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Strategic Housing Market Assessment for Ipswich, Babergh, SuffolkCoastal and Mid Suffolk District and Borough Councils

1. Introduction

1.1. Ipswich Borough Council, Babergh District Council, Mid Suffolk DistrictCouncil and Suffolk Coastal District Council are seeking to appoint qualifiedconsultants to undertake a Housing Market Assessment (HMA). The HMAwill identify housing drivers that influence the Ipswich housing market,and housing markets in Babergh, Suffolk Coastal, and Mid Suffolk as wellas housing markets centred on towns in neighbouring districts, whichinfluence the four districts.

1.2 Ipswich Borough Council will lead the procurement and projectmanagement of the work.The HMA should concentrate on: - The Ipswich housing market area. Babergh District and whether/how this is affected by Colchester and

Bury St Edmunds. Mid Suffolk District and whether/how Norwich and Bury St Edmunds

affect it. Suffolk Coastal District including the Woodbridge/Felixstowe area and

the north of the district, which may be affected by Lowestoft andNorwich.

Precise details will be agreed with the successful consultant.

1.3 The HMA is urgently required to provide information for the LocalDevelopment Frameworks (LDFs) for the four local authorities. Backgrounddata is needed to support work on development plan documents takingplace between now and March 2008. In order to feed into draft LDFdocumentation we would be looking to have preliminary findings reportedin January 2008 if possible.

1.4. The research must identify the geographic extent of the housing marketcentred upon Ipswich and other towns within and adjacent to Babergh, MidSuffolk and Suffolk Coastal. However, in reporting its results, it will needto have regard to the local authority boundaries, the Ipswich Policy Area,the Haven Gateway Partnership Area and its growth point status, theGreater Haven Gateway Housing Sub-region and its context within theEastern Region. This is to ensure that each district will be aware of itshousing market forces and the effects that these boundaries and policyareas have, both collectively and as individual districts.

1.5. The research must be compatible with, and results capable of beingaggregated with, the HMA recently carried out for Colchester, Chelmsfordand Braintree councils and must take account of other HMAs and/orhousing studies carried out in the Greater Haven Gateway Housing SubRegion and those bordering the four local authorities such as the GreaterNorwich Sub-region which borders Mid Suffolk.

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2. Sub-regional Context

2.1 Appendix A provides a broad geographical and planning background to thelocal authority areas involved in the study.

Haven Gateway Partnership

2.2 The Haven Gateway Partnership (as distinct from the Greater HavenGateway Housing Sub Region) has recently succeeded in its bid to theGovernment for growth point status. Ipswich is one of 3 growth nodesalong with Felixstowe/Harwich and Colchester all of which have access tofunding for the delivery of growth. This has influenced the Draft East ofEngland Plan housing targets for Ipswich and its Policy Area, as well as theSuffolk Coastal district including Felixstowe.

Greater Haven Gateway Housing Sub Region

2.3. The Greater Haven Gateway Housing Sub Region comprises the districtsand boroughs of Suffolk Coastal, Ipswich, Babergh, Mid Suffolk,Colchester, Maldon, Tendring and Braintree.

2.3 Other districts in the Greater Haven Gateway Housing Sub Region areundertaking HMAs and it is important that this research is capable of beingaggregated with these.

2.4 The research must take account of the other plans and studies including East of England Plan. The Regional Housing Strategy for the East of England. The Greater Haven Gateway Sub Regional Housing Strategy. The HMA being undertaken by Colchester, Braintree and Chelmsford. The Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment also completed

for the 4 districts in the Policy Area and published in June 2007. The RSS single Issue Review of Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation

needs and the recent issues and options consultation. The following district level housing studies: -

Ipswich Housing Needs Study 2005, undertaken in 2004. The studyincludes bolt-on studies for students, older people and key workers.

Babergh Housing Needs Study late 2004. Suffolk Coastal Housing Needs Study 2006. Mid Suffolk undertook their Housing Needs Survey in 2002 (survey

work undertaken in 2002). In line with HMA guidance it was decidedthat the information was outdated and not robust enough on whichto carry out an HMA. Mid Suffolk have therefore been undertaking anew HNS that will be completed in December 2007, and findingsfrom this must be taken into account.

These studies will be made available. A list of documentation that will beprovided to the successful bidder is contained in Appendix B.

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3. Project objectives

3.1. Fundamentally, the objective is to provide the four commissioningauthorities with a thorough understanding of the extent, characteristicsand operation of current and future housing markets. These will includethe Ipswich housing market area, and other housing markets in orinfluencing Babergh, Suffolk Coastal and Mid Suffolk districts.

3.2. The purpose is to provide the councils with evidence to inform decisions,relating to both Local Development Frameworks and strategic housingservices. Specifically for land use planning, this would include policydecisions relating to the spatial strategy, the allocation of land for housing,housing type, mix and density, affordable housing and planningcontributions.

