Purbeck bans sale of new build properties as second homes

By Helen ffitch 19 July 2024, 6:00 am

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The Purbeck Local Plan, which provides a new framework for future planning decisions across the area, has finally been adopted, bringing with it new rules on second homes in Purbeck.

After an astonishing long time of nine years, from its initial draft to final sign off by the planning inspector, the new policy was formally approved at a Dorset Council meeting on Wednesday 18th July 2024.

The new policy has come in too late to stop housing on the site of Swanage’s old grammar school from being sold as second homes

Controversial new housing targets

The Purbeck Local Plan was first conceived by the now defunct Purbeck District Council (PDC), to set out strategies for meeting the area’s need for more new homes while aiming to conserve the natural environment and beauty of Purbeck.

The number of new homes first proposed sparked controversy and was reduced after public consultation but still represents a significant amount of development.

The area covered is the old PDC region, which includes Bere Regis, Lytchett Matravers, Wareham, West Lulworth and Wool, as well as Swanage. There are chapters on environment, housing, economy and local infrastructure.

Plans to redevelop Harrow House in Swanage are expected to be submitted for full planning permission soon, but will the developers comply with the new Purbeck Local Plan legislation?

“Occupied only as a principal residence”

The Purbeck Local Plan also includes a policy for restricting the sale of new build properties as second homes in the Dorset National Landscape, formerly known as the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which covers the whole of the old PDC area:

“New housing in the Dorset National Landscape will only be supported where there is a restriction in perpetuity to ensure that such homes are occupied only as a principal residence. This policy will also be applied to changes of use to residential.” (Page 104)

This means that now the Purbeck Local Plan has been adopted, any new housing built will only be able to be sold by developers as a primary residence and not a second home.

This only applies to new planning permission applications and does not affect recently built properties or sites with planning permission already granted.

Dorset is one of the primary counties in England where second home ownership is at its highest; and within Dorset itself, Swanage and Purbeck are at the top of the table for towns and parishes with the highest levels of second homes.

A similar policy was adopted by the popular Cornish holiday resort of St Ives in 2016, followed by nearby Fowey and Mevigissey.

The plan also sets targets for affordable housing, with developments of 10 or more homes having to provide 40 percent of affordable housing on greenfield sites and 30 percent for brownfield sites (those that have previously been developed).

Smaller developments will have to make a 20 percent financial contribution towards affordable housing provision.

The old grammar school site in Swanage is still under construction and along with the nearby Compass Point development will eventually provide 180 new homes, with 60 of them classed as affordable

“It defends Purbeck”

In the council meeting, the controversy over the number of new homes planned was reheated with Swanage councillor Bill Trite continuing to urge rejection of the local plan, while Swanage councillor Gary Suttle spoke in favour of adoption of the policy.

The plan sets out a target of building 186 new homes per year, totalling 2,976 from 2018 to 2034. This includes large developments at Upton, Lytchett Matravers, Wool and Moreton Station/Redbridge, which will provide a total of 1,200 homes.

Bill Trite speaking in the meeting said that Purbeck was:

“Particularly vulnerable to the steady tide of concrete…The number of houses is far, far too high and should be reconsidered by the council.”

Councillor Shane Bartlett, Dorset Council portfolio holder for planning and emergency planning, who proposed the adoption of the Purbeck Local Plan, said that rejecting it would leave Purbeck:

“Open to speculative development and residents would not thank us for that. This is the most assured way of getting development in Purbeck where we need it.”

Gary Suttle agreed and said that the number of proposed homes was much lower than originally set and was in reality a restrictive number. He added:

“It defends Purbeck, it defends us from having housing estates where we don’t want them…with planning all over the place.”

Figures from 2022 found that 17 percent of Swanage properties were classed as second homes

Higher housing targets more likely in future

The Purbeck Local Plan will eventually be superseded by the Dorset Council Local Plan, although that is on hold due to changes in planning law by the previous Conservative government and will have to be rewritten again in line with the new Labour government’s planning proposals.

It’s highly likely that under the new government’s aim of ‘taking the brakes off planning’ that housing targets for Purbeck will be under pressure to be greatly increased in the future.

However, for now, any new proposed development in Purbeck will only be granted planning permission if it builds a set percentage of affordable housing and agrees not to sell any of the properties as second homes.