Rural Exception Sites Cornwall & Devon
Planning permission for a Rural Exception Site (RES) is a special exception to normal rules, allowing small-scale affordable housing on land outside village boundaries, otherwise unsuitable for development, to meet proven local housing needs for people with strong community ties, secured by legal agreements (Section 106) to keep them affordable forever. It addresses unmet needs in rural areas, often including a mix of affordable and sometimes a few market homes to make the project viable, all while respecting the local context, design, and environment, as guided by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Key Aspects of RES Planning Permission
Policy Exception: It's an exception to standard planning policies that usually restrict development on the edge of settlements, allowing small developments to deliver specific public benefits (affordable housing).
Local Need: There must be a proven, unmet need for affordable housing within the local community, demonstrated through surveys and local plan assessments.
Local Connection: Homes are prioritised for people with a strong, established link to the parish (e.g., living, working, or family ties).
Legal Agreements (Section 106): A legal agreement ensures homes remain affordable in perpetuity (forever) and are allocated according to local criteria, preventing them from becoming open market properties.
Site Criteria: Sites must be suitable (e.g., good design, safe access, low flood risk) and typically small, on the edge of existing settlements.
Market Homes (Optional): A small number of open market homes (often under 50%) might be allowed to cross-subsidise the affordable homes, but this is at the local authority's discretion.
Alignment with NPPF: The proposed development must still meet high standards for design, scale, and impact, even though it's an exception site, adhering to national planning guidance.
In essence, it's a mechanism to unlock land for genuinely affordable housing, ensuring it serves local needs in perpetuity, by making an exception to development limits for a defined public good.
For further information and advice, please get in touch or book an initial free consultation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Rural exception sites are small-scale, unallocated plots outside normal settlement boundaries, typically on the edge of rural settlements, used to deliver affordable housing for people with an unmet housing need and a direct local connection to the parish. Governed by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), they enable rural communities in the South West of England to address local housing shortages where conventional residential development would normally be restricted. The approach involves landowners releasing greenfield or agricultural land below full market value, in return for local planning authorities granting permission for affordable housing development on otherwise restricted sites.
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Position: Adjoining or adjacent to existing rural villages and small settlements (typically populations under 3,000).
Protected Areas: Can be considered within sensitive designations like National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB/National Landscapes), provided designs respect local character.
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Local Priority: Applicants must demonstrate a strong local connection via residency, close family, or current employment within the parish or immediate rural area.
Allocations: Managed via a local lettings plan agreed upon by the local housing authority, parish council, and housing association (Registered Provider).
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Viability Exception: A small proportion of open-market housing may be permitted at the council’s discretion if proven strictly necessary to subsidize and unlock the delivery of the affordable units.
Limits: Market elements must remain secondary and proportionate to the primary affordable use.
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Housing Needs Survey: An independent local survey must first prove an active, unmet need for affordable housing in that specific community.
Parish Engagement: Early consultation with the parish or town council and local stakeholders is vital to build project support.
Support Services: Regional groups like Rural Housing Enablers often assist landowners, communities, and councils free of charge to guide schemes through the planning process.