3.3. The work must, therefore, stand up to detailed scrutiny at examination, aspart of the LDF evidence base. As a minimum requirement, it shouldaccord with the methodology and outputs set out in the government’sguidance on Strategic Housing Market Assessments, CLG, March 2007.

3.4. The HMA must also provide robust evidence to underpin the councils’affordable housing policies and their housing strategies, in particular thepercentage of affordable housing on sites, site thresholds, housing mixand tenure split. The HMA must provide a detailed discussion of anyfindings that are significantly different from the findings of each of thelocal authority housing needs surveys especially with regard to nethousing need, tenure mix, affordability and any significant changes withregard to those requiring supported housing.

3.5. The key issues for the councils that the study will need to address centreon:

Current high demand for housing including affordable housing. Affordability. High growth targets proposed in draft RSS. The need to plan for the growth in a way that creates and supports

sustainable and balanced communities, taking account of bothurban and rural needs.

Recent housing development.

3.6. The study must provide information about local and more distant marketinteractions, the housing stock, the source and characteristics of forecasthousehold growth, household flows by tenure type and populationmovement in and out of Ipswich and towns within neighbouring districts,in order for local authorities to make the appropriate policy responses.Both urban-rural and rural–urban migration are key issues, as is evidenceof the need for different types of dwelling (particularly houses and flats) inboth the private and affordable housing markets, together withinformation on the appropriate tenure splits.

3.7. The study will also highlight the factors that do, and will, influence thepopularity of different housing types (flats/houses) and tenures, including

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market sale housing, in different locations within the areas that areidentified as being housing drivers.

3.8. The HMA will need to set this information within the context of aneconomic and employment profile, including travel and transport issueslinked to the popularity of housing.

3.9. To meet the requirements of all 4 districts LDF timetables, preliminaryfindings should be reported by end January 2008 with a full report by endMarch 2008.

4. The Scope of the Study

In order to achieve the study objective, the commissioning councils willneed the study to address and report on the following matters. In doingso the study should comply with Figure 1.1 and Table 2.1 of the StrategicHousing Market Assessment guidance, CLG, March 2007.

4.1. The current housing market

4.1.1. Define the geographical extent of the Ipswich housing market andother housing markets affecting Babergh, Suffolk Coastal and MidSuffolk districts and how these relate to each local authority area. TheIpswich housing market definition will also need to be set in the contextof the Ipswich Policy Area.

4.1.2. Describe the nature of the Ipswich housing market and housing marketareas in or affecting Babergh, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal,identifying any sub-markets (both geographical, and as determined bythe behaviour of different consumer groups), and providing acommentary on house prices and sales patterns.

4.1.3. Identify the factors influencing levels of housing need and demand.What factors (economic, social or environmental) are driving consumerbehaviour in the areas that have been outlined above?

4.1.4. Identify flows and relationships within the Ipswich housing market andthose of Babergh, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk coastal, and between themand other areas. This should include relationships with the Londonmarket, and regional and sub-regional centres. It should also explorethe relationship locally between Ipswich, Woodbridge and Felixstowe,and Ipswich and Hadleigh. For Babergh, neighbouring markets ofinterest are North Essex and West Suffolk and the Cambridge sub-region. For Mid Suffolk areas such as South Norfolk up to Norwich andBury St Edmunds should be considered. For Suffolk Coastal housingmarket relationships with towns in the north of the district and withLowestoft and Norwich should be considered.

4.1.5. Identify the range, extent and condition of the housing stock inIpswich, Babergh, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal housing markets,distinguishing Ipswich Borough and the Ipswich Policy Area within the

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Ipswich housing market area. Mid Suffolk will shortly complete itsPrivate Sector Stock Condition Survey and the findings in this reportshould be included within the HMA.

4.1.6. Assess the cost of housing to purchase and rent for properties ofdifferent sizes and types in different parts of the private housingmarket, and the relative buoyancy or weakness of the housingeconomy. In addition to this an affordability assessment of sharedownership should also be included within affordability evaluations.

4.1.7. Quantify over or under supply (in relation to need and demand) ofhousing in the 4 local authority areas by tenure, dwelling size (numberof bedrooms), type (e.g. flats or houses) and location. Tenure mustinclude affordable housing as defined in PPS3 (that is social rentedhousing and actually affordable intermediate housing, based on theincome levels of those in housing need); owner occupied housing; andprivate rented housing. In Ipswich, we would like to know whether the market for flats is

saturated, whether/how buy to let is distorting the housing market,and why shared ownership properties have proved so difficult tosell. We also require an analysis of the flow of households into andout of the Ipswich Policy Area and wider housing market, takingaccount of projected household growth, and identifying where thosehouseholds will come from. Identify the main factors that influencethat movement (e.g. employment, family circumstances, ruralhousing costs). In addition to this any information with regard toBlack and Minority Ethnic demographics and migrant worker housingneed should be considered within the demographics outlined above.Is there rural-urban migration into Ipswich from surrounding areas?

