Strategy and Policy Framework for Housing – Updated April 2010
(Please note that this is not an exhaustive list but an indication of what we think are the most important documents)
Local Strategic Partnership
 Sustainable Community Strategy
 Local Area Agreement
 Story of Place
Planning
Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing
(PPS3 - revised Jan 2010)
Regional Spatial Strategy (South East
Plan)
 MK
Local
Development
Framework
 MK Core Strategy (Feb 2010)
MK Strategic Housing Land Availability
Assessment (SHLAA)
MK
Strategic
Housing
Market
Assessment (SHMA) - 2009 Update
Health
Health Inequalities Policy Framework
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
2008 (PCT)
Annual Public Health Report 2008
People
Regeneration Strategy / Neighbourhood
Action Plans
Children and Young Peoples Plan
Homelessness Strategy
Older People’s Housing Strategy
BME Housing & Social Care Strategy
Younger People’s Strategy
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/partnership%2Dworking/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=60816
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/planningpolicystatement3.pdf
http://www.gos.gov.uk/gose/planning/regionalPlanning/815640/
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-policy/home.asp
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-policy/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=67949
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/housing-strategy/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=67310
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthinequalities/index.htm
http://www.miltonkeynes.nhs.uk/default-ContentID-999.htm
http://www.mkiobservatory.org.uk/page.aspx?id=1929&siteID=1026
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/regeneration/
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/childrenstrust/
http://www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/housing-needs/displayarticle.asp?DocID=5169&ArchiveNumber=
http://www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/housingstrategy/displayarticle.asp?DocID=8044&ArchiveNumber=
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/housing%2Dstrategy/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=37769
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/housing%2Dstrategy/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=35610
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School Census - Pupils
MK Population Bulletin/ Social Atlas
MK Population Bulletin Update Dec 09
http://www.mkiobservatory.org.uk/document.aspx?id=8569&siteID=1026
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/statistics/home.asp
http://www.mkiobservatory.org.uk/Download/Public/1026/DOCUMENT/8796/2009%20Update.doc
MK Community Cohesion Strategy
2008
Housing Design
Code for Sustainable Homes 2007
English Partnerships legacy Quality
Standards November 2007
Housing Corporation legacy Design &
Quality Standards April 2007
Lifetime
Homes
Lifetime
Neighbourhoods – Feb 08
Homes and Communities Agency
(HCA) Proposed Core Housing Design
and Sustainability Standards
Draft MK Residential Design Guide Jan
2010
Lifetime Homes Standards
Housing Conditions
Decent Homes Standard 2000
BRE Report on MK Private Sector
Stock Condition Jan 2010
Housing Revenue Account Business
Plan 2005
http://www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/regeneration/displayarticle.asp?DocID=24069&ArchiveNumber
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/futureofcodeconsultation
http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/qualitystandards.htm
http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/upload/pdf/Design_quality_standards_v4.pdf
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/lifetimehomesneighbourhoods
http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/design-sustainability-standards
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/urban-design/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=68901
www.lifetimehomes.org.uk
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/decenthome
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/housing%2Dstrategy/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=64526
http://www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/housingneeds/displayarticle.asp?DocID=19770&ArchiveNumber=
Delivery
Local Investment Plan
http://www.miltonkeynespartnership.info/about_MKP/local_investment_plan_2009.php
Economy
MK Economic Vision
http://www.mkelp.co.uk/mkelp%2Dhome/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=61222
Economic / recession / employment / http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/recessionbusters/
debt
Other
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Regional Housing Strategy 2008-11
Milton Keynes Housing Strategy
Council Plan
Safer MK;
http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/housing_strategy.html
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/housing%2Dstrategy/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=18891
http://www.miltonkeynes.gov.uk/best-value/displayarticle.asp?DocID=24106&ArchiveNumber=
http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/safermk/home.asp
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Local Strategic Partnership
The Local Strategic Partnership is a high level partnership bringing together a wide range of
public, private, voluntary and community interests. Its aim is to promote the sustainable,
social, economic and environmental well being of the people of Milton Keynes.
Sustainable Community Strategy
The community has a clear vision for the future of our great city. We want to ensure Milton
Keynes remains one of the most desirable cities in which to live, an attractive business
investment location and a rewarding place to work. This Sustainable Community Strategy
maps out what we are going to do in order to realise this vision. It details the actions we are
planning to make sure the city continues to build a strong urban soul in harmony with its rural
environment.
This handbook is our community’s blueprint for the future of Milton Keynes. It outlines the
work we have to do together with our partners in order to build our city the way we want it.
We are committed to delivering the Vision which is as follows:
“A City that Thinks Differently, Embraces Evolution and Champions Change”.
Local Area Agreement
The LAA is a three year agreement between a local area (the Council and its partners) and
central government. The LAA describes how local priorities will be met by delivering local
solutions and will provide the Government and other partners a snap shot view of
performance in a local area. The Milton Keynes LAA 2008-2011 was signed off on 3 June
2008. The chosen indicators were subject to extensive discussion within the council and
externally, including private and voluntary sector partners as well as other public sector
delivery agents
Story of Place
The LAA priorities were developed during 2007/08 through a further comprehensive set of
consultations. The results of these were summarised in “The Milton Keynes Story of Place”
which form the basis of the action planning in the Sustainable Community Strategy and will
deliver the vision.
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Planning
Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3)
Planning Policy Statements (PPS) set out the Government’s national policies on aspects of
planning in England. PPS3 sets out the national planning policy framework for delivering the
Government’s housing objectives.
PPS3 reflects the Government’s commitment to improving the affordability and supply of
housing in all communities, including rural areas. It should be taken into account by Local
Planning Authorities and Regional Planning Bodies in the preparation of their Local
Development Documents and Regional Spatial Strategies. They should consider the extent
to which emerging Local Development Documents and Regional Spatial Strategies can have
regard to the policies in this statement whilst maintaining plan-making programmes.
PPS3 sets out the Government’s key housing policy goal, which is to ensure that everyone
has the opportunity of living in a decent home, which they can afford, in a community where
they want to live. To achieve this, the Government is seeking:
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To achieve a wide choice of high quality homes, both affordable and market housing,
to address the requirements of the community.
To widen opportunities for home ownership and ensure high quality housing for those
who cannot afford market housing, in particular those who are vulnerable or in need.
To improve affordability across the housing market, including by increasing the supply
of housing.
To create sustainable, inclusive, mixed communities in all areas, both urban and rural.
These housing policy objectives provide the context for planning for housing through
development plans and planning decisions. The specific outcomes that the planning system
should deliver are:
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High quality housing that is well-designed and built to a high standard
A mix of housing, both market and affordable, particularly in terms of tenure and price,
to support a wide variety of households in all areas, both urban and rural.
A sufficient quantity of housing taking into account need and demand and seeking to
improve choice.
Housing developments in suitable locations, which offer a good range of community
facilities and with good access to jobs, key services and infrastructure.
A flexible, responsive supply of land – managed in a way that makes efficient and
effective use of land, including re-use of previously-developed land, where
appropriate.
Further key requirements are:

Local Planning Authorities need to assess and demonstrate the extent to which
existing plans already identify and maintain a rolling five-year supply of deliverable
land for housing, particularly in connection with making planning decisions (the
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment or SHLAA)

A Strategic Housing Market Assessment which should assess the need for both
market and affordable housing. It should be a key part of the evidence base for local
authorities when it sets its housing policies in its Local Development Frameworks
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PPS3 also contains a definition of affordable housing which is as follows:
‘Affordable housing includes social rented and intermediate housing, provided to specified
eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. Affordable housing should:

Meet the needs of eligible households including availability at a cost low enough for
them to afford, determined with regard to local incomes and local house prices.

