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Solving
the Housing Conundrum
A 3-STEP APPROACHTO NORTH EASTHOUSING POLICY
Contents
Foreword 5
Executive Summary 6
Introduction 8
Housebuilding Survey 10
Finance 13
Planning 16
Existing Stock 18
Conclusion 22
Summary of Recommendations 23
Acknowledgements 27
References 27
Solving the Housing Conundrum
4
NECC is the North East’s leading business membership
organisation and the only regional Chamber of
Commerce in the country. We represent around 4,000
businesses located in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear,
Durham and Tees Valley, covering both local enterprise
partnership areas in the North East. Our members are
drawn from businesses of all sizes and sectors, and
employ around 30% of the region’s workforce.
Watson Burton is a Newcastle head-quartered leading
national law firm with a well-earned reputation for helping
businesses succeed. Offering a range of commercial
law services, the firm has significant nationwide
coverage providing first class legal advice from offices in
Newcastle, Leeds and London.
The firm has six core practice areas in employment, real
estate, construction, insurance, commercial litigation
and corporate and commercial. Key to the firm’s success
is the ability of its expert lawyers to get to know clients
and understand the commercial realities of running a
business.
FOREWORDWELCOME TO THE NECC AND WATSON BURTON HOUSING REPORT. We first started discussing the need for
a detailed examination of North East
housebuilding activity following our ‘Help to
Buy: Boom or Bubble’ report last year. Since
then our teams have carried out a survey of
NECC members, held one-to-one interviews
and chaired numerous task groups with the
vital support of those involved in the supply
chain.
The result is a cohesive and balanced set of
recommendations which addresses a range
of viewpoints; from opening up funding
opportunities, to creating a more supportive
planning regime on a national and regional
level. It is also very clear that as a region, we
need to be focusing on utilising existing (and
sometimes dormant) housing stock.
Change will require buy-in and commitment
from regional organisations, national
organisations and central government, and this
report will allow NECC to campaign extensively
for this region in this respect, taking the
message out to key decision-makers – who in
turn must engage to make these changes.
The team at Watson Burton has provided
input based on our extensive knowledge of the
housing market across a range of perspectives
including finance, planning, construction
and the integration of renewable energy into
housing development.
Our involvement has enabled us to see first-
hand the commitment from NECC and its
members to address these key issues and
develop a robust plan which will help the region
to realise its full potential in delivering a long-
term and sustainable housing strategy.
Pursuing the recommendations in this
report will enable the North East to seize this
opportunity to influence change with the
broader aim of creating stronger sustainable
communities and infrastructure for the future.
Tracy Hall, Partner & Head of Real Estate,
Watson Burton LLP
5
Housing is an engine of economic growth. Every house built in the North East equates to an additional contribution of £80,532 to the regional economy and the creation of 1.9 jobs. This represents a £1.3bn contribution to the region’s economic output.
At first glance, this can appear to be an
impressive set of figures. However, when
we consider that the North East’s housing
market has under-performed for the past
decade and last year built only half of the
number of homes needed, it becomes
a matter of how much economic output
are we failing to capitalise on and why?
This report sets out a number of
recommendations to industry and
decision-makers which we believe would
support the North East to capitalise on its
potential to be a prime development site
and deliver more homes.
These recommendations must be
underpinned by strong leadership that
presents a clear, proactive and pro-
development stance on behalf of the
North East. Whether this comes from
local authorities, combined authorities
or local enterprise partnerships is not
important; what is essential is that a single
body takes responsibility for driving this
policy agenda and is willing to be held
accountable for doing so.
We outline priorities in three key areas:
FINANCE Constrained public finances, cautious
private sector lenders and investors, and
limited availability of mortgage finance
make securing finance for development a
significant obstacle.
With the continued squeeze on the public
purse and a notable move away from
supply-side spending, Government must
think carefully about its role in increasing
housing supply and how public finances
are best used.
Access to private finance is an acute
issue, particularly for small and medium-
sized developers. Likewise, attracting
investment into the region is difficult, with
returns on capital typically lower than in
most other regions.
