Renfrewshire Council’s Post

MAJOR PLANNING REFORMS TO SUPPORT DELIVERY OF MORE HOUSING Today, I’ve announced amendments and finalisation of the State Planning Policy 7.3 Residential Design Codes including revised Medium Density Code provisions, which coincide with a number of major planning reforms to come into effect from 1 March 2024. Our planning reforms have created one of the most streamlined planning systems in the country – helping to accelerate the delivery of housing in Western Australia. The latest planning reform initiatives taking effect on 1 March 2024 create a planning system that is easier to navigate and understand and helping to deliver greater housing choice. Effective from 1 March 2024: ✅ Reforms to Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) will see the new Metro Inner, Metro Outer and Regional DAPs become operational. ✅ The new Significant Development Pathway becomes operational. ✅ An online system for lodgement and tracking of applications and a new user-friendly website will be available. ✅ An Expression of Interest campaign for new DAP members to commence shortly. Also from 1 July 2024, development applications involving single houses and any associated development, except where heritage is involved, must be determined by technical experts, through the chief executive officer or local government employee and can no longer be referred to or ‘called in’ by council for determination. Supporting regulations, including fees, will be finalised over the coming weeks. A raft of operational changes within the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage will also be implemented to support these reforms – including establishment of the new State Referral Coordination Unit. Following the review of the amended State Planning Policy 7.3, single homes in areas coded R40 and below will not be subject to the Part C provisions for medium density development and existing standards from the R-Codes Volume 1 will continue to apply, minimising impacts on popular housing products in new residential estates. Further changes to Part C of the R-Codes include removal of the minimum bedroom size requirement and transitional arrangements for new site cover provisions. The changes respond to industry feedback to help reduce any further impacts on the housing construction sector and keep the cost of delivering affordable housing down. The new Part C of the State Planning Policy 7.3 – Residential Design Codes is an addition to Western Australia's R-Codes and will apply to single houses coded R50 and above, grouped dwellings coded R30 and above, and multiple dwellings coded R30-60. The revised policy will retain the site area incentives for small dwellings and accessible dwellings in areas coded R30-R60. It also provides potential for ancillary dwellings on grouped dwelling sites and removes the previous minimum 350sqm lot size. The amended State Planning Policy 7.3 will be released in early-March 2024 and will become operational after Easter.

Housing affordability. Affordable housing? Where art thou? New research from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has exposed a growing trend of higher-income households opting for rental accommodations, leading to a tighter squeeze on the availability of affordable rental homes for very low-income households. Over the past 25 years, the share of high income households living in the private rental market has tripled in Australia. Back in 1996, high income households (household incomes of $140,000+) accounted for 8% of private renters; now they account for 24%. As more high-income households have shifted into the private rental market, more low-income renters are struggling to compete for rental housing and are being squeezed out of the formal renting sector into informal living arrangements and homelessness. It's obvious many of our elected officials and the industry bodies lobbying them STILL have their heads firmly planted in the sand. Apparently ignorance is bliss when the property market continues to have an inordinate number of players operating within a self congratulatory and self serving vortex producing homogenous, inefficient built form and sprawl barely serviced by any other mode of transport but the private car. The sobering reality is something - or maybe someone, has to give. When? Really, really soon. Statistics continue to tell us the cost of construction, materials, labour, like house and land prices, continue to rise - the reality of which many of us already acutely are aware of. This poses the question: who has to be the loser and reduce the price of their goods or services in this warped, increasingly divided housing market? Would it be landholder selling the land? The building materials supplier who has suffered from ongoing supply shortages? The labour which is in short supply (i.e., tradespeople) used to build the dwellings? The agent acting on behalf of the buyer or seller to get the best price in an uncertain market? The hard working consultants providing pre and post-construction advocacy and/or design services? What if the answer was that nobody had to be a loser? What if it came down to exploring new, ambitious and alternate methods of construction that could, and should - and likely will work? Like the Australian Institute of Architects, I also believe alternate housing typologies and a substantial shift in zoning (challenging outdated notions of density through more ambitious heights, FSR's/plot ratios, and open space requirements) as it applies is key. Apartment living is not for everyone and the dream of the freestanding, detached dwelling on a quarter acre block for most is dead because very few can afford it. Greg Cummins Andrew Barr, Elizabeth Lee MLA, Property Council of Australia, Planning Institute of Australia, Australian Property Institute.

