FOI Request - Tiny Homes and Eco Home Building Permissions
Request 101003408572
1. The total number of applications made for the construction of tiny homes, eco homes, or homes built from shipping containers in the UK over the last 12 months, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively.
2. A breakdown of the number of applications mentioned above by year, specifying the number of applications for each of the last 12 months, 3 years, and 5 years.
3. The number of applications that were approved for the construction of tiny homes, eco homes, or homes built from shipping containers over the last 12 months, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively.
4. A breakdown of the number of approvals mentioned above by year, specifying the number of approvals for each of the last 12 months, 3 years, and 5 years.
5. The number of applications that were rejected for the construction of tiny homes, eco homes, or homes built from shipping containers over the last 12 months, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively.
6. A breakdown of the number of rejections mentioned above by year, specifying the number of rejections for each of the last 12 months, 3 years, and 5 years.
7. Information on the geographic distribution of these applications and approvals, including details on the regions or local authorities where they were filed and granted.
8. Any specific policies, guidelines, or criteria that local authorities use to evaluate applications for tiny homes, eco homes, or homes built from shipping containers.
9. Any available data or insights regarding the reasons for rejections of these applications.
10. Information on any trends or changes in the number of applications, approvals, or rejections for such housing types over the specified time periods.
11. Any other relevant information or insights that may assist in understanding the process and success rates of obtaining permissions for these housing types.
Response 25-10-2023
1.- 7. We can confirm that there is no mechanism within our planning database to filter out (in terms of construction or size) tiny homes, eco homes, or homes built from shipping containers from the many hundreds of planning applications submitted for housing. This would require a manual search through all housing approvals, which would take a considerable amount of officer time, as such Section 12, excessive cost, is applicable.
Nonetheless, the national public e-planning search mechanism allows members of the public to carry out advanced searches within defined dates for council areas, looking only at housing applications, such that the enquirer could search themselves conduct the same search as is being requested in questions 1-7, 9 and 10 below. The Moray Council e-planning search facility can be found at https://publicaccess.moray.gov.uk/eplanning/search.do?action=advanced
8. All guidance on housing for Moray Council is publically accessible for National Planning Framework 4 and there is guidance at http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_148973.html
Moray Councils own plans, policies and guidance are publically accessible at http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_133431.html
9.-10. As per 1.
11.-12. The general approach and guidance from Moray Council seeks to encourage development carried out in a way so as to tackle climate change, reduce carbon use, and enhance biodiversity and this theme runs through our guidance for all forms of development. We have seen an increase in the number of eco-houses generally, but have no specific analysis on tiny, eco or shipping containers houses. As such Section 17, information not held, is applicable.