In Mid Suffolk we would like trajectory figures as to how well it willor will not meet RSS targets for housing in its area and at whatpoint likely convergence will take place.

In Suffolk Coastal we would like advice on the phasing of largereleases of Greenfield land on the eastern fringes of Ipswich inrelation to the development of Brownfield sites in the town. This isparticularly critical if the latter are catering for a particular sector ofthe housing market i.e. flats, and Greenfield releases are necessaryin order to achieve a balanced market. We are also particularlyinterested in rural-urban and urban-rural migration, as well as theneed for key worker homes and the impact of 2nd homes.

4.1.8. Assess whether the housing stock reflects the aspirations of newlyforming households and those migrating into the Ipswich Policy Area,and other housing markets within Babergh, Mid Suffolk and SuffolkCoastal.

4.2. The Future Housing Market

4.2.1. Assess the likely future demand for housing in Ipswich, Babergh,Suffolk Coastal and Mid Suffolk, by tenure, dwelling size, type andlocation, in relation to forecast household change.

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4.2.2. Provide alternative longer term projections, looking at how futurechanges, for example in interest rates or economic performance, andmajor developments if progressed such as the SNOASIS project andhow this would affect the housing markets and how that would impacton the demand for land.

4.2.3. Indicate how a downturn in the market would affect people’s ability tobetter afford market sale housing, and what effect this would have onhousing development including the intermediate market such as sharedownership.

4.2.4. Assess the anticipated impacts on the housing markets of key housing,economic and other development proposals within the area if/whenprogressed. Examples include SNOASIS, Felixstowe Port Expansion,University Campus Suffolk and the continued development of IpswichWaterfront.

4.3. Housing need

4.3.1. Assess the number of households in current and likely future housingneed in Ipswich, Babergh, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal housingmarkets, by location. This should be done using secondary datasources that identify the relative need for market sale, social rentedhousing and intermediate tenures (and current supply), each of whichshould be broken down by size, type, tenure and location. The analysisof housing need within the Borough of Ipswich must be modelled onIpswich Borough Council’s allocations policy as well as the legalminimum.

4.3.2. In identifying housing need in Babergh, particular emphasis should beplaced on the west of the District and the level, type, size, and tenureof affordable housing delivery on the new Chilton Woods development.In Mid Suffolk the emphasis should centre on the Crest development inStowmarket and any possible development relating to SNOASIS .

4.3.3. In relation to intermediate housing, identify the characteristics ofhouseholds that aspire to it and of people who are actually buyingshared ownership property at present (income, employment type, age,and available capital), and whether there is a market for intermediaterented accommodation in Ipswich. This should include an analysis ofany data relating to key worker take up in the districts included withinthe HMA. Information for this could be obtained from the HomeBuyagent.

4.4. Housing Requirements of Different Household Types

4.4.1. A commentary should also be provided on the housing and housingsupport requirements of: BME communities including Gypsies and Travellers, refugees,

migrant workers and other and newly arrived communities.

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Vulnerable clients groups as outlined in the Suffolk SupportingPeople Strategy including older people, those with a physicalimpairment and offenders.

Key workers. First time buyers. Defence personnel in Babergh.Mid Suffolk is in the process of undertaking a district wide housingneeds survey with additional smaller surveys of migrant workers andBME communities and therefore the consultant should includeinformation from any subsequent reports from this work.

4.5. Resources

4.5.1. The HMA should include an assessment of the resources available tobalance the housing markets in the Ipswich Policy Area and the 3adjoining districts and recommendations as to the ways each authority andother key stakeholders could best use their resources to achieve this.

4.5.2. In particular it should report on the viability of schemes in relation to localauthorities’ requirements for affordable housing, sustainability measuresand planning contributions, in relation to the market value of completedschemes and land values around the housing market areas and land withinany council ownership. This should give rise to a broad assessment of theimportant ‘tipping points’ at which the LDF requirement for the delivery ofaffordable housing becomes so onerous that schemes in a particular areabecome unviable and detract from the ability to deliver projected housingrequirements. The analysis must be evidence based, robust anddefensible.

4.6. Keeping the evidence base up to date

4.6.1. The study should advise on matters that the councils should monitorregularly to keep the market assessment up to date. Any analysis datasets provided by the consultant should have the capacity to be updated ona regular basis. Adequate training or the agreement for the consultant toundertake this work as an on-going task should be included within anycostings.