Include provision for the home to remain at an affordable price for future eligible
households or, if these restrictions are lifted, for the subsidy to be recycled for
alternative affordable housing provision’.
Social rented housing is:
‘Rented housing owned and managed by local authorities and registered social landlords, for
which guideline target rents are determined through the national rent regime. The proposals
set out in the Three Year Review of Rent Restructuring (July 2004) were implemented as
policy in April 2006. It may also include rented housing owned or managed by other persons
and provided under equivalent rental arrangements to the above, as agreed with the local
authority or with the Housing Corporation as a condition of grant.’
Intermediate affordable housing is:
‘Housing at prices and rents above those of social rent, but below market price or rents and
which meet the criteria set out above. These can include shared equity products (e.g.
HomeBuy), other low cost homes for sale and intermediate rent.’
Regional Spatial Strategy (The South East Plan)
Regional planning looks at spatial planning issues over larger areas of the country, made up
of individual counties and unitary authorities. Regional plans address issues such as major
infrastructure, housing targets and growth centres which require a wider, joined up, approach
that is not possible at the local authority level. Regional plans also set out the vision for the
specific regions. The South East Plan has been finalised and was published on 6th May
2009, replacing RPG9 (2001). The Plan forms the Regional Spatial Strategy for the whole
South East region, including Milton Keynes. It contains policies dealing with issues such as
how many homes are needed to meet the future needs of the people in the region, guidance
on where these can best be accommodated in Milton Keynes, where employment growth will
be located and safeguarding the environment.
Within Milton Keynes Unitary Authority, provision will be made for 41,360 dwellings between
2006 and 2026 from the following sources:
1. 34,160 dwellings in and around the Milton Keynes urban area including sites identified
in the adopted local plan and additional sites to be found through strategic housing
land availability assessments
2. 4,800 dwellings as part of a development of 10,400 dwellings to the south-east of
Milton Keynes (leaving a balance of 5,600 dwellings to be found in Bedfordshire
subject to assessment through the East of England RSS review)
3. 2,400 dwellings in the rural area/rest of Milton Keynes.
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MK Local Development Framework
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 came into force in September 2004. In
line with the new regulations, Milton Keynes Council has begun work on preparing a new
Local Development Framework which will take over from the Local Plan. The Local
Development Framework will be a folder of documents that sets out how the local area may
change over the next few years.
The LDF will contain:
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A Local Development Scheme (LDS);
Development Plan Documents (DPDs);
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs);
A Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)
Core Strategy
In determining the local, sub-regional and regional level of housing provision, Local Planning
Authorities and Regional Planning Bodies, working together, should take into account:
– Evidence of current and future levels of need and demand for housing and affordability
levels based upon:
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Local and sub-regional evidence of need and demand, set out in Strategic Housing
Market Assessments and other relevant market information such as long term house
prices.
Advice from the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) on the impact
of the proposals for affordability in the region.
The Government’s latest published household projections and the needs of the
regional economy, having regard to economic growth forecasts.
– Local and sub-regional evidence of the availability of suitable land for housing using
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments and drawing on other relevant
information such as the National Land Use Database and the Register of Surplus Public
Sector Land.
– The Government’s overall ambitions for affordability across the housing market, including
the need to improve affordability and increase housing supply.
– A Sustainability Appraisal of the environmental, social and economic implications, including
costs, benefits and risks of development. This will include considering the most sustainable
pattern of housing, including in urban and rural areas.
In Local Development Documents, Local Planning Authorities should set an overall (i.e. planwide) target for the amount of affordable housing to be provided. The target should reflect
the definition of affordable housing in PPS3. It should also reflect an assessment of the
likely economic viability of land for housing within the area, taking account of risks to delivery
and drawing on informed assessments of the likely levels of finance available for affordable
housing, including public subsidy and the level of developer contribution that can reasonably
be secured. Local Planning Authorities should aim to ensure that provision of affordable
housing meets the needs of both current and future occupiers, taking into account
information from the Strategic Housing Market Assessment.
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MK Core Strategy
The Core Strategy is a key document in the Local Development Framework. The Core
Strategy sets the vision, objectives and strategy for the spatial development of the Borough.
It forms the basis of all new planning policies the council will apply in the future
On 12 January 2010 the Core Strategy was approved by Full Council to be published for
Pre-Submission comment, following amendments made at Cabinet on the 5th and 7th of
January.
The Consultation period on the Core Strategy closed at the end of March, and the comments
received will be formally reported back to the Council in due course.
MK Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)
Milton Keynes Council has prepared a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment
(SHLAA) as required by Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3). The purpose of the
SHLAA is to assess sites across the Borough with potential for housing development over
the next 15 years. The SHLAA:
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Identifies sites with potential for housing (the assessment only looks at new sites for a
minimum of 5 units);
Assesses their housing potential; and
Assesses when they are likely to be developed.
The Assessment aims to identify as many suitable sites as possible so that the strategic
housing requirement for the Borough can be demonstrated for at least 10 years of the plan
period, but preferably for at least 15 years. The process also identifies a range of sites to
provide choice in future decisions about where development could happen.
The SHLAA is a technical background study and an aid to plan making. It does not make
decisions regarding the allocation of sites for development. This is a process, which is
undertaken through Development Plan Documents (DPDs), including the Core Strategy and
the Site Allocations DPD, which has commenced production in 2010. It will be for the Core
Strategy and the Site Allocations DPD to compare identified sites and make decisions about
the future of sites through more detailed assessments and consultation with stakeholders
and the general public. The SHLAA is an ongoing process and will be updated after April
2010.
Table 8.1 shows that there are developable sites available to meet the overall annualised
South East Plan (SEP) housing requirement in Milton Keynes. This does not take into
account any ‘broad areas’ or ‘windfall’ development. Specifically, in the case of the urban
area, the number of sites identified through the assessment is in excess of the annualised
housing requirements for that area.
MK Strategic Housing Market Assessment
The Milton Keynes Strategic Housing Market Assessment (MKSHMA) seeks to identify the
future housing requirements of new and existing households in Milton Keynes. It is an
important part of the “evidence base” for the Local Development Framework. The SHMA is
a document that is required by PPS3 and is covered by separate Government Guidance
issued in 2007.
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The SHMA of research carried out by Opinion Research Services. They interviewed 2,400
households in 2006 and a further 800 households subsequently in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The results were modelled to show the future housing requirements of the Borough.
The 2009 SHMA Update estimates that there is a net requirement for 16,832 extra dwellings
in Milton Keynes over the next five years (3,366 per annum, which is considerably higher
than the average of around 2,000 homes in the South East Plan). This represents an
increase of 250 units when compared with the results of the 2007 housing requirements
survey. One of the factors driving this change in housing requirements is an increase in the
number of households forecasted to move to Milton Keynes and a decrease in the number of
households forecasted to leave in the next five years.
Using CLG guidance to assess housing affordability, the 2009 housing requirements survey
identifies that 73% of the total housing requirement should be provided in the form of market
housing, 12% as intermediate housing and 15% as social rented housing. When using the
McClements equivalence* scale to assess housing affordability for the private rented sector,
the 2009 housing requirements survey identifies that 68% of the total housing requirement
should be provided in the form of market housing, 7% as intermediate housing and 25% as
social rented housing.
The Council’s current policy is for 30% affordable on any development, of which 25% is
social rent and 5 % other affordable tenures (Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning
Document 2007).
We also collect data from people who approach our Housing Options team for assistance.
This shows that we get about 1,000 clients a month of which 200/300 are “Band 1
applicants”1, that is they are the highest priority for Housing.
We find housing options for around 2,300 cases a year in either social stock or the private
rented sector, with some shared ownership.
Joint Housing Delivery Team (JHDT)
In January 2003 the former English Partnerships and Milton Keynes Council set up a Joint
Housing Delivery Team. Key objectives are to deliver more housing more quickly, and to
work together to identify and wherever possible remove obstacles that could prevent this.
Membership of the Team was subsequently broadened to include representatives from the
Government Office from the South East and the former Housing Corporation. The purpose
of the Joint Housing Delivery Team (JHDT) is to provide a joint working arrangement
between:
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Milton Keynes Partnership (MKP)
Milton Keynes Council (MKC),
Government Office for the South East (GOSE)
The former Housing Corporation (now part of the Homes and Communities AgencyHCA)
The key purpose of JHDT is to monitor and facilitate the delivery of new homes in Milton
Keynes. In particular, JHDT brings these organisations together to help attain housing
completion targets contained in:
Band 1 is the highest category of housing need which in turn reflect the “reasonable preferences set out in the
Housing Act 1996 (for example, homeless households, people with medical needs)
1
9
•
•
•
•
The Local Investment Plan (LIP);
The Council Local Development Framework/Local Plan;
The South East Plan
Any updates to these documents
JHDT works to deliver relevant targets that the individual organisations may have (for
example, the HCA’s National Affordable Housing Programme). It takes a high-level strategic
approach to housing deliver by:
•
•
•
Focusing on potential problems/blockages/risks;
Developing strategies to overcome any problems;
Generally aiming to keep the programme on schedule to meet agreed targets
The team receives regular progress reports from Project Managers. If it is unable to resolve
issue it presents them to a joint MKP/MKC Programme Management Board (PMB). The
remit of the PMB is to oversee implementation of the MKP Business Plan. The Chair of
JHDT is a member of the PMB.
The JHDT will ensure that all projects are delivered in accordance with the established
polices, strategies and procedures of the delivery agencies represented on the team and
with the Local Investment Plan. Furthermore, it aims to ensure that the decision-making
bodies of the delivery agencies, PMB and the Milton Keynes Partnership Committee (MKPC)
receive consistent advice, with all technical issues having been resolved as far as possible
before recommendations are made. There is also scope for the JHDT to ensure that
relevant government bodies and external stakeholders are aware of and respond to the
positions taken by the team.
However, neither MKC nor actually build homes themselves. Consequently, much depends
upon the planning system and external factors including the state of the economy and the
housing market.
How we can encourage development
There are a number of ways in which the Council and its partners can encourage
development. Some examples are as follows:
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Deferred payments for HCA/Council land
“Kick Start” funding (a system of Government equity loans/investment to re-start
construction work on sites that have stalled)
Varying tenure types to make schemes more viable
Waiving or reducing financial contributions required from housebuilders
Building Council homes
Building Council Homes
In June 2009 the Government announced that it would remove all new housing built by local
authorities to be outside of the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy System. At the end of
March 2010 it published proposals to reform the Subsidy System completely and put a new
emphasis on local authorities building new homes (within the context of a 30 year Business
Plan) Given the amount of new housing needed in Milton Keynes and the current economic
situation, it would seem sensible for the Council to build its own homes.
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However, the Council has not built its own accommodation since the mid 1990’s and it no
longer has all of the in-house expertise that it would need. There are also some other
practical issues that it needs to overcome first as follows:
Land:- The Council does not have enough land in its ownership to support a house-building
programme to meet the needs identified by the Draft SHMA 2009. There is also an issue
that if it makes land available for its own house-building programme at nil cost (which it
would need to do in order to attract Social Housing Grant), it would have to forgo a capital
receipt that it could use on other Council priorities (such as improving its own existing
homes);
Social Housing Grant:- Social Housing Grant (SHG) typically covers around 45-50% of the
costs of building new homes. Bidding for SHG is a competitive process. Given that all local
authority borrowing and spending is counted as public expenditure, bids made by local
authorities will not appear as attractive as bids made by house builders or RPs;
Borrowing:- As SHG only covers some of the construction costs, the Council would have to
borrow the remainder. The Council would therefore be incurring debt on building new
properties which it would have to repay at a cost of £67,000 per annum for each £1m that it
borrowed over 50 years. It is currently facing the prospect of taking on around £230m The
Government has also proposed to continue with a cap on local authority borrowing for
housing purposes;
Right to Buy:- Properties funded with SHG would be subject to the “Right to Buy”. Grant
would then have to be repaid to the Government. Consequently the Council would have to
sell the property, pay back the Grant but be left with residual debt on the property;
Expertise/Capacity:- The Council has not built its own properties since the mid 1990’s and
it no longer has the range of architectural/quantity surveying/project management services
that it would need. Whilst some of these skills could be brought-in from the private sector, or
Registered Providers (RPs), the money to pay for this would still need to be found;
Existing Stock:- The Government expects local authorities to identify the need for new
homes as part of the Business Planning process. The Council’s 2005 HRA Business Plan
showed that to carry out all capital investment works identified as desirable, we would need
£528m over the next 30 years, but will only have access to £373m, a shortfall of £155m.
Consequently it could be argued that all available resources should be directed towards the
improvements/repairs needed to the existing stock;
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Health
Health Inequalities Policy Framework
Over the last 50 years, there have been impressive social economic and health
improvements in this country. People from every class and region are healthier and living
longer than ever before. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to share the benefits of these
improvements. It is essential that everyone is empowered and encouraged to do so.
Health inequalities are unacceptable. They start early in life and persist not only into old age
but subsequent generations. Tackling health inequalities is a top priority for the Government,
and it is focused on narrowing the health gap between disadvantaged groups, communities
and the rest of the country, and on improving health overall.
Concerted action to reduce the health gap permeates programmes within the Department of
Health and is supported across Government. The Secretary of State for health has
announced a new comprehensive strategy for reducing health inequalities, confirmed in the
‘Our NHS Our future: NHS next stage review - interim report’. The new strategy will
challenge the NHS, as a key player, to live up to its founding and enduring values of
universality and fairness addressing unjustified gaps in health status, fair access to NHS
services for all and good outcomes for all.
A new programme in thirty areas of the country will support the health service and local
public sector organisations to work together to reduce inequalities by tackling local
challenges. ‘Healthy Places, Healthy Lives’ will encourage local leadership on the health
inequalities agenda and share learning, meaning that health inequalities becomes
everybody’s business. The programme is a further call to arms to all public services to play
their part in giving everyone an equal chance for good health - and practical help in how to
achieve this.
The NHS is already working with local authorities and other public services on board to help
tackle inequalities. This new programme will boost current and future work and will be
informed by the emerging recommendations from the post 2010 strategic review of health
inequalities (the ‘Marmot Review’). The Marmot Review process has already demonstrated
that social factors including where you are born and the environment in which you grow up
and work in have a significant impact on your future health
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2008
Every local authority and PCT in England, led by their Directors of Public Health, Adult Social
Services, and Children’s Services, has developed a joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA)
that identifies the health and wellbeing needs (and inequalities in those needs) of their local
population. The JSNA will be used widely: to inform the Community Strategy and the Local
Area Agreement for the area, and to underpin strategic commissioning plans of both council
and PCT. The JSNA builds upon (and should be read in conjunction with) other broad
reaching assessments of the health and well-being of the Milton Keynes public, such as the
public health annual report. Needs assessment is a continuous process. The JSNA will be
refreshed and improved upon annually.
The principal health issues facing our community are relative high levels of respiratory
diseases, alcohol misuse and obesity. As with the national trend the leading causes of death
12
locally are circulatory diseases, cancer and respiratory diseases. Collectively we need to
reflect on these issues and identify how as a community we can address these issues.
Mental health affects around one in ten of the population. Consequently we need to explore
opportunities to improve collaboration around mental health issues and promote the well
being of young people and those at high risk of mental health problems.
Health inequalities between the most and least affluent areas in Milton Keynes are an
important issue. In Milton Keynes there is a strong relationship between socio economic
deprivation and ill health, this is demonstrated by the lower levels of life expectancy in wards
with the lowest levels of income.
Together we can realise the benefits of longer life expectancy through improving our health
and supporting people to lead independent lives with a greater emphasis on prevention. An
aspect of this is to help all ages of the community realise their health by developing healthier
habits, particularly around physical activity.
Annual Public Health Report 2008
Inequalities in life expectancies between wards have improved on last year. Those in the
least deprived wards on average now live 8.8 years longer than those in the most deprived
wards (compared to 9.2 years difference in 2006) – however, this still remains a significant
inequality. Olney remains in the top 10% most affluent areas in the country, with Woughton
among the 20% most deprived. Eaton Manor and Woughton remain in the 10% most
deprived wards in England in relation to education, skills and training. Key points were:

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Life expectancy in Milton Keynes continues to rise:
The total number of deaths in Milton Keynes in 2007 was 1,500, of which 40% were in
people aged under 75 years.
The standardised mortality rate (SMR) for Milton Keynes is comparable to that for
England and Wales
Circulatory diseases and cancer remain the leading causes of death in Milton Keynes
The local infant mortality rate (deaths under one year) remains higher than national
and regional rates
National statistics suggest that 1 in 4 people at any one time are subject to mental
illness. Mental health data for Milton Keynes is currently inadequate and needs to be
improved. Suicide rates in Milton Keynes increased in 2007 and whilst remaining low,
are no longer statistically significantly low
Smoking prevalence in Milton Keynes is estimated to be 25%, with the highest
prevalence in younger age groups
Alcohol remains a major public health problem. In Milton Keynes, hospital admissions
for alcohol specific conditions are relatively high in the South East region
Obesity is a growing public health concern. In Milton Keynes, it is estimated that
nearly a quarter of adults are obese
Diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) is increasing nationally and in
Milton Keynes. Locally, this rise is partly because of improved access to diagnostic
services, but also results from its diverse and youthful population
In 2008, there was improved access to dental health services across Milton Keynes.
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People
Regeneration Strategy / Neighbourhood Action Plans
The strategy highlights the key challenges facing the whole city, focussing on those which
are concentrated in the deprived areas and sets a framework for the development of
individual Neighbourhood Action Plans. The approach of the Neighbourhood Regeneration
Strategy is driven by the view that services will be improved and communities strengthened
only where there is effective engagement and empowerment of the community. It is based
on the premise that enabled communities drive the shape of their neighbourhoods and the
services they receive to deliver a shared vision for the area.
The Neighbourhood Regeneration Strategy establishes a framework for the disadvantaged
estates and neighbourhoods. The strategy will foster a tailored approach to improvement
that will be focussed on outcomes and appropriate to the needs of each neighbourhood.
The strategy’s ambition is:
To arrest and reverse the cycle of neighbourhood decline thereby transforming the
life prospects of the most deprived residents
The strategy is designed to support neighbourhoods to develop action plans which improve
local prospects through sustainable and long-lasting action. The action plans will be guided
by the strategy’s analysis of wider, systemic pressures notably structural economic changes,
demographic changes and environmental pressures.
The Neighbourhood Regeneration Strategy will help to co-ordinate plans for regeneration
(economic, physical, social and human) in neighbourhoods across the city, to set realistic
timescales, and to attract longer term and more sustainable funding for neighbourhood
initiatives. The strategy also attempts to create policy linkages and connections across the
city which can be drawn down to specific neighbourhoods for their benefit. The central
premise of the strategy is that neighbourhood regeneration or renewal simply will not work if
it is ‘top –down’. It seeks to provide a framework through which the neighbourhoods are
empowered to assess and improve their physical, economic, social and human ‘capital’.
The neighbourhoods will be prioritised using rankings from the Index of Multiple Deprivation
2007 (IMD). The IMD provides comparative data of how neighbourhoods across the country
are performing, revealing the struggling neighbourhoods and the reasons for performance.
19 neighbourhoods in Milton Keynes have been identified as having a significant percentage
of the estate falling into the most disadvantaged 25% nationally and have been targeted for
support by virtue of their multiple disadvantage. Neighbourhood Action Plans are currently
being worked up in the pilot areas of the Lakes Estate, Tinkers Bridge and Fishermead.
14
Children and Young Peoples Plan
Services working within the Milton Keynes Children's Trust have agreed a new Children and
Young People's Plan for the next two years. The Plan sets out it will work in partnership to
improve the wellbeing of all children and young people in Milton Keynes, and the actions we
will be taking together to achieve our aspirations for them.
It does not include everything that we do, but focuses on the areas where partners can work
together to make the most difference and achieve our shared vision that:
All our children and young people are happy, safe, healthy and successful and
achieve their full potential in the aspirational community of Milton Keynes
The Children and Young People’s Plan 2009-11 looks at what is better for children, young
people and families in Milton Keynes since we published our first Plan for 2006-09, and what
we have done during that time to improve services across the Children's Trust. It also sets
out where we still need to focus attention, and the actions we will be taking together to
achieve our aspirations for our children and young people. These are that:
All children and young people whatever their backgrounds and needs, however complex, are
at their optimal level of fitness and health and knowledgeable about how to keep themselves
that way;

All children and young people are able to access a wide range of quality services,
opportunities and leisure activities to ensure their emotional and physical wellbeing;

All children and young people and their families feel and are safe and secure, living in
stable homes, neighbourhoods and communities;

All children and young people are highly motivated and achieve their full potential;

Vulnerable children and young people achieve as highly as their peers;

Schools and settings provide inspirational, broad and personalised experiences and
opportunities so that all children attend regularly, enjoying and gaining maximum benefit
from their learning;

Milton Keynes will be a recognised centre of excellence, where the voices of children and
young people and their families are paramount in determining their support needs;

Child poverty is not a barrier to success;

All children and young people have the appropriate skills and knowledge to access
further education, training, or work;

All children and young people are able to access the full 14-19 entitlement via different
pathways.
15
Homelessness Strategy
The Homelessness Act 2000 placed a duty on local authorities to carry out a review of
homelessness, and to formulate and publish a Homelessness Strategy. The key priorities of
the Homelessness Strategy 2003 for Milton Keynes were:

To prevent homelessness

To secure sufficient accommodation that is and will be available to meet the needs of
people in Milton Keynes who are, or may become homeless;

To secure the satisfactory provision of support services for people who may become
homeless or who may have been homeless and need support to stop them from
becoming homeless again

To secure continuous improvements in homelessness services and develop Best
Practice
In July 2008 the Government published Statutory Guidance entitled ‘Creating Strong, Safe
and Prosperous Communities’. The Guidance specified that local authorities are required to
refresh their Homelessness Strategies at least every five years. Also recognising the
importance of ensuring that the strategic vision for the area takes full and proper account of
housing, local authorities are expected to incorporate revised homelessness strategies and
housing strategies within their Sustainable Community Strategy where possible.
It has been the intention to combine the Homelessness Strategy refresh into the main
Housing Strategy, and this is still the intention though the MKSHP process
16
Older People’s Housing Strategy 2005
This strategy seeks to bring together information about population growth and housing needs
with information about housing supply and the condition of the housing stock, all in relation to
older people. The strategy recognises that apart from good housing older people need
security, housing support and ready access to health and social care. If older people are to
be given the opportunity to live independently at home as they become frailer, then good
quality housing and housing support services are vital, but to work effectively these need to
be closely linked to accessible health and social care services. In addition housing support
services can encourage active community participation and the take up of leisure other
services that promote well-being.
Older people in Milton Keynes, as elsewhere, are not a homogenous group. People have
different wishes, aspirations and needs. It is important that housing provision, now and in the
future, offers a wide range of choice of size and type of housing, of different forms of tenure
and of different housing support services.
The Vision of the Strategy is as follows:
‘Older People will have a choice of housing types and tenures that are both affordable and of
good quality, together with easy access to and choice of care and support services when
needed.’
The Aims of the Strategy are as follows:






Provide a range and choice of housing to older people
Give older people the help they need to keep their independence and remain in their
own homes
Ensure that all homes occupied by older people meet the Decent Homes standard,
regardless of tenure
Ensure housing support and community alarm services are available to all who need
them regardless of tenure
Encourage the development of extra care sheltered housing for people with housing,
health and social care needs
Actively encourage that all new homes in Milton Keynes are built to ‘Lifetime homes’
standard, so that they are suitable for older people as their needs change
The Strategy was written in 2005 which was prior to the Government’s strategy Lifetime
Homes Lifetime Neighbourhoods
17
BME Housing & Social Care Strategy 2007
In terms of evolution and diversity, the 2001 Census showed that the Black and Minority
Ethnic (BME) population of the Borough was 13.2%. The Milton Keynes Housing Needs
Study (MK HNS) 2006 found that this had increased to 17% showing that the increasing
diversity of our population is a key part of Milton Keynes’ evolution.
One of the tasks set out in the Housing Strategy Action Plan was to produce a BME Housing
and Social Care Strategy. This strategy outlined the national housing and social care context
for BME communities. It then looked at the BME population in Milton Keynes, including the
size, age breakdown, household types and tenure. Finally it outlined the issues that related
to housing and social care services in Milton Keynes. The Strategy also includes the Gypsy
and Traveller Accommodation Needs Strategy.
Key findings were as follows:
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
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BME households were experiencing difficulties with affording suitable housing;
BME households appear to have a preference for Council housing;
BME households were over represented in Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) rented
properties,
Offenders of racial harassment were most likely to be White and victims were most likely
to be White, Black Caribbean, Black African and Asian Other.
BME households were more likely to experience overcrowding than White households
There were significantly higher unemployment rates amongst Black African, Mixed White
and Black African and Black Other than any other groups in Milton Keynes.
Mixed BME and Black or Black British households were more likely to have higher
incidences of single parenthood than White British households
The Bangladeshi community showed the highest levels of no formal qualifications than
any other BME group.
Black or Black British communities were the largest single BME group to be represented
in homeless statistics
BME service users are under represented in social care services in comparison to the
Milton Keynes population, however are similar to the National Social Care statistics;
The majority BME service users were clients with a physical disability or a mental health
problem;
Research undertaken by the Learning Disability Service suggests that there is not a need
to develop specialist services for BME people with learning disabilities;
According to the MK HNS 2006, BME households were less likely to have a member with
a health problem than all households who took part in the study;
The Milton Keynes Public Health Report 2005 found that there were high presentations
amongst BME communities for schizophrenia.
2.9% of the Milton Keynes Council’s Sheltered Housing population were from BME
communities;
Older people from BME communities are more likely to attend lunch clubs run by their
own communities than generic ones.
18
Younger Person’s Housing Strategy
In March 2005 the Government accepted the Council’s Housing Strategy as being “fit for
purpose. In the Action Plan we stated that we would prepare a Young Persons' Housing
Strategy (by which we meant people aged 16-24 year old).
We used two methods of research for this Strategy. The first method looked at statistical
data relating to young people in Milton Keynes. This included data such as population,
migration, homelessness, tenure and incomes. The second method was to consult with
young people and organisations that work with young people.
The combination of these research methods helped us to identify the housing needs of
young people. Our Young Persons' Housing Strategy included an Action Plan, which
outlined the gaps in current housing provision and shows measures to fill the gaps.
The Young Persons' Housing Strategy aims to shape future housing provision for young
people and give them the same opportunities as the general population to access housing. It
will also identify areas where further research is needed to clarify specific issues related to
access to housing information and reasons for young people leaving Milton Keynes.
Key findings in the Strategy were as follows:






The majority of young person households had an income of less than £20,000 per
annum;
Over 80% of young person households had no savings, which was more or less in
line with the findings for all households;
Just over a quarter of young person households received Housing Benefit, which was
twice as many as all households in receipt of Housing Benefit
The majority of young person households rented their home from a private landlord.
There was a higher proportion of young person households renting privately and
renting from the Council than found in all households;
Young person households lived mainly in either two or three bedroom housing. A
higher proportion of young person households lived in one and two bedroom
properties that the general population;
The Milton Keynes Housing Needs Study 2006 showed that for young person
households that took part in the survey, 39% were able to afford market housing, 23%
were able to afford intermediate housing and 38% of young person households were
only able to afford social rented housing.
19
School Census (Pupils) 2009
Key findings from the Spring 2009 Schools Census are as follows:

Overall in Milton Keynes, Black and Minority Ethnic groups represent 29.2% of Pupils.
This compares with the 2005 findings of 20.7%.

According to the schools census data, there is a higher than average proportion of
minority ethnic groups in Nursery and Reception years, accounting for 35.5% of all
pupils. Of those of primary school age 31.2% come from minority ethnic groups, and
25.1% of those of secondary school age come from minority ethnic groups.

In the sixth forms there are higher percentages (27.2%) of black and minority ethnic
groups than in compulsory secondary education (25.1%).

The Black African Group is the largest minority ethnic group accounting for 7.4% of
pupils. This is followed by the Mixed (5.2%) and White other groups (3.7%).

Black Caribbean pupils form just 0.9% of the Milton Keyes pupil population. Black
Other pupils now account for 1.4%.

Indian pupils make up the largest population in the Asian ethnic group with 960 pupils
forming 2.5% of the pupil population in Milton Keynes. Pakistanis make up 2.4% of
the pupil population and Bangladeshi’s 1.5%.

Chinese pupils form just 0.7% of the Milton Keynes pupil population.
20
MK Population Bulletin/Demographics
The Population Bulletin provides a comprehensive update of demographic information for
Milton Keynes. It contains information such as population projections by age, wards,
parishes, and estates and settlements. It also contains information on ethnicity, household
size and housing growth.
The 2008/2009 Milton Keynes Population Bulletin provides a comprehensive update of
demographic information for Milton Keynes. It has been updated to incorporate all the
information available from the 2001 Census and subsequent revisions to the population
estimates.
The 2001 Census count for April 2001 in Milton Keynes was 207,057 people, but the 2001
midyear estimate of the population of Milton Keynes borough was 212,710. Most of the
difference in population was assumed to be in the city area, rather than the rural area. This
had the effect of significantly altering the current and projected population of Milton Keynes
Borough.
The official estimates of the population from 2002 to 2005 were revised by the Office for
National Statistics in autumn 2007. They also revised data on international migration. These
changes have been incorporated into the latest population estimates and projections. In
addition, some local data used to estimate the estate populations have been updated. These
changes have affected both the expected numbers of households and the projected size of
the population.
As a result of extraordinary economic circumstances, the housing completion forecasts have
been dramatically cut in the short term. In addition, lower than forecast completions in the
past had meant that more dwellings had been added to targets from 2011. It now seems less
likely that high levels of completions will be achieved and so these have no longer been
added to future forecasts. The latest forecasts used show a reduced number of completions,
rising gradually from 2010/11 but not exceeding 2,000 completions per annum until 2013/14.
The 2008/09 Milton Keynes Population Bulletin estimated the population as being 231,400
people.
In December 2009 the Council’s MKi section published a set of Population Projections for
Milton Keynes Borough. They show that:

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

By 2031 the population is likely to be around 317,500 people
The population will continue to age. The proportion of the population aged 60+ is
forecast to increase from 16% in 2008 to 26% in 2031.
The largest percentage rises are seen in the older age groups, with the population
aged between 60 and 80 years increasing by 100% from 31,150 to 61,800. The
population aged 80 plus shows the largest percentage rise of over 200%. The
population is forecast to increase from 6,800 in 2008 to 22,300 in 2031.
The dependency ratio, the number of children under working age plus the number of
people over retirement age to the number of people of working age, is set to rise from
0.6 in 2008 to 0.8 in 2031.
This implies that for every ten people of working age (19-64) there will be around 8
children and retired people
21
Community Cohesion Strategy
The Milton Keynes Cohesion strategy was launched in December 2008. The strategy was
developed in partnership with local businesses, the umbrella consortium organisations, local
statutory providers and internal council teams.
The purpose of the Cohesion Strategy is to address the challenges of:
MK Community Tensions: The need to understand the dynamics within and between our
communities which lead to tension
MK Perceptions of people and place: Feedback from the Milton Keynes community over
recent years shows strong perceptions regarding: the pace of change in neighbourhoods;
immigration; and about the fairness of how public services and resources are allocated
MK Pace of growth and change: How high turnover within certain neighbourhoods does
have an effect on how well residents can feel at home in their neighbourhoods; and may
effect their perception of their own belonging, and that of others
Discrimination: Evidence from the hate crime reporting network shows there are particular
communities within the city who continue to face discrimination
The Cohesion Strategy addressed cohesion within Milton Keynes and devised the following
vision for cohesion:
Milton Keynes will be a place:
Where people will live and work alongside each other and find a common sense of
belonging in, and identify with, their community;
Where everyone gets on well with others from other backgrounds and comes together in
common interests and appreciates and respects their differences;
And where members of each community can take pride in their contribution to the
community as a whole and look forward to a shared and positive future.
The strategy outlined five broad strategic objectives by which cohesion work will be delivered
within MK, they are:

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Building a sense of local pride and encouraging a sense of belonging
Promoting greater knowledge and understanding between differing communities
Engaging and supporting young people
Addressing social conflicts and tensions
Engaging with one another to improve satisfaction with the local area
22
Housing Design
Code for Sustainable Homes (The Code)
Introduced by the Government in 2007, the aim of the Code for Sustainable Homes is to
improve the overall sustainability of new homes by setting a single national standard for
England, Wales and Northern Ireland within which the home building industry can design
and construct homes to higher environmental standards. Its focus is primarily on issues
relating to climate change.
The Code includes measures for reducing energy consumption, minimising and recycling
waste, reducing potable water demand, reducing the risk of flooding from periods of intense
rainfall and reducing the impact of flooding, reducing carbon intensive travel by providing
cycle storage as well as facilities for working at home. It encourages a reduction in embodied
energy through the choice of building materials as well as the energy used during the
construction. One of the radical and unique features of the Code is that it is a tool intended to
provide practical experience to support future regulatory steps to help achieve a challenging
goal of zero carbon from 2016 (Code level 6).
The Code measures the sustainability of a home against nine design categories, rating the
‘whole home’ as a complete package. The design categories are:
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Energy and CO2 Emissions
Water
Materials
Surface Water Run-off
Waste
Pollution
Heath and Wellbeing
Management
Ecology
The Code is a voluntary standard with flexibility for developers to determine the most costeffective mix of issues to cover to achieve any particular level, subject to a limited number of
mandatory requirements. However, it is also used as a condition of funding for the Homes
and Communities Agency National Affordable Housing Programme, on other government
projects and land, and by local authorities when they want to set sustainability-based
planning conditions on housing developments in their area.
From April 2008 all schemes funded by the former Housing Corporation and English
Partnerships had to achieve Code level 3. The Homes and Communities Agency is now
aiming for level 4. Local authorities may also, under the Planning Policy Statement 1 on
planning and climate change, set sustainability-based planning conditions on housing
developments in their area. The Council’s Local Plan contains policies to enable this (for
example Policy D4 on Sustainable Construction).
Whilst it is committed to ensuring that housing is suitable to respond to the needs of disabled
or older people, it also recognises the challenges facing the housing industry in the short
term by adopting a more proportionate and flexible approach. The 2010 review of Lifetime
Homes will consider all these issues and set the direction for future action. In the meantime,
the Lifetime Homes Standard will remain Mandatory at Code Level 6 and voluntary at all
23
other levels of the Code. The Government proposes to make the Code Level 4 a mandatory
requirement for all new homes by 2013 and Code Level 6 by 2016.
24
English Partnerships legacy Quality Standards November 2007
The former English Partnerships adopted a set of Quality Standards in November 2007 in
respect of all properties built on its land. The Quality Standards cover the following four
main areas:
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Quality Places
Quality Homes & Buildings
Construction Quality
Rewarding Quality & Delivering Locally
Quality Places covered the following:
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Design Statements - creating well-laid out and distinct communities
Building for Life Silver Standard - the CABE quality standard
Inclusive Design - design of homes for people with a range of physical disabilities
Secured by Design - Safe and overlooked streets & public spaces
Quality Homes and Buildings covered the following:
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Code for Sustainable Homes level 3
BREEAM - ‘Very Good’ minimum standard for non-residential dwellings
Lifetime Homes - flexible, adaptable homes for people of all ages and physical
abilities
Noise - reducing noise impact in and between homes
Building Specifications - using more environmentally friendly building products
Overheating - designs, technology and landscaping to reduce overheating of homes
in rising temperatures
Space standards - minimum space standards for a variety of house types
Fire safety - to reduce deaths in the home
Construction Quality covered the following:

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Construction efficiency - better cost efficient buildings
Re-use of resources - remediation and demolition plans, controlling site wastage and
re-using buildings
Civil Engineering Environmental Quality - improving the environmental performance of
civil engineering
Health and Safety - better construction management to reduce accidents
Rewarding Quality & Delivering Locally covered the following:
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Site-specific issues - addressing local and planning concerns
Deliverability and long-term management - how likely the ideas will be turned into a
reality with a long-term stewardship of the place and public realm
Community Engagement - involving and engaging local people in the process before
and after development
Delivery and Financial Capacity of Developers - the capacity of the developers team
and partners and suppliers to deliver the project and act commercially
25
Housing Corporation legacy Design & Quality Standards April 2007
The Design and Quality Standards (D&QS) sets out the former Housing Corporation’s
requirements and recommendations for all new homes which received Social Housing Grant
(SHG).
Core performance standards defined the minima that is expected in return for the public
funds invested by way of SHG;
The Special Provisions Annex set out for specified categories, classifications or types of
accommodation an appropriate standard of design and quality that should be achieved; and
The Recommendations Annex set out further enhanced standards that will improve the
design and quality of schemes and subsequently find reflection in the Corporation’s
assessment of affordable housing providers through the Value for Grant Comparator tool.
Some enhanced aspects are reflected in the Grant Index during the bid assessment process
and improve the value for money ranking.
The Housing Corporations “Prime Expectation” was that affordable housing providers should
produce well-designed, good quality housing to meet identified needs in places where
people want to live. Three core performance standards underpinned the achievement of this
prime expectation. In determining the extent to which this was met the Housing Corporation
assessed achievement against the following aspects:

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Internal environment (size, layout, service provision)
Sustainability (Code for Sustainable Homes level 3)
External environment (Building for Life)
With regards to the Internal Environment, the performance measure stipulated consisted of
fully meeting minimum scores for three aspects of the published Housing Quality Indicators
(HQIs). In meeting the HQI unit layout minimum score, affordable housing providers were
expected to ensure that internal and external storage provision at least met the requirements
specified for the occupancy and did not fall short in any aspect. Storage provision was a
common cause of concern identified on the Corporation’s Impact Assessment visits and will
be subject to particular scrutiny in future.
26
Lifetime Homes Lifetime Neighbourhoods – Feb 08
Lifetime Homes Lifetime Neighbourhoods is the Government’s Strategy for Housing in an
Ageing Society. The Strategy notes that the ageing society poses one of the country’s
greatest housing challenges. By 2026 older people will account for almost half (48 per cent)
of the increase in the total number of households, resulting in 2.4 million more older
households than there are today. By 2041 the composition of the older age group will have
changed dramatically. There will be a higher proportion of the older age groups, including the
over 85s, a greater number of older people from black and minority ethnic groups, and
double the number of older disabled people. One in five children born today can expect to
live to 100 years old.
Most of our homes and communities are not designed to meet people’s changing needs as
they grow older. Older people’s housing options are too often limited to care homes or
sheltered housing. The Government notes that we need more and better homes for older
people now.
In future, housing, health and care will be increasingly interdependent, that is why this
strategy makes housing and ageing a cross-government priority. It has been developed in
close partnership across government, building on work such as the overarching ageing
strategy Opportunity Age. The strategy also builds on the CLG’s Green Paper, Homes for
the Future, the Department of Health’s White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say and
Putting People First, and the development of the forthcoming Green Paper on social care,
and the new Independent Living Strategy.
Key points of the Strategy are as follows:

New funding of £35 million up to 2011 to support the development of housing
information and advice for older people, and an increase in current handyperson
services and Home Improvement Agencies. The funding will enable an additional
125,000 older people each year to get the repairs and minor adaptations necessary to
help them carry on living in their own homes. This will be linked to the development of
the Home Improvement Agency (HIA) sector and the ‘Future HIA project’

Increasing funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant by 31 per cent by 2011: increasing
to £146 million in 2008-09, £156 million in 2009-10 and then £166 million in 2010-11.
Further changes include raising the grant limit, a start will be made on improving the
means test and much greater flexibility for local authorities to bring funding together
and expand the choices available to clients. This increased funding and greater
flexibility aims to enable authorities to help more people to get adaptations carried out
in their homes more quickly, and to bring together the vital services which will help
older people get a full range of technical assistance

Continued major investment in improving housing conditions for older people through
the Decent Homes Programme and allocate over £800 million additional funding for
the Warm Front Programme over the next three years