The North East must showcase why
it is an attractive option to developers
looking to build new homes. Returns on
capital investment alone do not have to
be decisive. Innovative public and private
financing options; mortgage availability;
and financial incentives tailored to the
region’s housing market will go a long way
to attract investment.
6
ExecutiveSummary
PLANNING The North East needs a swift planning
process that gives the region a
competitive advantage for investment.
Our capacity for housing development
should be a key advantage over
competitor regions even though returns
are potentially greater elsewhere.
We must foster a pro-development
planning system that gives developers
and investors confidence from the outset
that all stakeholders will actively work
towards the common aim of delivering
more houses.
The willingness of local politicians
to support housing development is
often reflective of the attitudes of the
constituency they represent. Therefore,
the electoral cycle is a key factor in
generating support for housing at the
local level.
Making spatial strategies accessible to
local people, not just planning experts;
promoting the scale of housing need
in the North East; and getting local
people involved from the outset can
help encourage the public to face up to
the choices needed and build support
for development.
EXISTING STOCK Addressing the housing crisis is not simply
a matter of building more homes – we
must make the most of our existing stock.
The North East is host to one out of every
five properties vacant in the UK. These
houses are empty or unfit for purpose for
a variety of reasons and policy responses
should recognise this; some properties
can be cost-effectively brought back into
use, while for others the best option is
demolition and redevelopment.
It is essential that there is an avoidance
of a one-size-fits-all approach to
empty homes. A combination of
refurbishment, demolition and adapting
existing stock to meet new needs and
market opportunities, such as an ageing
population should be adopted, along with
financial incentives which recognise the
resource-intensive process of bringing
our existing stock up to standard.
7
The United Kingdom is in the grips of the biggest housing crisis in a generation. Years of under-supply, escalating demand and a lack of access to the homes people want and need have created a vicious cycle. Without drastic and quick action this cycle will not be broken and the crisis further entrenched.
The housing crisis is a prominent issue on
the political agenda and has been subject to
intense political and public debate. However, it
is crucial now that words are turned into action.
This year has seen the publication of the
Labour-commissioned Lyons Housing Review
and IPPR North’s Home Economics: the role of
housing in rebalancing the economy – these are
just two examples of a proliferation of reports
seeking to remedy the crisis, deliver more
homes and reap the enormous economic
benefits of doing so. Government must look to
harness this range of expertise and formulate a
long-term and cross-party delivery plan.
With a specific focus on the North East,
this report presents the barriers to, and
opportunities offered by a sustainable and
thriving housing market, and seeks to unlock
the contribution housing can make to the
regional economy. We set out a number of
recommendations to industry and decision-
makers which we believe would support the
region to capitalise on its potential to be a
prime development area and deliver more
homes.
The UK should be building at least 243,000
homes a year to keep pace with demand; in
2013 only 109,000 homes were completed,
a figure typical of more than a decade of
under-supply.1 The consequences are
widely recognised: rents and mortgages are
outstripping earnings; housing waiting lists
continue to grow; and regions do not have
the houses they need to attract business
and workers.
Housing is an engine of economic growth.
Every house built in the North East equates to
an additional £80,532 in the regional economy
and the creation of 1.9 jobs, which represents
a £1.3bn contribution to the region’s economic
output.2
Our housing offer is intrinsically linked to the
North East’s ability to attract and retain a
skilled workforce, as well as strengthening local
communities. Housing supports the delivery of
new infrastructure, improves services such as
public transport, boosts the funding available
for local schools and supports a strong
consumer market.
It is a nationwide priority to deliver more
homes, and with the North East’s distinctive
and unique development potential as
highlighted in this report, it is critical our
region plays a leading role in addressing the
housing crisis and capitalises on the significant
economic benefits of doing so.
The North East should be a prime location for
development. With an abundance of potential
development land, fantastic quality of life and
lower population densities to list but a few, the
foundations for a strong housing market are
here.
Already the region’s housing market is showing
strong signs of growth and improvement.
Introduction
8
New house registrations for Q3 2014 were up
32% on the same period from the previous
year – the highest year-on-year increase in
England and significantly stronger than the 8%
UK average increase.3 It is essential that this
positive momentum is sustained and built upon.