4.7. Interpreting the data

4.7.1. We require the consultant, as a result of the data gathering and analysis,to identify the key issues for future planning and housing policy andstrategy, and options for intervention by the local authorities. In reportingthe findings of the data-gathering phase, the consultant should provideanswers to the following specific questions.

4.7.2. Who is occupying new dwellings at Ipswich Waterfront and the CrestDevelopment in Stowmarket. For instance:

Are occupants in-migrants (if so, where from) or existing residents? What proportion of the dwellings are second homes (and vacant)?

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4.7.3. In relation to first time buyers, what type of properties are sought and atwhat average cost?

4.7.4. How much of the housing stock (by size/type) is occupied by one person?Is there a latent demand for any particular type of housing for olderpeople that could free up larger family homes, and what is its extent?What sort of smaller homes would be attractive to this group (e.g. extracare schemes, small 2 bed homes) and how would they finance them?

4.7.5. What is the extent, geography and realistic potential of alternative sourcesof additional dwelling units, i.e. vacant dwellings, vacant or underusedother buildings, or large dwellings with scope for subdivision? Is themarket sufficiently buoyant to deliver housing from these sources?

4.7.6. What types of residential development would be appropriate to meet theneeds of the general housing market? Is a particular property type in shortsupply, e.g. bungalows for older persons or wheelchair specific bungalows(in addition to Part M).

4.7.7. Are there identifiable market characteristics in different locations withinIpswich and Stowmarket, and other identified housing market areas? If so,what are they? .

4.7.8. What should the minimum site size threshold be for affordable housing inIpswich, Babergh, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal? In the case of Ipswichit should be born in that the majority of sites coming forward will beBrownfield. Should the threshold be varied across or within thedistricts/market areas and on what basis? The recommendations given inthe East of England Plan and other government policy documents shouldalso be considered. Similarly what is the impact of existing affordablehousing policies in districts/ housing market areas. Where they vary, dothey remain relevant to their individual areas?

4.7.9. What are average land and property values within each market area (alsodistinguishing Ipswich Borough and the Ipswich Policy Area) and how dothey vary between areas?

4.7.10How many vacant houses/flats are there within the housing marketsidentified and what impact does this have on the local authorities’ ability tomeet the decent homes standard. Each local authority Private Sector StockCondition Survey should be taken into account.

4.7.11.How will the expansion of the Education Quarter in Ipswich impact on thehousing market?

4.7.12.What is the mix of housing needed (flats, bungalows and/or houses) andwhat are the implications for density, broken down by size of property andwhether that mix should be varied geographically within the Ipswichhousing market and other market areas identified by the consultant?

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4.7.13.What is the impact of economic, demographic and social trends upon thehousing markets, particularly in terms of housing need and demand? Arethere any naturally occurring growth areas, or possibly areas of decline?

4.7.14.What factors do, and will, influence the popularity of different types ofhousing in different parts of the housing market?

4.7.15.What factors do, and will, influence household need for different types ortenures of housing in different parts of the housing market areas asidentified by the consultant?

4.7.16.How does the potential supply of housing relate to housing need anddemand (i.e. shortfall or surplus) broken down by area, tenure etc?

4.7.17.What will be the features of the housing markets in 5, 10 and 15 years’time, particularly in terms of characteristics, structure and tenure?

4.7.18.How are the key drivers underpinning the housing markets likely tochange over the next 5, 10 and 15 years? What might this mean in termsof their sub-regional and regional role, the effect of a recession, changesin the labour market, changes in housing activity area or local governmentareas etc.

4.7.19.What issues concern BME and special needs groups in the above contextand what causes housing problems for any particular group identified?

4.7.20.Has the existing level of sheltered housing provision (built and approved)in Woodbridge reached saturation point? If it has, is this just in relation toshort term needs, or will this meet the anticipated demand in the longerterm?

4.7.21.What is the demand for elderly persons sheltered and very shelteredaccommodation in Babergh District? Although the Council provides arange of this type of accommodation, there is very little provision in theprivate sector. What amount of such accommodation should be provided,what is the appropriate size of each (1 or 2 bedrooms) unit and in whichlocations across Babergh should such schemes be delivered? In MidSuffolk what sheltered housing schemes are maximised in terms of voidsand how does this relate to the need for Supporting People funding.

4.7.22.What is the relationship between rural house prices and low paidindigenous residents? What is the level and best tenure mix for meetingthe affordable housing demand of this part of the community?

4.8. Additional notes on scope and outputs

4.8.1. Figures given for each housing market must be broken down by localauthority district, and in the case of Ipswich related to the Ipswich PolicyArea.

4.8.2. The HMA must be capable of being aggregated with other HMAsundertaken within the Greater Haven Gateway Housing Sub Region and

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other bordering HMAs including Greater Norwich, in particular the HMAbeing carried out for Colchester, Braintree and Chelmsford.

