Housing Needs Statement

Department of Social Care

Rheynn Kiarail y Theay

Clagh Vane Estate, Ballasalla

Planning Application for the Development of Eight New Three Bedroom Dwellings and a Children's Playground

Housing Needs Statement

Prepared by:

DSC Housing Division

1.0 Introduction

1.1 The purpose of this Housing Needs Statement is to summarise the current and emerging policies for affordable housing on the Island and advise of the background management decisions which have resulted in this current planning application for Clagh Vane Project 6 to be submitted.

2.0 Affordable Housing Need

2.1 Government's key priorities are summarised as:

• Grow and diversify our economy
• Protect and support the most vulnerable in our society
• Re-balance Government finances

The DSC's priorities arising from these are summarised as follows in the current Department Business Plan.

• Support vulnerable children and their families
• Provide affordable housing for those in real need
• Provide appropriate care for an ageing population
• Ensure social security is directed at those in real need

2.2 The Department of Social Care (DSC) has followed a programme of maintenance, refurbishment, redevelopment and growth in affordable housing stock (including sheltered, rented, general family rented and first time buyer housing) in accordance with the strategies set out in the 1999 Housing Policy Review Report all intended to contribute to increase the availability of affordable housing for those most vulnerable in Manx society.

Affordable housing includes both public sector rented housing (both for general use or specifically for older tenants) and first time buyers (assisted by the various Government House Purchase Assistance Schemes over that period.

In the period from 2001 to 2012 an average of 130 affordable homes per year have been completed (including additional and replacement affordable homes in all categories) as a result of this approach.

2.3 In November 2013 the Department of Social Care (DSC) received from Tynwald endorsement of a series of policy recommendations contained in the "Housing Review Recommendations Report." This report had evolved from detailed work on housing provision commissioned from the David Tolson Partnership (DTP) which was an independent overview of housing provision on the Island and included comment on the demand for housing.

2.4 The initial housing review report submitted by the DTP in March 2012 included the following findings:

• The Isle of Man has experienced strong growth in the level of population and households over the last 50 years;
• The population of the Island and the number of households will, according to the most recent official projections, continue to grow strongly until 2026; and
• The fastest growing age group on the Island comprises people over the age of retirement. This will significantly affect the type of housing required.
• Over the last decade the growth in the supply of housing in general on the Isle of Man has matched the growth of the population

• A substantial building programme has improved the condition of the majority of Public Sector Housing;
• There has been little growth in the amount of Public Rented Housing in the last 15 years; and
• With the predicted population increase, there is a need to build 400 housing units across all sectors, public and private, each year to meet estimated future demand.
• The need for affordable housing comes from new households who cannot afford accommodation on the open market, existing households whose circumstances change and households presently in unsatisfactory accommodation;
• The supply of public rented houses currently falls short of meeting need by up to 50 units per annum
• Demand for sheltered housing across the public sector is likely to rise by at least 70 units in total over and above the existing five year programme of provision.

2.5 The DTP also carried out a subsequent appraisal of affordable housing need for the next 10 years (from 2013) based upon the analyses in their various reports and concluded there would be a requirement of between 719 and 1219 additional new units in that period (average 72 -122 additional new homes per annum).

2.6 The conclusion from the experience of the past 13 years and the potential outcomes of the newly adopted strategy and policy is that there is a continuing need for affordable housing throughout the Isle of Man for the foreseeable future.

3.0 Housing Need at Clagh Vane, Ballasalla

3.1 The DSC has already progressed 5 sub phases of redevelopment at Clagh Vane based upon proposals prepared in 2008. This envisaged a series of projects improving the condition of some properties, improving the environment of the estate and replacing many of the existing houses along the main Douglas to Ballasalla road and in the central area of the estate referred to as the "Horseshoe".

3.2 Following completion of the recent phases of redevelopment (new housing in Cooyrt Shellagh) the DSC has reviewed the options for the "Horseshoe" area of the estate and concluded that whichever option is progressed (complete renewal, partial or full refurbishment), properties will be required into which tenants can be temporarily decanted on a short term tenancy basis to release housing in phases for modernisation or replacement. The proposals in the current planning application are intended to address this requirement. When redevelopment is complete the dwellings which are the subject of this Planning Application will be let on a permanent tenancy basis.

3.3 There are currently 146 persons on the Department's waiting list for rented housing of which 66 have expressed an interest in housing in the South of the Island. (The DSC's estates are scattered throughout the Island generally where other local housing authorities are not operational). The total number on the waiting lists for all public sector housing authorities for the Island as a whole was 1151 for General Housing and 392 for Sheltered Housing.

3.4 The Department has examined a number of ways to provide initial dwellings for decanting purposes and has concluded that the only viable way forward is to develop

new dwellings on the proposed site. This site was formerly used as an open space on the estate but for a number of years until recently served as a contractors' compound for earlier works. The Department is creating a new playground to meet local needs as part of the proposed development works and is providing an undertaking that it will reinstate a new area of open space of a similar size on the Horseshoe as part of the proposed future development.

4.0 Conclusion

4.1 Both previous and emerging affordable housing policy identifies a continuing, growing need for affordable housing for rent.

4.2 The current strategy by DSC to modernise and renew the Clagh Vane estate requires accommodation to use for decanting purposes (and on completion of the estate modernisation to provide permanent new affordable housing).

4.3 The development of the proposed 8no. three bedroomed houses on the land adjacent to Malew Football Club will meet these requirements.

Phil Halliwell RIBA DSC Architect November 2013