Rural exception sites
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) defines rural exception sites as:
Small sites used for affordable housing in perpetuity where sites would not normally be used for housing. Rural exception sites seek to address the needs of the local community by accommodating households who are either current residents or have an existing family or employment connection. Small numbers of market homes may be allowed at the local authority’s discretion, for example where essential to enable the delivery of affordable units without grant funding.
On 20 August 2015, the government published its Rural Productivity Plan, which included a measure to allow starter homes to be built on Rural Exception Sites. They suggested that this would allow local areas to allocate more sites for starter homes specifically for people who already live in the area, or have an existing family or employment connection to the area. Ref gov.uk.
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