4.8.3.Other outputs will be as required by PPS3 Annex C (including variations inthe distribution of need across different parts of districts and the needs ofspecific groups).

5. Methodology

5.1. The HMA should be carried out in accordance with the methodology set outin CLG’s Strategic Housing Market Assessments Practice Guidancepublished in March 2007. In particular it should satisfy the processchecklist set out in the checklist in Figure 1.2 of that document.

5.2. The study should make use mainly of secondary data. It is not envisagedthat any major new household survey will be needed, except possibly inthe case of Babergh - TBA. Some primary data sources may also be usedto supplement this, for example interviews and discussions with keyexperts/stakeholders.

5.3. The study must consist of an analysis of the current housing markets, thefuture housing markets, housing need and demand and the housingrequirements of different households with regard to affordability, tenureand house types etc as identified in Table 2.1 of the Practice Guidance.

5.4. Where consultants wish to recommend a departure from the guidance,reasons for this must be set out clearly in the tender submission, togetherwith an explanation as to how the alternative methodology proposedwould produce robust results.

5.5. The broad approach expected will consist of: collating existing data e.g. ondemand and supply, demographics, and household income; identifying anygaps; supplementing the data with any further research if needed;gathering qualitative data through discussion groups etc; analysing thedata; and presenting findings as specified, addressing the questionsposed.

5.6. It is expected that housing needs studies will provide the bulk of the datarequired for this work (see paragraph 2.19). Access will also be permittedto other local authority data sources.

5.7. Advice is sought as to whether Hometrack software should be purchased inorder to gather secondary data.

6. The study outputs

6.1. You should prepare a digitised map identifying the geographical extent ofthe Ipswich, Babergh, Mid Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal housing markets,showing local authority boundaries, the Ipswich Policy Area and the HavenGateway Partnership area and Greater Haven Gateway Housing Sub-

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Region area. It should also map any sub areas identified within themarkets.

6.2. You should provide statistically reliable, representative and robust data forthe each area as outlined in the brief and other relevant geographies – tobe agreed. Databases should be in Excel or Access. Demographic data onall districts should be overlaid on GIS to provide a geographical picture ofpopulation characteristics and flows.

6.3. A report on initial findings is required by January 2008.

6.4. A full report of the findings will be required that explicitly answers thequestions posed in Section 4 of the brief. A separate executive summarywill be required as well as the main report, which must be clear andaccessibly presented. Trends must be projected to 2026 (2027 forBabergh) to tie in with the PPS3 requirement for development plandocuments to plan for housing for fifteen years after adoption.

6.5. A minimum of 12 hard copies of the final report and executive summaryshall be supplied. The report must also be submitted in electronic formatcompatible with the computer systems of the commissioning councils. Thereport should also be made available on CD of which 4 copies are required.

6.6. At least one presentation of the results to members and officers will berequired.

6.7. Copyright of the documentation and information will be held by all of theparticipating local authorities.

7. Stakeholder contacts

7.1. Stakeholder involvement will be an important part of the proposedmethod, to supplement the secondary data used. Involvement may takethe form of workshops, one to ones, or focus groups. We would expectyour methodology to recommend on approaches.

We consider that the key groups to involve are: At least eight estate agents operating within the 4 local authority areas

and at least one to be represented from each LA area. At least four RSLs operating within the local authority areas, at least

two of which should have partnering status with the HousingCorporation.

At least three major developers operating within the defined localauthority areas.

At least three smaller local developers operating within the definedlocal authority areas.

At least four local letting agents, one from each of the districts. Suffolk County Council. Suffolk County Education, Adult Care Service and Suffolk Supporting

People.

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Key worker organisations: Primary Care Trust, Ipswich Hospital, SuffolkConstabulary, and Orbit Homebuy Agents.

Voluntary agencies providing housing support or organisationssupporting BME communities, Gypsies and Travellers and, if possible,migrant workers.

8. Key stages

8.1. Agree methodology and study design with project group – November2007.

8.2. Gather and investigate existing housing market and housing needsinformation, carry out primary/secondary research as agreed with projectgroup, December 2007/January 2008.

8.3. Analyse data and report preliminary findings January 2008.

8.4. Complete research and produce draft report, conclusions andrecommendations by end March 2008.

8.5. Finalise report and deliver outputs to IBC, Babergh District Council, MidSuffolk District Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council by end April2008. If consultants consider that there is scope to accelerate thistimescale without compromising the scope or depth of the study, thisshould be set out in tenders.

9. Start and end dates for HMA

9.1. We anticipate that the study will begin end November/early December2007 – see 11 below and also Appendix C. A report on preliminaryfindings for all districts must be available by 31 January 2008 at the latest,and the final report for all areas submitted by 30 April 2008.

