Guidance

Designated Protected Areas

Guidance for the provision of affordable housing in designated protected areas and local authority waiver form.

• From: Homes England
• Published: 7 July 2016
• Last updated: 3 May 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Designated protected area waiver form (print version)

PDF, 323 KB, 5 pages

Designated protected areas explanatory note

PDF, 176 KB, 6 pages

Details

Regulations are in place to ensure that rural affordable housing – specifically Shared Ownership homes grant funded by Homes England - remains in the ownership of local people. Where that is the case, providers are required to offer grant-funded Shared Ownership homes with a lease that contains one of the following provisions:

• to restrict staircasing to no more than 80% or;
• where the leaseholder is permitted to acquire more than 80% up to full ownership, then there is an obligation on the landlord (or a designated alternative landlord) specified in the lease that commits them to repurchase the home when the leaseholder wishes to sell

The Homes England Designated Protected Areas (DPA) explanatory note contains more information about the relevant legislation related to DPAs. A list of DPAs is available, some of which are defined by entire parish or local authority areas and others designated by specific maps.

For the list of DPAs defined by parishes or maps please see the schedules by standard region within the relevant legislation at The Housing (Right to Enfranchise) (Designated Protected Areas) (England) Order 2009.

For the DPAs defined by maps see https://digitalservices.homesengland.org.uk/designated-protected-areas/

It has been agreed that Homes England, under certain conditions, can waive the above provisions relating to the conditions of grant on schemes delivered within DPAs. Note all other conditions of grant will remain.

Any application to waive these conditions must be submitted to Homes England by the relevant local authority using the DPA waiver form provided. The form contains further detail on the DPA policy, the waiver process and completion of the form.

All DPA waiver forms should be submitted to Homes England via [email protected]

Published 7 July 2016
Last updated 3 May 2024 + show all updates

1. 3 May 2024

   Updated documents to include reference to Homes England (instead of HCA), use of Home England strapline and amendments to help future proof both documents.

2. 4 September 2023

   Updated details section with a single email contact and to better reflect current policy

3. 19 June 2020

   Updated regional contacts listed within the page.

4. 24 May 2019

   The Rural Lead for the Midlands is now John Mather

5. 9 January 2017

   Added the DPA explanatory note.

6. 7 July 2016

   First published.