Housing and Planning Bill — Clause 4 — Provision of Discounted Starter Homes — 9 May 2016 at 20:45

The majority of MPs voted not to exempt local councils from having to require discounted starter homes on certain new developments if they provide affordable home ownership via other routes.

MPs were considering the Housing and Planning Bill^[1].

The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 10B,

Amendment 10B which was an amendment to amendment 10A. Lords amendment 10A^[2] stated:

Page 3, line 4, at end insert—

“( ) Where the Secretary of State makes regulations under this section, the regulations must give an English planning authority power to dispense with the condition requiring the starter homes requirement to be met where—

• (a)an application is made for planning permission in respect of a rural exception site, and
• (b) the application falls to be determined wholly or partly on the basis of a policy contained in a development plan for the provision of housing on rural exception sites.”

Lords amendment 10B^[2] sought to add the following subclause to the above:

• ( ) If a local authority so wishes, and can demonstrate a need for other kinds of low cost home ownership in its area, the authority may meet part or all of the starter homes requirement through the delivery of alternative forms of affordable home ownership.”

The National Planning Policy Framework^[3] defines Rural exception sites as :

• Small sites used for affordable housing in perpetuity where sites would not normally be used for housing. Rural exception sites seek to address the needs of the local community by accommodating households who are either current residents or have an existing family or employment connection. Small numbers of market homes may be allowed at the local authority’s discretion, for example where essential to enable the delivery of affordable units without grant funding.

Starter Homes were defined in clause 2 of the Bill as new dwellings, available to qualifying first time buyers, to be sold at a discount of at least 20% of the market value. A price cap on the sale price of Starter Homes of £450,000 in Greater London and £250,000 elsewhere is provided for.

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Housing and Planning Bill
• [2] Lords amendments to the Housing and Planning Bill containing amendment 10B
• [3] National Planning Policy Framework, Department of Communities and Local Government, March 2012

Debate in Parliament |