10. Submission of tenders

10.1. Tender submissions must be made in writing (16 sides maximum plusappendices) and must address the following points: Details of the experience of the company undertaking this type of

project in relation to similar studies; Details of project team, team structure and named project director and

manager, and brief curriculum vitae for each team member (includingqualifications and experience).

Description of research methodology including:o Proposals for research design and use of secondary data sources.o An analysis of any primary research you feel to be needed and

the reasons for this.o Measures for ensuring effective project management.o Proposals for engaging reference groups/stakeholders.o Outline of data required from the district authorities.

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o If necessary, reasons for any departure from national guidanceon Strategic Housing Market Assessments.

o How the research methodology will be compatible with theColchester, Braintree, and Chelmsford HMA and how you willensure that findings of both studies are capable of beingaggregated.

Proposed project plan with key dates including meetings with theproject steering group.

A risk assessment to show what action you would undertake toovercome unforeseen delays in the delivery timetable.

A fixed price tender including all costs and expenses – VAT to beidentified separately – and requested payment schedule. Consultantsare requested to show a fully costed, itemised breakdown, includingexpenses, for each component of the project.

Evidence that the company has taken out appropriate professionalindemnity insurance.

Names and addresses of two referees from different local authoritieswhere similar studies have been undertaken by the consultantcompany which will be undertaking this project.

A declaration of any potential conflict of interest.

11. Closing date for submission of tenders

11.1 The closing date for submission of tenders is 2 November 2007 at 12noon. Interviews with short listed consultants will take place on 20November 2007, and an inception meeting between the steering groupand the selected consultant will be held 29 November 2007. Please seeAppendix C for more details.

11.2 The successful consultants will be required to enter into a contract withIpswich Borough Council substantially in accordance with the terms of theattached draft. If there are any terms in the draft which would not beacceptable to the consultants, they should identify them and state theiralternative proposals in their submission.

12. Project Management

12.1 The successful consultant will be expected to identify a project director totake overall responsibility for the contract and delivery of the results, anda project manager who will be responsible for day-to-day liaison with thecouncils’ nominated officers.

12.2 The local authorities will manage the project through a steering groupconsisting of planning and/or housing staff (see below). The lead contactfor the project will be Jenny Morcom, Housing Policy, Ipswich BoroughCouncil (email: jennifer.morcom@ipswich.gov.uk).

Steering GroupIpswich Borough Council: Jenny Morcom, Housing Policy (lead contact)and Sarah Barker, Planning Policy.

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Babergh District Council: Rich Cooke, Planning and Ian Tippett, Housing.Mid Suffolk District Council: Stephen Andrews, Planning and Imogen Isern,Housing (this may change to Martin King)Suffolk Coastal District Council: Hilary Hanslip, Planning and Nicola Clarke,Housing.

12.3 Tenders must include details of how the successful consultant will keep theproject team up to date throughout the project, including a timetable ofprogress meetings.

12.4 Appendix D details how tenders will be assessed.

Appendix A Background to the local authority areas

Ipswich

1. Ipswich has a population of at least 120,448 (2006 mid-year estimate fromRegistrar General) and serves a much larger hinterland. Over 300,000 peoplelive within 20km of the town centre.

2. Ipswich has tight administrative boundaries and this has long been recognisedwithin the Suffolk Structure Plan via the identification of the ‘Ipswich PolicyArea’. The draft East of England Plan (Regional Spatial Strategy) identifiesIpswich as a key growth point within the Haven Gateway Partnership Sub-Region. The Haven Gateway Partnership comprises parts of Babergh, MidSuffolk, Suffolk Coastal and all of Colchester, Ipswich and Tendring and isrecognised as one of the main sub-regions in the East of England. TheGreater Haven Gateway Housing Sub-Region includes the whole of theseauthorities as well as Braintree and Maldon. The maps at the end of this briefidentify some key boundaries.

3. The June 2006 independent Panel Report on draft RSS (re) introduced thenotion of an Ipswich Policy Area by allocating housing to that area. TheSecretary of State’s changes to draft RSS published in December 2006support this as follows (Policy H1):

At least 15,400 dwellings within Ipswich Borough; Up to 600 in Babergh Up to 800 in Mid Suffolk and Up to 3,200 in Suffolk Coastal.

4. Thus, the East of England Plan is likely to set targets for housing not onlywithin Ipswich, but also for the wider Ipswich Policy Area. The adoption ofRSS is expected in late 2007.

5. Although the 4 councils in the Ipswich Policy Area have undertaken housingstudies in recent years, these have focussed on affordable housing needrather than the housing market as a whole. Different consultants haveundertaken the studies and in different years, and their findings cannot beaggregated in a simple fashion. It is not known at present how far the Ipswich

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Policy Area corresponds to the local housing market focussed on Ipswich, orhow it relates to the Greater Haven Gateway Housing and Haven GatewayPartnership Sub Regions (the two are different, as detailed above) andbeyond.