Despite clear signs of progress, the North East
housing market has under-performed for the
past decade – demand continues to outstrip
supply; house prices are six times the average
income; and a housing shortfall of 75,000 by
2031 is expected if we continue to build at the
current rate.4
In a region where there is significant demand for
greater housebuilding along with the potential
to deliver it, why does the North East’s housing
market fail to build on it, and how can this be
rectified? This report sets out our answers to
these questions..
SCOPE OF THE REPORTThrough the work of a Task Group of
NECC members bringing together a range
of passionate individuals with invaluable
insights and knowledge on the strengths and
weaknesses of our housing market; a survey
of North East businesses and organisations
working in the housebuilding sector; and in-
depth research interviews, we have sought to:
• Build the case for greater levels of housing
development in the North East;
• Demonstrate how this links to wider
economic and business benefits; and
• Influence policy decisions in favour of
greater housebuilding.
Failure to deliver the number of homes we need
is not a new phenomenon. For the past decade
we have had a nationwide undersupply of new
housing. Political parties of all persuasions have
recognised this, yet when it comes to how they
would deliver more homes, there is a marked
divergence in opinion and approaches.
One thing is perfectly clear: national housing
policies will not be the panacea to the housing
crisis.
Understanding housing need and the barriers
to delivering more homes are dependent on
the region in question. Housing policy must be
attuned to these differences and be formulated
with the active involvement of local and regional
stakeholders who understand the market and
how to deliver more housing, both private and
social, across a range of tenures.
The North East’s ability to deliver the homes
we need is dependent on a myriad of factors
that play out at multiple levels, with the
interaction of central and local policy, market
considerations and support for development all
interdependent. Only by understanding these
factors and how they interact can we really
generate the policy and market conditions
most conducive to a sustainable and healthy
housing sector.
To this end, we need a delivery plan that fosters
a pro-development and effective planning
system; a reformed and original approach to
finance; and innovative and appropriate use of
our existing housing stock.
Housing is a fundamental part of our region’s
economy and future growth. A strong and
respected organisation must champion a
shared vision for the North East economy with
housing at its heart, working to deliver this
vision in the face of challenges and opposition.
9
Through a comprehensive survey of North East businesses and organisations actively involved in the region’s housing sector and employing 40,000 staff across a range of disciplines including construction, refurbishment, planning, real estate and housing provision, we gained a detailed picture of: • How the North East’s housing market is
performing;
• The importance of the sector to the regional
economy; and
• Barriers to development.
When asked to indicate how the North East’s
housing market is performing relative to the rest
of the UK, 55% of respondents believe it to be
either under-performing or seriously under-
performing, with only 4% indicating the market
to be performing strongly overall.
When we break down the market into its social
and private sector components the results are
similar, with 43% and 42% respectively believing
the markets are under-performing or seriously
under-performing.
Under-supply of housing is the key indicator that
a region’s housing market is not performing. In
2012/3 the North East recorded 4,090 housing
completions, approximately half the number
needed to satisfy demand, and significantly
below the regional average of 11,800
completions.
When we surveyed why the region’s completion
rate is significantly lower than what is required, a
number of key themes emerged. These include:
• Securing finance is a significant challenge, particularly for small and medium sized
developers who are unable to access funds
that are suitable and affordable. Investors and
lenders are incredibly cautious and with lower
returns on investment in the North East, they
often choose to invest elsewhere or lend
exclusively to the big six developers where
there is less risk.
• Public funding is largely unfit for purpose
in the North East. Grant rates are too low,
smaller developers often lack the back office
infrastructure to navigate complex funding
pots, and financial incentives do not align well
with North East housing priorities, such as
empty homes and homes to suit an ageing
population.
• Housing policy does not work well nationally due to big differences between the
regions.
• The planning system is difficult to get through, with a lack of up-to-date Local
Plans, under-staffed planning departments
and limited land release being some of the
mostly commonly cited issues.
• Existing housing stock is underutilised and unfit for purpose. High vacancy
rates, dilapidated properties and houses
unresponsive to changing housing
needs, such as demographic change, is
a disproportionately greater issue in the
North East.
HousebuildingSurvey
10
TO WHAT EXTENT DO THE FOLLOWING FACTORS PRESENT A BARRIER TO DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH EAST?
