At Tetlow King he has been involved in the full range of housing projects set out above, including those with a national dimension and more specifically those located in London and the South East. He is an expert witness, having given evidence at numerous development plan and S78 inquiries and in the Crown Court. He has appeared at over ten Examinations in Public, including the London Plan. He is the author of several publications including ‘Making Affordable Housing Happen in Surrey’.

MARK AUCHINCLOSS
BSc(Hons) BTP MRTPI FRGS CGeog

Director based at Bristol since 1988. He has also had short spells with Thanet District Council and a town planning consultancy in central London. He has been a visiting lecturer on planning and housing development courses at the University of the West of England and the author of several publications. He has been involved in the full range of projects and advice on the feasibility of projects, planning applications and development plan representations. He has given extensive evidence at appeal hearings and inquiries including on behalf of numerous local authorities. He has also provided in-house training seminars on the planning system to housing associations. He originally obtained a geography degree from the University College London, is an active Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and recently obtained Chartered Geographer status.

JONATHAN ADAMS
BA(Hons) BTP MRTPI

Director based at Bristol since 2004. Previously he spent four years in local government with Worcestershire County Council and Bristol City Council progressing the Structure and Local Plans and developing policies and supporting planning guidance on housing, employment and telecommunications development. He then spent three years with a town planning and surveying consultancy as regional planner in the South West specialising in telecommunications development. He has been involved in a range of housing, employment and commercial projects at application and appeal stages and has dealt with enforcement notices.

JOHN SNEDDON
BSc(Hons) MRTPI

Director based at Bristol since 2004. Following the completion of a degree in Town and Regional Planning at Dundee University he was employed for 16 years in local government planning departments. He was employed at Taunton Deane Borough Council and more recently as a Principal Planner at South Somerset District Council before joining Tetlow King in 2004. He is very experienced in development control and gained a wealth of knowledge, in both a rural and urban environment, on a wide range of complex planning issues, appeals and applications. He is also well acquainted with the pressures, procedures and requirements of planning authorities.

ELIZABETH BOYD
BA (Hons) MA MRTPI

Principal Planner based at Bristol since 2006. Previously at Torbay Council in Devon working on the Local Plan and latterly the Local Development Framework. Since commencing employment with Tetlow King Planning, she has been involved in appeal work and in the submission of representations to development plans on behalf of several clients. She obtained a Bachelors Degree in Geography from the University of Durham in 2001 and a Masters Degree in Town and Country Planning from the University of the West of England in 2006.

RACHEL COLES
BSc (Hons) MSc MRTPI

Senior Planner based at Bristol since 2006. She gained a Bachelors Degree in Town and Country Planning and a Masters Degree in Regeneration from Cardiff University. Previously employed at RPS Bristol her work included a wide range of applications and appeals, particularly related to an international chain of coffee shops. Since commencing employment at Tetlow King Planning she has been involved with advertisement appeals, planning appeals, the submission of a range of applications and representations to Local Development Documents in the West Midlands.

28/03/2008