A comprehensive analysis of the flaws in the so-called "Latte Line" nonsense concept reveals significant opportunities for affordable housing development in Sydney, especially for quality residential grade mid-rise apartments within walking distance of Metropolitan Sydney railway stations. The potential to create 2,000 to 7,000 mid-rise apartments per Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) site around the 170 Sydney Metropolitan Railway stations is substantial, especially considering the prevalence of single-detached dwellings in these areas. Exploring the example of Bankstown Railway station, I found out in two days of walking the proposed rezoning within a 1,200-meter radius, uncovering immediate opportunities for at least 2,000 inclusive residential grade mid-rise apartments on mostly State or Local Govt land holdings. Government-owned vacant sites and air rights, some with book values close to zero, could be leveraged for affordable housing, following the successful model implemented by the Mayor of London, which requires up to 50% of all London Council surplus land sold off suitable for residential use to be set aside for affordable housing. Furthermore, the ongoing rezoning efforts led by The ALP Minns State Govt of NSW have the potential to yield another 100,000+ mid-rise apartments across additional railway stations. This influx of supply is projected to significantly reduce the inflated prices of mid-rise residential grade apartment sites, which have been bid up in value due to poor quality investment grade high-rise apartment towers speculative developments and exceeding permitted rights; most of which are not fit for purpose speculative investment grade apartments towers only fit for demolition in many cases. The introduction of thousands of newly zoned mid-rise residential grade apartment sites into the market is anticipated to impact the values of major urban projects across Metropolitan Sydney. The Opposition party in NSW faces pressure from supporters due to concerns about market saturation and pricing dynamics; urban sites fluctuate depending on demand or economic factors, like in the case of one desperate developer with a "touch of the shorts" in tough times, we paid 30 cents in the dollar a "public tender" for two city blocks in Darling Harbour the old AMLF woolstores sorted out zoning issues resold 18 months later for a 200% margin. Addressing the shortage of skilled workers and the expensive custom construction methods currently in use, there is a call for scale-up opportunities through advanced modular construction. With over 20,000 tradies leaving NSW last year and a growing need for affordable rental accommodation, adopting innovative construction practices becomes imperative for the industry's sustainability with speed to market; our Thrive Alliance consortia members have over 100,000 major CLT urban projects worldwide. #Sydney #housingcrisis #TOD #advancedmodular

Interested in cluster development in Zimbabwe ? Cluster housing developments can be a good investment in Zimbabwe, but it ultimately depends on various factors such as location, market demand, and the overall economic conditions. Here are some points to consider: 1. Location: The location of the cluster housing development plays a crucial role in its investment potential. Areas with high demand for housing such as Harare North and Harare south with, good infrastructure, proximity to amenities, and desirable neighborhoods tend to attract more buyers or tenants, leading to better returns on investment. 2. Market Demand: Assessing the market demand for cluster housing is essential. Consider factors such as population growth, security, urbanization trends, and the target market's preferences. If there is a strong demand for cluster housing in the targeted area, it can indicate a potentially profitable investment. 3. Affordability and Pricing: The affordability of cluster housing units is crucial for attracting buyers or tenants. Ensure that the pricing is competitive and aligned with market rates. Conduct thorough market research to understand the pricing dynamics and the potential rental or resale value of the units. we at Terezim fortress properties terezim.co.zw will assist you in pricing your clusters and placing a tenant. 4. Developer Reputation: The reputation and track record of the developer you will be using to build the clusters is an important consideration. Research the developer's past projects, quality of construction, and adherence to timelines. A reputable developer with a history of successful projects can provide more confidence in the investment. 5. Maintenance and Management: Cluster housing developments often have shared amenities and common areas that require maintenance and management. Assess the management structure and ensure that there is a reliable system in place to handle maintenance, security, and overall upkeep of the development. In this regard you can contact TEREZIM Fortress Properties on 9774871771 for management assistance 6. Legal and Regulatory Factors: Familiarize yourself with the legal and regulatory framework for cluster housing developments in Zimbabwe. Ensure that the necessary permits, approvals, and compliance requirements are met to avoid any legal issues in the future. It's important to conduct thorough due diligence and consult with real estate professionals or experts ( terezim.co.zw) who have knowledge of the local market conditions in Zimbabwe. They can provide more specific insights and guidance based on the current market dynamics and investment climate.