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%PUBLIC
OPPOSITIONSECURING
BUILD FINANCEDIFFICULTY SECURING
INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT
DEVELOPMENT
OBTAINING PLANNING
PERMISSION
LAND AVAILABILITY
DELAY TO DEVELOPMENT
ONCE PLANNING PERMISSION HAS BEEN GRANTED
SECURING MORTGAGE
FINANCE
Significant Barrier Somewhat of a Barrier Not a Barrier
• Public opposition to development is
typified by a vocal minority painting housing
development as a bad thing that should
be challenged. Contradictions in national
planning policy, such as Neighbourhood
Plans becoming the tools of wealthy
and well-organised communities to
block development plans can trump land
allocations and Local Plan considerations.
• Strategic and joined-up thinking is missing. Local authorities and departments
are not coordinating where they should be.
Transport, employment sites and satisfying a
five year housing land supply are just some of
the areas where local authorities should be
working together and thinking strategically to
deliver common goals.
• A lack of leadership in the North East means that the region does not have a respected and visible flag bearer to champion development in the region.
Investors looking to the region can be
uncertain of whom they should be speaking
to, for instance the existence of multiple
bodies and organisations can cause
confusion. The presence of a visible leader
with the support of the region behind them
would allow the North East to present a
shared vision for the region and to speak with
one voice.
A thriving and sustainable housing market
is not simply about the number of homes
provided, but also the degree to which they
meet the needs and wants of customers.
In the North East we have many unique and
distinctive features that we should utilise to
strengthen our housing offer.
We have excellent quality of life, cutting
edge energy efficiency technologies and the
ability to deliver good value for money with
our housing. With the exception of energy
efficiency and natural light, for which 54% and
47% of respondents respectively indicate
homes in the region meet customer needs,
respondents suggest the region’s housing is
failing to capitalise on its potential.
Housing developments are regarded as failing
to deliver for the customer when it comes to
adequate space within homes, accessibility,
and house size and build quality.
Our survey clearly demonstrates that housing
is pivotal to the North East economy in
many ways. It supports talent attraction and
retention, local communities and leisure
services, boosts the local supply-chain and
creates employment opportunities.
If we are to capitalise on these opportunities,
we must remove the barriers to development
and deliver more of the sort of homes the
region wants and needs.
TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE THAT THE BUILDING OF NEW HOMES IN THE NORTH EAST IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FOLLOWING?
100.00%
TALENT ATTRACTION
TALENT RETENTION
SUPPORTING LOCAL
COMMUNITY SERVICES
SUPPORTING LOCAL RETAIL &
LEISURE SERVICES
SUPPORTING SUPPLY CHAIN
COMPANIES
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Disagree Neither Agree or DisagreeStrongly Disagree
75.00%
50.00%
25.00%
0.00%
Agree Strongly agree
INFRASTRUCTURE PROVISION
HousebuildingSurvey
12
Finance
CONSTRAINED PUBLIC FINANCES, CAUTIOUS PRIVATE SECTOR LENDERS AND INVESTORS, AND LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF MORTGAGE FINANCE MAKE SECURING FINANCE FOR DEVELOPMENTS A SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLE.
SECURING FINANCECapital funding for new homes from Government
has undergone a significant reduction, with the
drop in grant funding and emphasis on recoverable
investments typifying a pattern of a government shift
away from supply-side spending. With the continued
squeeze on public finances, Government must think
carefully about its role in increasing housing supply.
In the North East, where rents and returns on
investment are typically lower, grant rates are too low
and recoverable investments unviable. Essentially,
public funding for development in our region is largely
unfit for purpose. Indeed, new house registrations in
the North East by the social housing sector decreased
by 8% in Q3 2014 when compared with the same
period a year earlier.5
Difficulties securing public finance are made worse
by the complexity of funding arrangements. The
proliferation of funding pots; onerous application
processes and lending terms; and the inapplicability
of lending available to the region’s needs, are all areas
where we must see improvements if we are to supply
more homes.
Difficulties securing finance are not unique to the
public sector. Private sector lenders remain incredibly
cautious about financing developers following the
recession, particularly when the returns on capital are
lower.
