city warning on new homes
CARDIFF IS BUILDING JUST HALF THE NUMBER OF HOMES IT NEEDS COMPARED TO THE COUNCIL’S OWN TARGET FOR THE YEAR
CARDIFF is building just half the number of homes it needs to, the council has admitted.
A total of 2,822 new general market or affordable homes have been built in the capital during the past two years.
This is just over half of the council’s own target of 5,303 for 2018 identified in its housing masterplan drawn up two years ago.
Housing charity Shelter Cymru has said increasing numbers of young people in Cardiff are becoming homeless due to a lack of affordable homes in the city, but says the council took a “brave step” by setting ambitious targets.
A Cardiff estate agent has encouraged the council to provide developers with brownfield land to build more social homes.
John Puzey, director of Shelter Cymru, said: “People in Cardiff are suffering because of the scarcity of affordable homes.
“Homelessness services, including ours, are bowing under the weight of demand.
“Our recent research has found that more and more younger people are becoming street homeless because they can’t find any halfdecent places to live within their price range.
“Cardiff took the brave step of setting ambitious targets to address housing need. Meeting those targets is going to require commitment at the highest level and across different council departments, not just housing.
“Building good homes is never easy but it is absolutely necessary for the well-being of the people of Cardiff.”
Some 773 affordable homes were built in Cardiff between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2018, compared to a target of 1,207 set out in the city’s local development plan.
A total of 2,049 general market homes were completed in that time, against a target of 4,096.
Average house prices in Cardiff have also risen by 26% over 11 years, according to a council report.
The average price of a house in Cardiff was £177,469 in 2006, rising to £223,081 in 2017.
Cardiff council says the delays are down to “complex discussions” between landowners and developers, and any housing schemes have to get planning permission and legal terms agreed before building takes place.
Many of Cardiff’s affordable homes are built due to contributions from developers agreed when they get planning permissions for wider housing schemes.
Cardiff council seeks developments on brownfield sites to be 20% affordable housing, and 30% on greenfield sites.
But Kelvin Francis, founder of Kelvin Francis Estate Agents in Cardiff, said this causes social homes to be built in the same areas as more upmarket properties.
He said the council should instead help developers to build more social housing schemes.
Mr Francis said: “The council could provide council-owned land, particularly brownfield sites to developers.
“That would be an appealing proposition to build social housing as opposed to insisting that parts of planning applications have to include a social housing sector.
“The council will have land. Not everywhere in the city is suitable for housing but a lot is, particularly with the reduction of a lot of retail and other commercial enterprises.
“There are quite nice areas that could be made available to developers.”
Cardiff’s local development plan – which sets out plans for more than 41,400 homes across the city to be built by 2026 – was adopted by the council in January 2016.
A council spokesman said: “There was always going to be a time lag between the adoption of the plan and the delivery of new homes on the ground.
“This is because before building can take place, there are always complex discussions between the landowners and the developers and the development has to obtain planning consent and agree legal conditions before any building can take place.
“There is interest by developers in all the strategic sites which have been set out in the LDP which is very encouraging.
“Since the LDP was adopted, consents issued for Greenfield sites have provided 30% affordable housing.
“Cardiff’s local development plan sets the blueprint for Cardiff’s growth and since the adoption of the plan, it is encouraging that developers are providing new homes following the master planning approach set out in the plan.
“Looking ahead, the number of new homes built each year is likely to increase along with the provision of supporting facilities.”