The best way to make housing more affordable is to get more homes built. That’s exactly what we’re going to do through the Homes for Queenslanders plan we released last week, with an ambitious target of 1 million new homes by 2046. With 95% of the state’s housing supply being delivered by the private sector, achieving this goal will require collaboration among government, the private sector and the community sector. As Planning Minister I listened to ideas put up by industry experts to increase supply. As part of Homes for Queenslanders we’ll deliver: 🏠 Real targets for real supply. We’re the only state that has set statutory dwelling supply targets, including by dwelling type, for each council area. These targets recognise the uniqueness of our communities and respond to growth in a sustainable and balanced way. 🏠 The $350 million Incentivising Infill Fund to provide relief from infrastructure charges for market-ready development, encouraging development in underutilised areas close to jobs, services and facilities. 🏠 We are also bringing forward an Infill Development Strategy to incentivise medium scale, mixed tenure housing projects and exploring different Housing Affordability in Perpetuity mechanisms. 🏠 A new State Facilitated Development Team will be set up to streamline decisions and quickly resolve planning and infrastructure issues delaying new housing projects. 🏠 Five new pilot projects to test different models of inclusionary planning in Queensland. Pilot projects will aim for around 20% affordable housing products by using various incentives such as density bonuses and alternative car parking rates. Keep an eye out for an Expression of Interest seeking proposals. 🏠 Queensland’s Big Build will need a bigger workforce and the residential building sector is already struggling to find enough skilled labour. Our new Queensland Construction Workforce Fund will invest in initiatives to increase apprentices and skilled workers and address barriers to workforce participation. We’re also offering Free Apprenticeships to under 25s to train the next generation of skilled workers. 🏠 A new Distinctly Queensland Design Series will be developed with the Queensland Government Architect. This will provide clear requirements to expedite the delivery of new homes. With design assurance provided by the state, housing diversity such as granny flats, tiny homes, and secondary dwellings will have a clearer process for approval and construction. We will make it digital and easy to use. 🏠 $12.5 million of targeted, needs-based funding will be available for local governments to facilitate strategic planning, and updating of their planning schemes. This is to ensure that schemes are meeting the housing needs of residents, and to unlock homes in the right locations. The plan is there: now we have to get it done. We look forward to working with you to build one million new homes for Queenslanders.

On Sunday, 17 June the Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, and Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, released draft housing targets for each of Victoria’s 79 municipalities. The draft housing targets represent an initial distribution of new homes across each local government area. When finalised, local government housing targets will be an important element of a new plan for Victoria. The targets are expressed in terms of how many additional dwellings are expected in each local government area by 2051. For example, if met, the draft targets would see an additional 139,800 additional dwellings in Greater Geelong by 2051, an average of approximately 4,990 dwellings per year. In Greater Geelong, the dwelling mix can be expected to be delivered in the form of both greenfields growth in new estates and urban consolidation in the form of townhouses, units and apartments. In the City of Yarra, centred on Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond, the draft target is an additional 48,000 dwellings (1,710 dwellings per annum) and almost doubling of the existing housing stock. In a well-established inner urban area like Yarra, the solution will almost inevitably involve building ‘up’. Meanwhile, in the middle-suburban City of Kingston, the draft target is an additional 59,000 dwellings (2,110 dwellings per year) by 2051. In Kingston, the Victorian Government no doubt expects the Suburban Rail Loop station at Southland will see significant residential apartment development around both Southland and Cheltenham stations. In many cases, the draft targets represent significantly higher annual levels of housing delivery than the Victorian Government’s official population and dwelling projection series, Victoria In Future 2023 (released in 2023). Setting targets is one thing. Achieving the targets at both a statewide level and at the municipal level represents a far greater challenge. It is expected many Councils will express concern at the local implications of the draft targets. For the development industry in the short term, the challenges of significant material, labour and financing costs in recent years have rendered many new apartment projects unviable at present, particularly in the middle and outer suburbs. Regardless, achieving the draft targets will require innovative and, in all likelihood, courageous decision-making. Strategic planning that takes into account the real-world likelihood and timing of residential development will be critical. What are your thoughts on the feasibility of achieving these housing targets? Share your comments below 👇 💬 Nick Brisbane Chris McNeill Tim Peggie Jules Griffith Jack O'Connor #VictoriaHousingPlan #HousingCrisis #HousingTargets #UrbanDevelopment #FutureHousing #LocalGovernment #HousingStrategy #BuildingCommunities #UrbanPlanning #UrbanEconomics #UrbanDesign