Access to finance is an acute issue, especially for
small and medium-sized developers who have every
potential development sense-checked by lenders,
often only to find they were unable to secure the funds.
Developers need to be able to access low-cost and
appropriate finance, working in partnership with lenders
to secure the best finance option available, considering
both traditional and alternative financing models.
RECOMMENDATIONS Public funding
• A review of current public funding arrangements
should be conducted to identify finance gaps and
barriers to securing funding reflective of the North
East’s housing market.
• Existing funding pots should be rationalised and the
application process and lending terms proportionate
to the level of risk.
• Government must recognise that recoverable
investments are not a viable funding option for many
areas in the North East. A review of grant rates;
increased supply-side spending; and greater support
for risk-sharing arrangements for public and private
sector partners should be government priorities.
Private lending
• The region must showcase why it is an attractive
option to potential investors and developers. Returns
on capital investments alone do not have to be
decisive – an effective planning system; a skilled and
readily available workforce; and a strong local supply-
chain will go a long way to attracting investment.
Developing the region’s offer in these areas is
essential.
• Banks, private equity houses and other funders
should work more closely with developers, building
strong and resilient relationships in which all parties
understand business plans, growth ambitions and
the particulars of the development in question.
• Lenders and customers should work together to
identify the best funding options available, with
greater consideration of alternative sources of
funding. A forum to facilitate discussions between
developers and finance should be established.
13
THE NORTH EAST HOUSING MARKET
Help to Buy has undoubtedly had a positive impact in the North East. Demand is up and correspondingly so is supply; homebuyers are more confident in their ability to secure a mortgage; and house builders have the confidence to build..
In the North East 3,562 new homeowners have
been created since the launch of Help to Buy
and strong demand for housing generated by
the scheme means there is a strong pipeline of
development.6 This is expected to feed through
into higher levels of new house registrations in
2015.
Unlike in the South East, Help to Buy has not
caused significant price pressures and we are
not presenting signs of a housing bubble or
over-heating in the market. 78% of our survey
respondents believe a housing bubble in the
region is unlikely. Therefore, Bank of England or
government efforts to calm fears of a bubble in
the South East should not create unintended
consequences in our region.
Governments often demonstrate a tendency to
introduce national policies to address concerns
specific to a certain region or group of regions.
The bedroom tax is a London-centric policy
response to over-crowding – an issue not
manifest in the North East. This has had the
perverse consequence of making it more difficult
for housing associations to borrow, leverage funds,
and essentially build homes due to a significant
loss of revenue from the build-up of rent arrears.
Equally, the Community Infrastructure Levy
(CIL) was introduced following the peak of the
recession. Given the role of development in driving
the economic recovery forward and its potential to
make developments financially unviable, the policy
is problematic.
This is a trend that cannot be repeated with Help
to Buy. London is a unique market and policy
should reflect this, while allowing the North East to
continue to reap the benefits of this scheme.
DARLINGTON BUILDING SOCIETY – MORTGAGESDarlington Building Society is the country’s
22nd largest building society out of 44 with
assets in excess of £530m. It is a leading local
building society based in the North East of
England and the only building society with its
head office based in County Durham, the Tees
Valley and North Yorkshire.
Although Darlington Building Society provides
mortgage finance to borrowers throughout
England and Wales most of its lending
takes place in the North East of England.
Consequently it needs to understand the local
housing market and tailor mortgage products
to local demand. As house prices in the region
are generally lower than in other regions in
the UK, particularly in the South, the Society
is happy to process small mortgages and for
many borrowers will consider applications up
to 95% of the property value.
Each mortgage application is individually
underwritten by qualified staff and the Society,
unlike many other mortgage lenders, does not
use automated credit scoring systems, thereby
avoiding a ‘computer says no’ approach to
mortgage lending. The Society believes that a
personal approach is still the best even in these
days of rapid technological advancement
and this approach is certainly appreciated by
the Society’s growing number of borrowers.
As more competitors are automating their
systems and closing branches, Darlington
Building Society is attracting more customers
who still prefer to deal with a real person.
14
RECOMMENDATIONS • Help to Buy should continue with adequate
funds allocated to the scheme. Any
attempts to prevent a bubble in the South
East must avoid unintended consequences
for the North East.
