Affordable housing development
We are working hard to promote the provision of new affordable housing schemes throughout Luton.
How we enable new affordable homes?
Our Housing Strategy & Development Team works with Homes England and our partners to develop new affordable homes. We are also responsible for negotiating new affordable homes on all development sites which have a planning requirement to provide affordable housing.
The role of the team is to promote the provision of new affordable housing schemes throughout Luton. Working with registered providers, private developers and other interested parties, we ensure that the affordable housing required within our planning policies and our new Luton Housing strategy is delivered.
What we are trying to achieve
Good housing is crucial to achieving wider ambitions for Luton, as expressed in our Luton 2040 Vision. Housing underpins our commitments to a thriving economy, population wellbeing, and meeting our net-zero carbon targets. Housing is also a social justice issue and supports our ambitions for Luton to be a fair and child-friendly town.
Our housing strategy sets out how we plan to ensure that the local people benefit from good quality, affordable and appropriate housing and services and to achieve the following:
- right homes, more homes: to work with a wide range of partners to secure the delivery of the right mix of homes to meet Luton’s needs
- reducing homelessness: prevent homelessness and support people who are at risk of homelessness or who are homeless
- good quality homes and neighbourhoods: homes and neighbourhoods that residents are proud of and to improve the poor quality homes to help the most vulnerable households.
- supporting wellbeing: the right housing options for people in Luton, so they can live well – feeling included and supported and to live independently
Our Strategic Housing Market Assessment led to our current position which we state when we comment on all planning applications. We request 72% of the affordable homes as rented homes, with 28% for Intermediate housing, most usually low cost home ownership. Up to now we have specified shared ownership for this 28% portion as this is demonstrably the most accessible and affordable low cost home ownership option.
Within our Local Plan, for schemes of 11 or more units, the council will seek a target of 20% on any development sites for affordable housing. All developments will be assessed on a scheme by scheme basis, through a viability assessment to determine the numbers of rented and intermediate housing such as shared ownership
First Homes
First Homes are a new low cost home ownership option which has been brought forward by the government.
Their guidance states that all sites containing affordable housing submitted to planning after 28 March 2022 should contain First Homes and that they should make up at least 25% of the affordable housing element of the scheme.
We are seeking to preserve as many rented homes as possible therefore we are suggesting that on new sites with affordable housing requirements, 25% of the affordable housing would be First Homes and that this should replace the shared ownership element, rather than the affordable rented homes.
Luton Council also adopted an Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning document in 2019.
It is best to make contact with the Housing Strategy & Development Team via [email protected] before submitting a planning application to discuss the affordable housing requirement.
Housing links to other websites
5th Floor Town Hall Extension Upper George Street , Luton, LU1 2BQ
[email protected]