6. Ipswich Borough Council will adopt its Local Development Frameworkbetween 2009 and 2011. Currently work is underway to prepare 3development plan documents as follows:

Core Strategy and Development Control Policies DevelopmentPlan Document

Site allocations Development Plan Document IP-One Area Action Plan.

7. The next stage in document preparation in Ipswich is preferred optionsconsultation on all the above documents, which is due to start in January2008, followed by submission in autumn 2008. To inform this work andprovide robust evidence to underpin Ipswich’s LDF, it is a requirement of thisbrief that the final report relating to the Ipswich housing market area becompleted by April 2008.

Babergh District Council

8. Babergh is a largely attractive and prosperous District in the southern part ofSuffolk and has a long border with the county of Essex. Whilst it remains veryrural, it is within close and convenient distance of London and the Continent.The District has a population of approximately 84,000. It covers an area of230 square miles and contains several small towns and villages, which stillretain much of their original outstanding character and appearance includingthe nationally known towns of Lavenham and Long Melford. For instance,there are 29 conservation areas and approximately 4,000 listed buildingswithin the District. The largest town in Babergh is Sudbury, which along withits neighbouring village of Great Cornard has a population of approximately20,000. The other market town – Hadleigh – where the Council’s offices arelocated, has a population of approximately 7,000. Ipswich (10 miles fromHadleigh) is now spilling over into the District, and has a population of130,000 people.

9. Babergh District Council aims to carry out initial issues and optionsconsultation on its Core Strategy in April/May 2008.

Mid Suffolk

10.The District of Mid Suffolk covers an area of 87,000 hectares, which makes itgeographically one of the largest districts in England. At the same time, witha population of approximately 87,000, Mid Suffolk is one of the most sparselypopulated districts. Of 122 parishes in the district, 73 have a populationbelow 500. It has no urban centres other than a few small market townssuch as Needham Market and Stowmarket.

11.The area has, however, as with many other parts of the country seen rapidincreases in houses prices and this means that the majority of those whohave been brought up in the district can no longer afford to buy their own

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homes. House prices are, however, competitive to areas such as Cambridgeand Bury St Edmunds and there is evidence to suggest that people are livingin mid Suffolk and commuting to other areas for work and therefore earningabove the average income in the district, which is currently £22,549.

12. The Council is aware from census material that its population is ageing andthere is need to ensure that such potential needs are taken into accountwith regard to building accommodation both affordable and markethousing in the future that will meet this particular need. Informationrelating to Key Housing Facts is available on the Council’s website: midsuffolk website.

13. Mid Suffolk District Council carried out preferred options consultation on itsCore Strategy development plan document in May 2007

Suffolk Coastal

14. Suffolk Coastal is a diverse District of just over 115,000 people and nearly90,000 hectares. It incorporates coast and countryside; town, suburb andvillage; the affluent and those on low incomes. In 30 years its populationhas risen by around 26,000, a 29% increase, amongst the higher rates ofgrowth in the country. At just over 21% the District has a higherproportion of people over the age of 65 than nationally or in Suffolk as awhole. Conversely, there is a much lower than average number of peoplebetween the ages of 18 and 34 as young people leave the District forfurther education, training or work. The black and ethnic community isrelatively small but is growing.

15. The district contains two employment sites of regional importance, namelythe port of Felixstowe, and BT Adastral Park at Martlesham Heath. Theport of Felixstowe has recently been granted permission for a major re-configuration and there is the potential for the growth of jobs toexacerbate further the current imbalance between jobs and housing. The2001 census revealed that there was a daily net inflow of 2,719 workers.This comprised an outflow of 3,600 Felixstowe residents to jobs in Ipswichor elsewhere and an inflow of 6,319 non-residents to work in Felixstowe.The BT site at Adastral Park is located within the Ipswich Policy Area, closeto Ipswich itself and is an important employment site for residents in bothlocal authority areas.

16. Suffolk Coastal District Council aims to carry out preferred optionsconsultation on its Core Strategy development plan document, and issuesand options consultation on its Site Specific Allocations document inJanuary 2008. The adoption timetable for these documents is 2009/10.

