Housing Standards, and in particular space standards, have been well established in London for a number of years, with space being at a premium and the need to ensure the delivery of quality residential development.
We now have National Housing Standards which are, at best, underutilised within the development industry, largely due to the inconsistent and confusing way in which the government has promoted their use.
The current National Housing Standards emerged in 2015, with Eric Pickles presenting a national technical standard in a written statement to Parliament, dated 25 March 2015, as one of several “steps the government is taking to streamline the planning system, protect the environment, support economic growth and assist locally-led decision-making.”
Despite being encouraged at a national level, space standards and how they are applied to new developments remains varied across the country. I consider their use, successes and limitations below.
Where did they come from?
The Housing Standards Review (HSR) was launched by the government in 2012 and this was followed by a HSR Consultation in 2013. The purpose of the review was to simplify the great many sources of information relating to housing quality indicators, often produced by non-governmental groups, to streamline available information and develop a national space standard. Communities Minister (at the time) Stephen Williams stated that this would be available to councils ‘where there was a need and where this would not stop development’.
On 27 March 2015, the government launched its new approach to housing standards with a paper titled ‘Technical Housing Standards – Nationally Described Space Standard’ (as amended May 2016). The standard sets out requirements for the gross internal floor area of new dwellings at a defined level of occupancy, along with floor areas and dimensions for certain areas within the home. The standards provide very specific requirements for new build development, including but not limited to the following:
- the dwelling provides minimum gross internal floor areas and built-in storage areas as detailed;
- a dwelling with two or more bedspaces has at least one double (or twin) bedroom;
- in order to provide one bedspace, a single bedroom has a floor area of at least 7.5m2 and is at least 2.15m wide;
- in order to provide two bedspaces, a double (or twin bedroom) has a floor area of at least 11.5m2;
- one double (or twin bedroom) is at least 2.75m wide and every other double (or twin) bedroom is at least 2.55m wide; and
- the minimum floor to ceiling height is 2.3m for at least 75% of the Gross Internal Area.
Whilst its seems sensible to have a national standard, National Planning Guidance (NPG) is clear that it can only be applied where there is a relevant policy within an adopted local plan and local planning authorities are encouraged to have some flexibility regarding viability.
Who uses them?
As a direct result of the above provisions, the application of the National Housing Standard across the country is varied. City authorities with limited space and greater development pressure would seem the likely candidates to have some form of local plan policy in place which reflects the national standard, however, the reality is not so consistent.
What about Manchester?
On our doorstep here in Manchester, Manchester City Council (MCC) has had the adoption space standards high on its list of priorities for a number of years, fuelled by much developer interest and a high proportion of student accommodation within the City. After significant consultation, the Manchester Residential Quality Guide was approved by the Council’s Executive Board in December 2016. The City Council worked closely with industry leaders to ensure the guidance is relevant and appropriate and to ensure that developers are encouraged to excel in the delivery of new homes to the City.
The document demands design excellence in all new housing development, sets minimum space standards and ensures high environmental standards. It makes clear that in terms of space standards, dwellings should comply with the National Described Space Standard. In my experience, the application of space standards in Manchester is appropriate – a flexible approach is adopted where high quality design remains at the fore of a project and to deal with development on a site by site basis. But the Manchester Residential Quality Guide assists in providing a useful reference point, with any deviance from it requiring justification. This provides certainty to both developers and to the Council.
Even prior to the approval of MCC’s own document, the Council informally utilised the provisions within the London Housing Design Guide, ensuring that space standards were applied wherever this was practically possible.
It is clear that MCC places a huge emphasis on space standards, whilst other cities have not, due to concerns relating to implementing the ‘optional’ standards and the implications for previously used local standards. For instance, officers at Birmingham City Council have raised concerns relating to how the national standards should be enforced, having previously used local standards which were set out within a Supplementary Planning Document. The national standards, as set out within the ‘Technical Housing Standards – Nationally Described Space Standard’ can only be implemented through an adopted local plan. Similarly, Leeds City Council was preparing a standalone Housing Standards Development Plan Document but this has now been combined with the Core Strategy Selective Review and will not now be progressed separately.
Here to stay?
In light of the above, the approach to applying housing standards is currently broad and varied, and there appears to still be some confusion over how the Government’s intentions should be implemented – not least with the very notion that the standards remain optional. However, as local plans are reviewed, it is likely that such space standards will become more prevalent and it seems sensible that developers should consult the national standards as a starting point in any case.
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