INCREASING HOUSING DENSITY IN NSW: An overview You may have heard about the NSW Minn’s Government proposals to increase housing density in NSW. Wondering what all the talk about train stations and full line supermarkets means? Let me break it down for you. The Proposal The Minns' Government aims to improve housing affordability by encouraging more housing to be built, particularly near existing transport nodes and shopping centres. This approach is more efficient than building new homes further away from Sydney’s centre, which would require new roads and infrastructure. Studies have shown there are many single houses on large blocks of land, and many apartments in high rise towers, but not so many medium rise dwellings such as townhouses – this is called the ‘missing middle’. The government’s strategy is to take a 3 pronged approach, here’s a summary: 1.    Higher rise Housing - Proposal: “Transport Oriented Design” (TOD); - Location: Near certain train stations. Not applicable to Northern Beaches Council areas. - Heights: residential building heights up to 6 or 7 stories; - Details: This reduces reliance on cars and uses existing transport, service and shopping infrastructure efficiently. 2.    Medium rise housing: - Proposal: Low and Mid Rise housing reforms; - Location: near certain Town Centres, varying from 400 to 800 metres away; - Heights:  residential building heights up to 5 or 6 stories; - What is the definition of a Town Centre?: one which has a full line supermarket and transport node. In the Northern Beaches, currently the following are possible: Mona Vale, Narabeen, Frenchs Forest, Dee Why, Brookvale, Manly and Manly Vale would be included due to their existing services. Balgowlah could be, however smaller centres such as Fairlight are unlikely. - Details: this is quite controversial, as 6 stories is a big change from 2 to 3 stories. While Heritage listed areas are excluded, it would radically alter the character of older centres such as Manly.    1.    Low rise housing: - Proposal: Low and Mid Rise housing reforms; - Location: All NSW, areas zoned R2 Low Density with some exclusions such as Heritage areas; - Heights and density: Allowing 2 to 3 -story buildings. Height limits to be increased from 8.5 to 9.5 metres. Including Dual Occupancies, Terraces, Town houses, Manor houses. There are fine grained requirements such as lot size, width, etc. to consider. Current Status: Many of these proposals are still under consideration and are being released in stages. For instance, from 1 July 2024, Dual Occupancies and Semi-Detached dwellings are allowed in R2 zones, under certain conditions. This change offers the opportunity to replace one home with two. Whilst there is the opportunity to increase housing density, it is important to maintain quality in design, construction and energy efficiency, to provide well loved housing for many years to come. Contact your local Architect or Planner to discuss your specific property.  

The price of Singapore’s public housing: can the west pay and have we lost our way? The New York Times interviews Liu Thai Kher, architect of Singapore's public housing: "The high-rise apartments — some with panoramic views of Singapore’s tropical cityscape — are airy, light-filled and spacious enough to comfortably raise a family. They are also public housing units, and for decades, were emphatically affordable, giving Singapore an enviable rate of homeownership." What's the rate? "Today, close to 80 percent of Singapore’s residents live in public housing, and about 90 percent of the units are owned on a 99-year lease." How many of these residents include adult children living in their parents' HDB flats? 🤷🏻 Recently though: "Now, however, at least a few of the apartments are being sold at a price that would have been unthinkable not long ago: more than $1 million. “I’m sad to see that — because public housing must equal affordability,” said Liu Thai Ker, the urban planner who gets much of the credit for creating the country’s widely lauded approach to housing its citizens." That's S$1 million, not US$1 million. Still a lot of money though. "In a statement, Singapore’s Housing and Development Board said: “The government remains committed to ensuring that public housing remains affordable to Singaporeans.” The million-dollar apartments sold on the secondary market, government officials have said, make up a minuscule fraction of total transactions; as of May, 54 such apartments have sold for more than $1 million." True but it is still symptomatic of a wider problem. For a better idea of the seriousness of the problem, run a search for flats on the secondary market on PropertyGuru Group. There are 6,702 listings for HDB flats. With a S$600,000 filter, that number is down to 3,623 listings. With a S$700,000 filter, there are 2,264 listings. Which means the vast majority of flats are being listed at significantly more than half a million bucks. There are also 763 flats listed at $1 million or more, with 10 listed at $2 million or more. It is true that there is the built-to-order (BTO) market but there are income caps and social engineering rules (basically marriage) to comply with. So the resale market is the true market for many Singaporeans. As to it's original success: "Mr. Liu said Singapore’s model could be replicated in other countries, but he acknowledged that his path was smoothed by the government enforcing a law allowing it to buy land at market prices, which made it easier for him to obtain plots for development. “Most other democratic countries will have difficulty to do that because the landowners will protest,” Mr. Liu said." This is not correct. We abolished our constitutional right to property on independence and while land was indeed originally acquired at market value, this quickly turned to undervalue until 2007, when the market price rule was reinstated. I cannot see any other democratic country replicating this.