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Appendix B Documents that the Commissioning Bodies will supply –

Haven Gateway Growth Point Bidhttp://www.haven-gateway.org/activities/growth_point.asp

Ipswich adopted Local Plan 1997http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/39E498F9-4F18-47A6-84EE-45854A939042/0/frontpage.pdf

Ipswich first deposit draft Local Plan 2001http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/Downloads/First+Deposit+Draft+Local+Plan+2001.htm

Draft Regional Spatial Strategyhttp://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=452

Panel Report on Draft RSShttp://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=599

Secretary of States changes to draft RSShttp://www.gos.gov.uk/goee/docs/193657/193668/ProposedChanges.pdf

Regional Housing Strategyhttp://www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=461

Greater Haven Gateway Sub-Regional Housing Strategyhttp://www.ipswich.gov.uk/Downloads/Sub+Regional+Housing+Strategy+2006-2010.htm

Any early results available from the HMA for Colchester, Braintree andChelmsford.http://www.colchester.gov.uk/Info_page_two_pic_2.asp?sec_id=1435

Housing land availability data/reportshttp://www.ipswich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B4338E2D-5045-4B9D-934F-7ADD849FD0D3/0/2006MarchHLAReport.doc

http://www.babergh-south-suffolk.gov.uk/Babergh/Home/Planning+and+Building+Control/Residential+Land+Availability/

http://www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/65173C72-FDF1-4E50-81D5-B5B9B056F14C/0/LandAvailability2006.pdf

Haven Gateway Employment Land Studyhttp://havengateway.org/documents/Employment Land Study.pdf

Ipswich LDF issues and options papers for the four development plandocuments (June 2006 and March 2007).

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http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/Services/Planning+Policy/Local+Development+Framework/

Ipswich Housing Needs Survey 2005 (Fordhams)http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/Downloads/2004+Housing+Needs+Survey+Report.htm

Neighbouring districts’ housing needs studies and housingstrategies.Babergh Housing Needs Surveyhttp://www.babergh.gov.uk/Babergh/Home/Housing+and+Rents/Affordable+Housing/Housing+Need/

Babergh Adopted Local Planhttp://www.babergh.gov.uk/Babergh/Home/Planning+and+Building+Control/Local+Plan/Local+Plan+overview.htm

Babergh Housing Strategyhttp://www.babergh.gov.uk/Babergh/Home/Housing+and+Rents/

Babergh Stock Condition Surveyhttp://www.babergh.gov.uk/Babergh/Home/Housing+and+Rents/Private+Housing/House+Condition+Survey/

Mid Suffolk Housing Strategy

http://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/Homes+and+Housing/Strategy/

Mid Suffolk Housing Needs Survey

http://www.midsuffolk.gov.uk/Homes+and+Housing/Strategy/Housing+Strategy.htm

Suffolk Coastal Housing Strategy

http://www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourhome/housing/strategies/

Suffolk Coastal Local Housing Assessment

http://www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourhome/housing/affordable/

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Appendix C Tender Instructions and Selection Timetable

We require both electronic and hard copies of your submission. These must besent on the same day to:

Claire BarrittHead of Legal and Democratic ServicesIpswich Borough CouncilGrafton HouseRussell RoadIpswichIP1 2DE

Email: housing.tender@ipswich.gov.uk

To arrive by 12 noon on 2 November 2007. The envelope and email must bemarked “Tender for Housing Market Assessment; do not open” and must bear noother identifying name or mark.

The tenderer must provide a certificate that they have not colluded with anyother person or told anyone else the price that they have tendered.

The timetable for assessing tenders is as follows:

Deadline for tender submission 2 November 2007Short-listing by Steering Group 7 November 2007Interviews conducted by Steering Group 20 November 2007Appoint consultants by 23 November 2007Inception meeting 29 November

Appendix D Criteria against which submissions will be assessed.

Tenders will be assessed on a combination of price (50%), quality (includingexperience) (25%) and understanding of the brief (25%). The Council is notobliged to accept the lowest offer received.

The quality elements of the assessment will consist of: The robustness and suitability of the proposed approach and methods for

meeting the aims and objectives of the research. The consultant’s understanding and knowledge of the housing market and

needs assessment issues. The relevant skills and experience of the research team. The quality assurance procedures specified for the research process. The identification of potential risks and how these will be managed and

overcome. The consultant’s ability to write concise, objective and user-friendly

reports in plain English (this will be assessed in part from the submission). A proven track record of delivering to time and budget. Flexibility of approach.

Please note that references will be taken up.

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Tenders must provide a clear breakdown of costs for each main element of thestudy.

If more than four tenders are received, a shortlisting process will be carried out.

Shortlisted companies will be interviewed by the steering group to inform theselection process.

Payment arrangements: IBC to be central charging point for the project andinvoice the districts. The contract fee shall be payable to the Contractor asfollows:

On appointment: 25% of project cost.Completion of data collection: 25%Completion of first stage report: 25%Completion of second stage report: 25%

The successful consultants will be required to enter into a contract with IpswichBorough Council substantially in accordance with the terms of the attached draft.If there are any terms in the draft, which would not be acceptable to theconsultants, they should identify them and state their alternative proposals intheir submission.

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