A commitment to ensure that all public housing will be built to Lifetime Homes
Standards by 2011. The Government’s aspiration is that all new housing will be built
to these standards by 2013. Lifetime Homes Standards will be made a mandatory part
of the Code for Sustainable Homes and the Government will work to support the
industry to encourage take-up on a voluntary basis over the next few years.
27
Lifetime Homes
Lifetime Homes Standards are a set of simple home features that make housing more
functional for everyone including families, disabled people and older people. They also
include future-proofing features that enable cheaper, simpler adaptations to be made when
needed. For example, they make getting in and around the home easy for everyone, whether
they have small children or limited mobility. They were originally designed by the Joseph
Rowntree Foundation & Habinteg Housing Association.
Key features of Lifetime Homes include level or gentle sloping approach to property, doors
wide enough to allow wheelchair access, living room at entrance level, entrance level toilet,
walls able to take adaptations, bathroom giving side access to toilet and bath, low window
sills, and electrical sockets and controls at convenient heights.
Lifetime Homes are focused on providing more flexible and appropriate accommodation
through considered design. Whilst there is a long-standing demand for lifetime homes, some
developers perceive them to be expensive and to require additional space.
It is estimated that compliance with the Lifetime Homes Standards could result in modest
additional costs of around £547 per new home. In addition, the former English Partnerships
found in its ‘lessons learned’ study that additional costs can be avoided if designed-out early
enough. Developers will still be able to achieve densities of over 60 homes per hectare.
Planning Policy Statement 3 supports greater flexibility in identifying appropriate density of
development. Through design and access statements developers have the opportunity to
identify how Lifetime Homes Standards have influenced their approach to density and layout
on any given site.
There may be many good reasons why developers may wish to retain existing standard unit
designs, such as retention of established supply chains and construction technologies. In
this context, it is recognised that the cost of adapting these standard designs to meet
Lifetime Homes Standards may be greater than £550 per home. However, the Lifetime
Homes Standards could be incorporated economically in new build homes if this is done at
the same time as existing designs are revised to meet changes to legislation (such as
improved energy performance requirements) or to achieve a desired rating level under the
Code for Sustainable Homes.
The Council’s Local Plan encourages house-builders to build all properties to Lifetime
Homes standards. We had originally wanted the Plan to make this a requirement but this
was not allowed by the Planning Inspector at the Local Plan Inquiry.
For the period 2006- to date (April 2010) a total of 584 homes have been built in Milton
Keynes to Lifetime Homes standards.
However, in March 2010 the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) published a proposed
set of core design and sustainability standards (see next section). Alongside this the HCA
published an evidence base document which contained the following on Lifetime Homes;
“The Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation (HAPPI), set up by CLG and the
HCA to advance existing good practice and promote new housing ideas that meet the needs
and aspirations of older people, published its final report in December 2009. Whilst
supportive of the Lifetime Homes standard, the Panel recommended that to ensure the
ongoing development and adoption of the Lifetime Homes standard, CLG should support
HCA in forming an expert panel to review and comment on proposed revisions to the
28
standards and consider related work undertaken on this subject. It also highlighted that the
updated standards would be published by Habinteg Housing Association later this year and
the panel should then work together with Habinteg to ensure that the standards are fit for
inclusion in future revisions to Part M of the building regulations.
The consultations described above and subsequent formation of the review panel in 2010,
present the Government with the opportunity to engage with the development of the existing
standards to ensure the criteria and supporting guidance are fully updated and contribute to
delivering the HCA’s broader objectives on equality and diversity and vulnerable and older
people. Joined up working with stakeholders and CLG will also assist the HCA in providing
assurance to its development partners regarding future developments of the standard. In
addition it will enable us to work towards an increased understanding of Lifetime Homes
within the sector, including targeted training of Code assessors.
Given the upcoming impact review in 2010, the HCA is seeking the views of consultees
regarding its approach to the Lifetime Homes standard. The results of the HCA’s
consultation will be cross referenced with CLG’s 2010 review of Lifetime Homes policy and
used to inform broader policy development as well as the role of Lifetime Homes in HCA’s
core standards.”
There is a potential issue here. At present, the legacy EP Quality Standards require that all
homes should be built to Lifetime Homes standards. However, the draft Core Standards
omit this requirement because the Government is going to review whether or not Lifetime
Homes should be one of the requirements of meeting Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable
Homes. The issue then around whether or not a newly elected Government can or will carry
out & follow through on this review.
29
HCA Proposed Core Housing Design and Sustainability Standards
In March 2010 the HCA published Proposed Core Housing Design and Sustainability
Standards. The HCA makes it clear that
“Standards while important are only part of the story for how we achieve good quality and
sustainability…. The delivery of good quality, well designed homes in places where people
want to live, work or visit, relies upon a number of key drivers and desirable features being
present. Importantly:
• Homes should be sensibly planned and functional; designed to meet the demands of
everyday life, providing enough space and facilities, such as privacy and storage, to enable
residents to live comfortably and conveniently.
• Homes should aim to be adaptable enough to accommodate residents changing needs and
circumstances, such as mobility, and the likely needs of diverse households over the life of
the dwelling.
• Schemes should be constructed to make use of products and processes that reduce their
environmental impact, better adapt to climate change, benefit from lower running costs and
incorporate features that enhance the health and well-being of constructors, residents and
the wider community. They should promote the wider definition of sustainability
encompassing environmental, social and economic considerations.
• The development of new homes should form a key aspect of delivering great places to live,
creating choice through a mix of house types, promoting well-mixed and integrated
communities and providing an appropriate balance between private and public open spaces.
Successful design of homes and communities means responding to location and context including the natural and historic environment, promoting safety and security whilst
supporting mixed tenure neighbourhoods which engender, character, identity, amenity,
including space for families and a sense of place.
• At the same time, residents of these homes should not become burdened by design
solutions which are too expensive to maintain, too sophisticated to run or which are not
properly tried and tested. These are challenging issues at a time of change as we seek to
address the impact of climate change.”
The key parts of the new standard are as follows:




Minimum dwelling space criteria incorporating minimum storage provision
Dwelling functionality criteria assessed against a range of internal room size
benchmarks. The sum of the proposed room sizes must be equal to or greater than
the sum of the benchmark sizes
Minimum of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4, with a requirement that maximum
credits for Security are included. (Covering - physical security of the dwelling
elements of Secured by Design)
Minimum of 14 out of the 20 “Building for Life”criteria
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Draft MK Residential Design Guide 2010
This Design Guide for New Residential Development in Milton Keynes is intended to ensure
a high quality of development for the future growth and regeneration of Milton Keynes. This
is especially pertinent for Milton Keynes with its large growth forecast and commitment to
regenerating its deprived estates.
The Guide will have relevance for the entire borough, both for large greenfield sites as well
as small infill sites. It in intended to both serve as a Development Control tool for assessing
planning applications by Milton Keynes Council and Milton Keynes Partnership in terms of
helping to more objectively assess planning applications, as well as provide clarity to
developers about what the Council and Milton Keynes Partnership expect in terms of the
quality of new residential development.
The Design Guide is intended to be specific to the Milton Keynes context – it is not another
generic design guide, although it acknowledges best practice as a given that must be
respected. In this respect its guidance has been informed by two elements which form the
content of the Guide:
1. The character of Milton Keynes and what have been its positive defining features since its
growth commenced over 40 years ago. The design guide builds on this.
2. The regular occurring issues/problems that come up at pre-application discussion that
affect the quality of new residential development in Milton Keynes. This document will
provide guidance on these issues.
It is important to note that the Design Guide is not intended to be the panacea that provides
the direction to the overall growth and evolution of Milton Keynes and how its residents want
to live their lives. While it will cover many of these issues it will look at it from a
masterplanning and development control perspective only.
The design guide establishes how these can be interpreted in the 21st century Milton
Keynes and in the context of the sustainability agenda. It states that for large new
developments (such as the Strategic Development Areas), they should be designed around
walkable neighbourhoods based on approximately 1000-1500 homes which in fact is typical
of many estates in Milton Keynes. The Design Guide includes tabled criteria which require a
developer to assess the local context which will result in the positive features of the site and
the surrounding area being reflected in the new development.
The Guide calls for more contemporary architecture to reflect Milton Keynes’s character of
being unique and innovative, particularly on key frontages which help establish the image for
the area.
To reinforce the green character of the city, the Guide also includes an innovative Green
Points System to enable the biodiversity of a development to be assessed.
The consultation on the Guide closed in March 2010. The Design Guide, which is listed
within the Council’s Local Development Scheme (LDS), will have Supplementary Planning
Document (SPD) status within the Local Development Framework. It could potentially be
adopted in around 6-9 months time.
31
Housing Conditions
Decent Homes Standard
The Government originally introduced the Decent Homes Standard in July 2000 on the
basis that decent homes and decent places are key to delivering sustainable communities. It
established a target (called PSA7) to ensure that all housing meets a set standard of
decency. The target for the private sector, introduced in 2001, focuses on vulnerable
households. The overall target is “by 2010, to bring all social housing into decent condition,
with most of the improvement taking place in deprived areas, and increase the proportion of
private housing in decent condition occupied by vulnerable groups”'. There are specific
targets for the proportion of vulnerable households (including families with children) in the
private sector whose homes should achieve the decency standard. The target is to increase
this to 75% by 2015/20. The Government defines vulnerable households as those in receipt
of means tested or disability related benefits.
The Definition
A decent home is one which is wind and weather tight, warm and has reasonably modern
facilities. It must meet the following four criteria:
a - It meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing
Dwellings which fail to meet this criterion are those containing one or more hazards
assessed as serious (‘Category 1’) under the HHSRS
b - It is in a reasonable state of repair
Dwellings which fail to meet this criterion are those where either:


one or more of the key building components are old and, because of their condition, need
replacing or major repair; or
two or more of the other building components are old and, because of their condition,
need replacing or major repair.
c - It has reasonably modern facilities and services
Dwellings which fail to meet this criterion are those which lack three or more of the following:






a reasonably modern kitchen (20 years old or less);
a kitchen with adequate space and layout;
a reasonably modern bathroom (30 years old or less);
an appropriately located bathroom and WC;
adequate insulation against external noise (where external noise is a problem);
adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats.
A home lacking two or less of the above is still classed as decent therefore it is not
necessary to modernise kitchens and bathrooms if a home passes the remaining criteria.
d - It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort
This criterion requires dwellings to have both effective insulation and efficient heating.
For more information visit the Decent Homes section of the Department for Communities and
Local Government website at
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/decenthome
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BRE Report on Private Sector Stock Condition January 2007
This report provides estimates of local housing conditions at the level of the authority, ward
and census output area using models developed by BRE which combine national data from
the English House Condition Survey 2001 with local census data. The information is
provided in tabular form at ward and authority level and the smaller census output areas are
mapped. This provides a level of detail that has never before been available. The data have
been provided in separate spreadsheets.
One of the key results where an attempt was made to extrapolate forward to the position in
2006 is for the government target known as PSA7. Indications were that the authority had
already met this key government target (which requires 70% of vulnerable occupiers to be
living in decent homes by 2010). These estimates should however be confirmed by
reference to locally gathered data, for example by a stock condition survey.
The report estimated that there were 13,326 non decent homes in the private sector. This
was 19% of the total private sector stock and compared well to the figure of 37% for
England. The cost to make them decent was estimated to be £146.5 million. In most cases
these costs are not expected to be borne by the Council. Assistance may be required in
some of the estimated 2,809 non decent homes occupied by vulnerable groups although
most of these should be entitled to government funded schemes such as Warm Front. The
estimated total for these dwellings is £30.9 million. These data rely on several major
assumptions but in the absence of alternative locally calculated data provide a useful
baseline.
The Government expects the Council to come forward with policies for confirming these
baseline figures and for determining what assistance might be required to assist the
vulnerable occupiers. It should be emphasised that a key element in ascertaining the level
of assistance required is determining the equity that owners have in these dwellings and how
this might be used to facilitate improvements.
Another key result was the estimate of 3,794 dwellings predicted to have a Category 1
Hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. This accounted for 6% of the
stock (compared to 19% for England). The authority has a duty to consider taking action in
dwellings where a Category 1 Hazard is discovered. This is likely to increase the demand
for private sector housing enforcement action in the private rented sector (the Government
has also recently issued consultation papers on increasing powers for local authorities to
enforce standards in the private rented sector and on introducing a new Use Class Order for
Homes in Multiple Occupation).
Until local data are available, this report provides the best baseline data available for
reporting on PSA7 and other key private sector housing statistics. It also provides a valuable
source of information for planning a local house condition survey or more specific
programmes to implement improvement measures
33
Housing Revenue Account Business Plan
This 30-year business plan explains how the housing service, through continuous
improvement in services provided, contributes to achieving six of eight former corporate
priorities, playing a pivotal role in improving the health and education of tenants in the
Borough. The plan also explains how the service is working towards achieving the
Government’s Decent Homes Standard for dwellings.
Consultant surveyors FPD Savills carried out a stock condition survey of the Council’s
housing stock in 2004. The Survey found that approximately 50% of our stock was nondecent, and a further 45% was expected to become non-decent by 2010.
The Council considered the findings under three headings:



Minimum Decent Homes Standard (all resources focused on meeting the
Government’s basic Decent Homes requirements and critical maintenance only)
Adequate (or Maximum) Decent Homes Standard (rectifying all elements that fall
short of Decent Homes)
Decent Homes Plus (Adequate Decent Homes plus improvements such as double
glazing and environmental works).
Although FPD Savills recommended that restricting investment to the Minimum Decent
Homes Standard was not sustainable in the long term, resources were insufficient to meet
the Adequate Decency level. The Minimum Standard was used in modelling future resource
requirements in the HRA Business Plan. Capital resources in excess of the Minimum
requirement would then be applied to other essential projects.
We compared the work that needed doing to the housing stock to meet the Minimum Decent
Homes Standard deadline of December 2010. Our expected resources of £74m were
sufficient to meet the estimated spend required of £45m
To carry out all capital investment works under the Decent Homes Plus Standard, we would
need £528m over the next 30 years, but will only have access to £373m, a shortfall of
£155m.
The findings were presented to the Housing Forum in June 2004 and a “Stock Options
process” was then carried out. Stakeholders’ preferences for the future ownership and
management of the housing stock were measured by a ballot of over 18,000 tenants and
leaseholders in April 2005. 71% of those who voted chose to remain under Council control.
34
Delivery
Local Investment Plan
The Local investment Plan is a key way of delivering the Homes and Communities Agency
(HCA) “Single Conversation”. The HCA describes the Single Conversation as its most
important business process. The aim is to enable partners to:




Bridge local ambition and national targets
Achieve their vision through a shared investment agreement
Agree and secure local delivery
Achieve positive outcomes for people and places.
The Single Conversation covers the totality of housing and regeneration priorities in a local
area, including growth, renewal, affordability and sustainability, with a strong focus on the
interconnectedness of these at the local level. The HCA aims to work with local authorities to
become local authorities “best delivery partner, able to secure more and better outcomes.
A Local Investment Plan sets out the investment required for an area to deliver the agreed
vision and economic purpose of the place. It will identify the needs to be addressed, based
on robust evidence from local strategies, including the Sustainable Communities Strategy,
Local Development Framework and the Local Economic Assessment (from April 2010). The
Plan will include objectives, outputs and outcomes that are expected from each partners’
interventions. Other public agencies may be involved in its preparation, including the
Regional Development Agency1 (RDA) and Environment Agency.
In addition to a range of HCA priorities for housing and regeneration, the Investment Plan will
include assumptions on how affordable housing is to be funded, how the Decent Homes
Standard is to be achieved and priorities for housing specific groups of people with support
needs and for vulnerable people.
Whilst initially, the core of the Plan will comprise the areas in the scope outlined above,
these must be considered within the wider context for the area covering aspects such as the
economy, education and skills, the environment and climate change, transport, and health.
Over time, the Local Investment Plan could become more comprehensive by including the
LAA objectives, with the potential to become a more comprehensive investment plan for the
area.
Crucially the Local Investment Plan is the mechanism whereby the HCA will agree a Local
Investment Agreement. This sets out the funding and resources that we will invest in the
area over time as resources are made available, and the outputs and outcomes expected
from them. Each programme or project under the Local Investment Agreement, such as
providing social rented homes, will be separately assessed to ensure that it meets the
required criteria and provides value for money.
In June 2009 Milton Keynes Partnership published a Local Investment Plan for Milton
Keynes for the period 2009-2011. It will review this Plan annually. The Plan has a Vision,
together with a set of Values and Aims which sets out the importance of building a
sustainable community. Housing is one of the three key Aims (along with People and Jobs).
35
Economy
MK Economic Vision
The Milton Keynes Economic Vision “From New Town to International City” was launched
in May 2004 to guide the economy in Milton Keynes over the next 30 years. The architecture
of the Long Term Economic Vision was built around four key components:
1. The Vision – as shown by the pediment at the top of the structure, accompanied by a
strap line ‘from New Town to International City’ that sought to encapsulate the change
to be achieved in the economic status of the town over the 30 year time frame of the
vision.
2. The Pillars – the three features that the Milton Keynes economy will display in 2034,
that will together work to ensure that the goal of a diverse high value business base
offering well paid employment opportunities is achieved.
3. The Foundations – the four pre-conditions for the achievement of the vision: without
an excellent, well qualified and skilled workforce, an excellent ICT infrastructure, good
strategic and local accessibility, and an image of a lively city with excellent services,
the vision cannot be achieved.
4. The Underpinnings – two core values that must infuse everything that is done in
pursuit of the vision: these values are a commitment to a ‘can do’ culture, and to
ensuring that all residents of the City benefit from its economic success.
The Economic Vision felt that there were some specific dimensions to the development of
Milton Keynes that may be contributing to the city falling down the deprivation rankings. In
particular with significant development of new housing over the past 5 years, the Strategy
noted that “a relatively large volume of new social housing has been built.” The Strategy
went on to speculate that this posed particular problems as follows:
“The profile of social rented housing has changed over the past two decades, increasingly
housing those who are not actively engaged in the economy, as well as those in low paid
employment. This has been a consequence both of increasing polarisation in society and
severe pressure on available social rented housing supply.
DTZ has identified social processes in many areas by which low income households are
drawn into areas with a relatively abundant supply of new social rented housing, in the hope
of being allocated housing. Normally this will mean finding somewhere to live locally in order
to qualify for acceptance on the local authority’s housing register, but the indications are that
this is not too difficult.
Milton Keynes may therefore have experienced relatively significant levels of in-migration of
low income households seeking social rented housing; and to the extent that new affordable
housing is tied to the volume of new market housing being built, this pattern is likely to
continue given the high rates of planned housing provision in MK.”
In 2008 Milton Keynes Economy and Learning Partnership commissioned consultants DTZ
to look at the original plans of how the Vision might transform the city into an international
location.
Initial feedback suggests that stakeholders still see the overall Vision as being valid, but
need to identify what is different or distinctive about Milton Keynes from other cities of similar
size.
36
Economic / recession / employment / debt
In December 2008 the Milton Keynes Economy and Learning Partnership and Milton Keynes
Council jointly held an economic summit to address the local implications of the international
economic downturn and to generate ideas that would help organisations support the people
of Milton Keynes in the most effective way. The summit was attended by more than 250 local
people - businesses, community organisations and the public.
The MK Economic Task Group was formed as a result of the summit. It is a multi-agency
group made up of Milton Keynes organisations including Milton Keynes Council, the Milton
Keynes Economy and Learning Partnership, the Milton Keynes Community Local
Infrastructure Partnership, Business Link, and Invest Milton Keynes. The group has been
looking at four main issues in Milton Keynes during the economic downturn:
1. Supporting businesses
2. Developing skills and employment opportunities
3. Supporting individuals and communities
4. Developing the Milton Keynes ‘offer’
The activity is being done in partnership with SEEDA, the South East England Development
Agency who is the Government-funded agency responsible for the sustainable economic
development of the South East of England - the driving force of the UK's economy.
In February 2009 it was announced Milton Keynes Council had secured £2 million to fund
local organisations during the economic downturn. The funding, co-ordinated by the
Economic Task Group, has been distributed and is supporting a number of local projects.
The MK Economic Task Group is currently working to define the ‘Milton Keynes Offer’. This
means the distinct and appealing elements of living in, working in or visiting Milton Keynes
that can be communicated to encourage leisure spend and attract business investment. It’s
what makes local people proud to say they live or work in Milton Keynes and is why we’re
growing to become an internationally known city with a population of 350,000 by 2031.
Business and the public will be involved in the definition of the offer. An action plan to
communicate the MK Offer during the recession is also in development. This includes the
creation of marketing materials which can be used by any organisation that markets Milton
Keynes, to help them maximise their activity during a time when many budgets are
constrained. The action plan will be published at a later date.
The Local Democracy, Economic Development & Construction Act 2009 places a legal duty
on the Council to prepare an assessment of economic conditions (Local Economic
Assessment (LEA)). The duty starts in April 2010 and the Milton Keynes LEA will be
produced by December 2010. The LEA should provide a comprehensive & robust diagnosis
of local economic conditions which in turn should inform interventions of local authorities and
partners. Housing is one of the topics that should be covered and the LEA should also
inform a number of the Council’s strategies, including the Housing Strategy.
37
Other
Regional Housing Strategy 2008-11
The Regional Housing Strategy 20008-11 builds on the priorities set out in the 2006 regional
Strategy. These priorities are to:



Build more affordable homes
Bring decent housing within reach of people on lower incomes
Improve the quality of new housing and of existing stock.
The Board believes that it is vital that the focus on headline numbers does not obscure the
importance of providing the right type and size of homes in the right places to relieve
overcrowding and reduce the time spent by larger homeless families in temporary
accommodation. Its research shows that the needs of families are not being met adequately
and that the housing stock is becoming less flexible in its ability to accommodate future
changes in need. It considers that providing the right type and size of housing is of
paramount importance if we are to achieve sustainable communities. The Strategy therefore
gave greater priority to homes for families and aim to reintroduce flexibility into the stock by
encouraging the building of houses capable of being easily extended and adapted wherever
possible. The Boards also undertook e will continue to explore how the planning process can
support this ambition.
A further aim was that 25% of new social rented and 15% of intermediate homes funded
through the 2008-11 programme should have three or more bedrooms. Allowing for
completions carried over from the previous programme, this means that 23% of social rented
and 13% of intermediate homes completed during the period should have three or more
bedrooms. The Board expected local authorities to seek an appropriate level of provision
based on their evidence of local need, with particular regard to the characteristics of
households in priority housing need. Where affordable units are being secured in whole or
part through Section 106 (S106) agreements, local authorities should consider negotiating
changes to submitted development proposals, to ensure the type and size of units secured
as affordable genuinely help to meet priority housing need.
The Board supported the Government’s commitment to invest in ensuring that social housing
achieves a decent standard and recognise the progress being made by local authority
landlords towards the 2010 target. It did not propose any change to the current level of
funding identified for this purpose.
The Strategy programme shows a broad balance between the level of funding available and
the bids submitted by local authorities. Consultation carried out by the Regional Housing
Board demonstrated clear support to continue the identification of a discrete sum of money
to invest in facilities for Gypsies and Travellers.
The initial findings of research, jointly commissioned with the Regional Supporting People
Implementation Group, showed that there is a need to establish a consistent methodology
that enables the need for accommodation-based support for vulnerable people to be
identified. The Board aimed to explore the opportunities to develop an approach for
application in London and the South East. It had established that more accommodation is
needed to enable residents living in hostels to move on into their own homes while
continuing to receive support. However further work is required to establish the balance
between the need for social rented homes and specialised schemes.
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Milton Keynes Council’s Housing Strategy
In 2005 the Council published its Housing Strategy for the period 2005-2008. The
Government Office for the South East Assessed the document as being “fit for purpose”.
The Strategy contained the following Vision:
“Well maintained, comfortable homes in safe and attractive neighbourhoods, where
people choose to live"
We will help to build housing in sustainable neighbourhoods that will be:
•
•
•
Mixed tenure
‘Pepper potted’ in terms of tenure.
Diverse: recognising diversity of our community in terms of:
-Recognising the needs of ethnic minority communities
-Recognising the needs of older people
-Recognising the needs of younger people
-Recognising the needs of people with physical disabilities
-Recognising the needs of people with learning disabilities
-Recognising the needs of people with mental health problems
•
•
•
Well designed and built to be flexible to meet future needs as well as current needs;
Attractive, with well-designed public space, parks and playgrounds
Environmentally as sustainable as possible
The ideal neighbourhood will sustain:
•
•
•
•
Local shopping
Local schooling
Local community activities
Public transport
Our aim is to bring all neighbourhoods up to this ideal and to provide the housing that our
Borough needs, especially for those that need it most. Our Housing Strategy sets out how
we intend to do this.
The Housing Strategy also set the following four Strategic Priorities:
1) Improve the Council's Housing Service
2) Meet the Decent Homes Standard
3) Increase the Supply of all Housing, especially affordable housing, & tackle
homelessness
4) Regenerate those areas that need it
Consultation in 2008 and 2009 (carried out by Opinion Research Services Limited) showed
strong public support for both the Vision and the Priorities.
The Local Government White Paper 2006 recognised the importance of housing as being “at
the heart of achieving the social, economic and environmental objectives that shape a
community and create a sense of place”. The Housing Green Paper Homes for the Future:
More Affordable, More Sustainable further emphasised the importance of the strategic
39
housing role, in terms of delivering new market and affordable housing, making the best use
of existing stock, and responding to the needs of all residents across all housing tenures.
In July 2008 the Government published Statutory Guidance entitled ‘Creating Strong, Safe
and Prosperous Communities’. It stated that local authorities will want to periodically refresh
their housing strategies. Local authorities will have discretion about how, when, and in what
format they document their refreshed housing strategy. Whatever format is chosen,
refreshed housing strategies should:



Fully reflect the wider vision of the authority and its partners
Reflect a clear and evidenced approach
Provide a strong focus on how partners will deliver their commitments, including on
the infrastructure needed to support housing growth
The Guidance goes on to note that recognising the importance of ensuring that the strategic
vision for the area takes full and proper account of housing, local authorities are expected to
incorporate housing strategies within their Sustainable Community Strategy where possible.
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Council Plan 2009-2011
The Council Plan sets out our overall priorities and sets out the specific objectives we aim to
deliver over the next two years. It forms the delivery plan for our contribution to the
overarching key strategic documents for the area, the Sustainable Community Strategy and
the Local Area Agreement.
In addition to the outcomes identified in these two key documents the council has agreed six
Council Priorities. Each priority will receive a special focus over the next two years to
improve outcomes for the community:
1. Public Transport – to have effective & efficient routes that are affordable and
accessible for all
2. Children’s Education & Skills – to increase the level of education attainment for
children and adults
3. Road & Pavement Repairs – to make it safe and pleasant environment for the
people of Milton Keynes to live and work
4. Neighbourhood Regeneration – to improve people’s life chances and narrow the
gap between our poorest and most affluent communities
5. Activities & Facilities for Young People – to help teenagers achieve their potential,
contribute into their community and enjoy their lives.
6. Dealing with the recession – to limit the adverse effects of the recession on the
community and businesses and prepare for economic recovery.
The Sustainable Community Strategy, Local Area Agreement and Council Plan direct the
planning of all the services in the council. Detailed information on the actions we are taking
to deliver our priorities can be found in the specific service plans and strategies for each council
service.
The Council Plan sets out the following Vision for Milton Keynes Council
“We will deliver the best possible future for Milton Keynes by creating sustainable
communities and opportunities for all”
Our values at Milton Keynes Council are as follows:
“We will be a dynamic organisation, known for our innovative and fresh approaches”
“We will act as a single purposeful organisation where staff are valued and proud to be
ambassadors for Milton Keynes”
“We will promote the distinctiveness and diversity of Milton Keynes, tackling disadvantage by
delivering high-quality services that sensitively meet people’s needs”
41
Safer MK
Making Milton Keynes a safer place to live and visit is a task that no agency or organisation
can do on its own. SaferMK (formally The Community Safety Partnership) represents
organisations working with the community to reduce crime, anti-social behaviour and the
fears people have.
The Partnership is made up of five key SaferMK partners, or responsible authorities, who
provide strategic direction and are accountable to the public.
The joint co-ordination between the responsible authorities, parish councils, businesses and
voluntary organisations has led to a number of successful initiatives, such as weeks of
action, held to tackle specific types of crime and anti-social behaviour including car crime,
under-age drinking and violence.
SaferMK has ten main priorities for the next three years:










Reducing burglary, robbery, motor vehicle and contents theft
Reducing violence including alcohol related violence
Tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence
Tackling anti-social behaviour
Reducing fires and their consequences
Combating drug and Alcohol misuse
Reducing re-offending
Preventing violent extremism
Tackling hate crime
Increasing public confidence in Milton Keynes as a safe place to live, work and visit.
There is a core SaferMK who carry out the day-to-day work of the Partnership and ensure
the priorities are being met.
42