🏡 Green light sought for 22 new affordable council homes A planning application for 11 new chalet bungalows and 11 new apartments which will become council homes for affordable rent is about to be lodged by Canterbury City Council. The council’s Planning Committee will be asked to give the green light for the bungalows at the former Sturry Road Social Club site in East Street and the apartments on land at the end of Warwick Road which is home to disused garages. Residents living in those areas have been written to with computer-generated images of how each scheme might look when complete. The aim is to have the schemes shovel-ready so they are good to go when the restrictions put in place to protect the Stodmarsh nature reserve are lifted and opportunities to bring the money in to build the homes present themselves. 💬 Cllr Pip Hazelton, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Delivering new, good quality, affordable housing for the people in our district that so desperately need it is at the heart of what we stand for as a council. 💬 “And despite the funding challenges and the issues at Stodmarsh, we’re setting ourselves really challenging but ambitious targets in this area while pulling together a strategy designed to lay the foundations for more council housing over the next 15 to 20 years.” 💬 Cllr Mike Sole, who leads on social housing delivery and is Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “Our overriding aspiration is to deliver more council housing so we need to explore every available avenue in terms of sites and being able to pay for projects. 💬 “We need to think in different ways and taking advantage of unused or underused pieces of land to build homes for people languishing on our waiting lists is a great example of us encouraging council officers to carry on being forward thinking as well as being determined to dismantle the barriers that might get in our way. 💬 “We want to create a pipeline of schemes that are ready to go so we can leap onto every opportunity for funding that comes along.” Both the bungalows and the apartments have been designed by architects Bell Phillips while Pellings has been appointed as employers agent, the contract administrator which represents the client on a building project. Cllr Mel Dawkins, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, welcomes the fact the homes will be designed with Passivhaus principles in mind. 💬 She said: “Not only will these homes be designed to do the least possible harm to the planet over their lifespan, they will save the people living in them money too at a time when gas and electricity prices are through the roof and we’re all struggling with the cost of living.”

Work has started on a £7.7 million project to deliver a range of affordable homes forming a key portion of a popular East Lothian development.The 38 homes will be built by Cala Homes (East) as part of its Saltcoats Grange development in Gullane and on completion it will become one of the first affordable housing developments in the region to feature full provision of air source heat pumps (ASHP).Designed to blend in with the wider development, the high specification homes will also feature energy-efficient building materials.Once complete, Cala will hand the properties to registered social landlord, Places for People Scotland, which is designating 26 homes as available for social rent and a further 12 for mid-market rent. A wide mix of homes is being provided at the site, including one to three bedroom apartments, cottage flats, semi-detached and terraced homes.Derek Lawson, strategic land director with Cala Homes (East), said: “This is our largest affordable housing project in Gullane over a nearly 10-year programme of building. Being able to start work on these homes takes increased significance given the current housing emergency and the shortfall of quality homes for social and mid-market rent.“The air source heat pumps will bring meaningful benefit to the people that live here, complementing the wider energy-saving features of the homes and at a much lower carbon cost compared to a gas boiler. We look forward to working with Places for People Scotland and ensuring the 38 families that will move in can benefit from excellent, efficient homes.”ASHP are a low carbon heating system for water and heating that uses the same technology in fridges and freezers, in reverse. Heat from outside air is gathered and absorbed into a loop with refrigerant fluid, compressing the air to create heat.By using an ASHP instead of a gas boiler to provide heat for the homes, operational carbon emissions are reduced by around 80%. If the occupants choose to use a green tariff the operation of the system will be zero carbon.Cala anticipates completing work to allow for full occupation by late 2025, at which point it will have delivered 85 affordable homes to Gullane in recent years, steering projects through planning and construction to the handover to families.David Brotherston, senior development manager at Places for People, added: “We are delighted to be working with Cala to provide 38 new homes in Gullane particularly at a time when there is a huge need for high quality, warm and affordable homes to meet the requirements of those with the greatest need.”