Half of affordable new homes in rural England at risk if planning rules are relaxed

About half of all new affordable homes that are built in the countryside of England could be in danger. This is because the government is thinking about making planning rules easier for companies that build private houses.

The government has suggested stopping the requirement for developers to include a certain number of affordable homes in their projects. This rule, known as section 106 agreements, applies to new developments with 10 to 49 houses. The aim is to encourage more house building, which has been slow recently. Ministers will soon decide if developers should be allowed to pay money to local councils instead of building these affordable homes.

However, new analysis of government figures shows that in the most rural parts of England, more than half of all affordable homes are built on these smaller developments. This analysis was done by the National Housing Federation (NHF), which represents housing associations.

The NHF warns that if this rule is removed, England could lose about 32,000 affordable homes over the next decade. Kate Henderson, the head of the NHF, explained that families in rural areas need affordable homes the most. She said these proposals could make the housing problem in the countryside much worse.

Henderson also mentioned that the rule requiring affordable homes on medium-sized sites is a key way to ensure these homes are built in rural areas. She believes removing it would put half of future rural affordable housing at risk. This could lead to longer waiting lists for housing, more homelessness, and difficulties for local schools and businesses trying to find staff.

A representative from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government stated that no final decisions have been made about section 106 agreements. They are committed to making the process simpler and clearer to help build the homes and infrastructure the country needs.