Following the land mark judgement in the Courts on 31st July 2015 which removed the Government’s 10 units (5 in rural areas) or 1000sqm threshold for delivering affordable housing (click here for more details), proposals for 10 or fewer dwellings will once again need to deliver affordable housing in accordance with the policies of the respective Development Plan.
An overview of the local affordable housing thresholds in Devon, Dorset, and Somerset is provided below:
Devon
| Local Authority | Affordable Housing Threshold** | Affordable Housing % |
| East Devon* | No lower threshold | 25-50% |
| Exeter | 3+ dwellings | 35% |
| Mid Devon* | 6+ dwellings | 28-30% |
| North Devon & Torridge* | 6+ dwellings | 30% |
| Plymouth | 15+ dwellings | 30% |
| South Hams | No lower threshold | 50% |
| Teignbridge | 5+ dwellings | 20-30% |
| Torquay* | 6+ dwellings | 15-30% |
| West Devon* | 6+ dwellings | 30% |
Dorset
| Local Authority | Affordable Housing Threshold** | Affordable Housing % |
| Bournemouth | No lower threshold | 40% |
| Christchurch & East Dorset | No lower threshold | 40-50% |
| North Dorset* | 6+ dwellings | 25-40% |
| Poole | 6+ dwellings | 40% |
| Purbeck | Net increase of 2+ dwellings | 40-50% |
| West Dorset, Weymouth & Portland* | No lower threshold | 25-35% |
Somerset
| Local Authority | Affordable Housing Threshold** | Affordable Housing % |
| Mendip | No lower threshold | 30-40% |
| Sedgemoor | 5+ dwellings | 20-40% |
| South Somerset | No lower threshold | 5-35% |
| Taunton Deane | 5+ dwellings | 25% |
| West Somerset* | 3+ dwellings | 35% |
Should you require further advice or information in respect of any live applications or forthcoming schemes that may be affected by these changes, then please do not hesitate to contact us.
Notes
* Denotes a requirement set out in an emerging local plan policy.
** Lowest thresholds quoted. Thresholds may vary between settlements within the same authority area.