Planning Guidance

The provision of affordable housing is a significant issue throughout East Lothian. The land use planning process can play a part in increasing the supply of land for affordable housing.

The Adopted East Lothian Local Plan 2008 Policy H4 - Affordable Housing - sets out the Council's affordable housing planning policy. The policy requires that residential developments of five or more units must make provision for land for affordable housing, generally of sufficient capacity to accommodate 25% of the total number of units in the development as affordable housing (e.g. 30% at Blindwells and 17% at Letham Mains).

Supplementary planning policy

This Local Plan policy is supported by further supplementary planning guidance (SPG) on affordable housing, setting out in more detail the mechanisms by which land and units of affordable housing can be delivered within this broad planning policy context.

This SPG was last approved in January 2006 and is being reviewed. Now that the Local Plan Policy H4 is adopted, and there are no longer any objections to its terms, this review will be completed as soon as possible.

The review will not revisit any aspect of Local Plan Policy H4 and its percentage requirements but will examine the detailed implementation of the SPG and clarify where required. It should be read in conjunction with adopted East Lothian Local Plan 2008 Policy H4.