A PROPOSAL by the Government to reform planning agreements has sparked concerns that it could have a detrimental effect on affordable housing in the national park.

On Monday, England's ten national parks expressed their concern at government proposals which put at risk their ability to achieve more affordable housing in national parks.

All ten wrote to Communities Secretary of State Eric Pickles MP asking for changes to the Government's proposals for reforming Section 106 agreements, which involves the developer providing a financial contribution towards community improvements, including affordable housing and infrastructure.

A spokesperson for Dartmoor National Park Authority said that Section 106 planning obligations were an important tool to secure affordable local needs housing in rural areas: 'The authority uses these legal agreements to secure affordable housing through the planning system. They ensure that the housing permitted remains affordable and/or for local needs in perpetuity.

'The proposed changes would remove this route for schemes containing ten units and for conversions of existing buildings brought back into use.'

The Government is proposing to remove this tool for housing schemes that contain ten units or less and for conversions of existing buildings brought back into use.

The introduction of any threshold, even one lower than ten units, in the words of the ten chairs 'risks seriously threatening our ability to facilitate affordable housing in national parks for local needs'.

Peter Harper, DNPA chairman, said: 'Delivery of affordable housing on small sites plays a critical role in retaining vibrant communities in our national parks and rural areas.

'The authority takes a flexible approach: assessing the viability of each site so that we support development and the need for affordable housing.

'If the Government's proposals are implemented they will drive a coach and horses through our policies: on the basis of the last ten years, the proposals could halve the amount of affordable housing permitted in the Dartmoor National Park. Without this legal tool we have no mechanism to ensure that housing — that we might grant planning permission for — will remain affordable and available to local people in the long-term.

'I would urge the Government to re-think its proposals so that we can retain an essential tool to provide affordable housing for local needs.'

Chair of National Parks England and the North York Moors National Park Authority Jim Bailey said: 'Reforming Section 106 agreements might sound like a technical boring bit of planning, but in fact, these changes go to the heart of how we can respond to the need for affordable housing in our rural communities.

'The national park authorities are committed to supporting living working communities. This proposal simply won't help that in rural areas and we hope the Government will listen and exempt national parks from the change.'

• Within Dartmoor National Park, 170 affordable homes have been permitted in the last ten years. Of these sites 38% have been on rural exception sites and 15% of affordable homes were permitted on 'Section 106 sites' over ten units.