• Any assessment of the national housing
market for judging national policy should
exclude London – it is a unique market within
the UK that distorts the national picture.
• Mortgage lenders should work to demystify
the application process to help people
understand what they need to do to obtain a
mortgage.
• Local authorities should be given the time
necessary to introduce appropriate CIL
Charging Schedules; otherwise Government
risks the introduction of inappropriate
strategies that may hinder development
simply because local authorities were in a
rush to satisfy an arbitrary implementation
deadline.
15
Planning
PLANNING POLICY The North East would benefit massively from
a swift planning process that gives the region a
competitive advantage for investment. Our capacity
for development should be a key advantage over
competitor regions even where returns are potentially
greater elsewhere. This is not the case, with almost
nine in 10 businesses surveyed regarding the planning
system as a barrier to housebuilding.
The tightening of the public purse strings in recent
years has seen a worrying tendency to target planning
departments disproportionately for budget cuts, with
2014/5 budget figures projected to show a 13% drop
in planning and 12% drop in housing budgets – the
biggest departmental reductions.7
Inevitably, planning departments across the region
are experiencing severe capacity constraints, with
many lacking the experienced and highly-skilled staff
and resources necessary to process applications,
particularly when there are specialist planning skills
required. Planning departments cannot afford to be
targeted in future budget cuts.
With such capacity constraints it is critical that Local
Planning Authorities (LPAs) find the best ways of
working with developers to deliver housing, and that
they are supported in doing so.
Generally, North East LPAs are keen to see
developments push ahead. Unfortunately, many
politicians can be perceived as not exhibiting the same
pro-development characteristics.
Housing development is often perceived as a powerful
determinant of how a constituent votes, therefore the
electoral cycle is a key influence on the willingness of a
politician to support development. This is most evident
with regard to the release of the greenbelt.
Brownfield sites in the region only have the capacity to
deliver 38% of the homes needed; meaning at least
62% will need to be delivered on greenfield sites.8
When we consider the viability of brownfield sites, such
as whether they are contaminated, located in places
people want to live and close to employment zones, it
is evident that brownfield sites alone cannot provide
the homes we need – there must be a sensible and
evidence-based approach to greenfield and greenbelt
release, and this must be reflected in planning policy
and guidance.
RECOMMENDATIONS • Coordination between all stakeholders in the
planning process should occur from the outset.
Establishing positive working relationships to allow
any potential barriers to be identified and resolved at
the earliest opportunity.
• Contradictions in national planning policy and rhetoric
should be resolved. Updated guidance should
stipulate that development plans and proposals
must work to common housing ambitions. This
should include stronger guidance on neighbourhood
plans to ensure they are used positively and given
appropriate weight in the planning process.
• We must see the delivery of up-to-date Local Plans,
with a very positive emphasis on delivering the full
amount of housing and employment sites needed;
and identification of areas where there is a strong
case for collaboration with other authorities.
• Local authorities should identify sites suitable for
self-build, thereby supporting the delivery of small
scale developments.
• Greenbelt policy should be reviewed and decisions
around its use depoliticised. Any decisions to block its
release should be robust and evidence-based.
• Strengthened public support to make brownfield
sites viable is required, with funding identified
specifically for this purpose.
ENGAGING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY The economic case for housing is widely understood,
with every £1 spent on housing having the potential to
generate £1.84 in the local economy.9 However, such
figures often fail to resonate with local communities,
and when new homes are perceived as taking away
green space, placing pressure on local services and
16
generally detracting from the local area, the barriers to
getting developments off the ground are immense.
It is crucial that we do more to dispel the myths and
negative connotations aroused by housebuilding. The
default assumption propagated by a small but vocal
group of the local community that more development
is a bad thing must be challenged.
There is no shame in supporting development.
Indeed, it is a rational approach to strengthening
local communities. Housing supports the delivery of
new infrastructure, stronger services such as public
transport, ensures greater funding is available for local
schools, and enables investment in local shops and
businesses.
New and innovative ways of engaging the local
community are needed, particularly the ‘silent majority’
of disengaged community members who are happy for,
or indifferent to a development going ahead.
The localism agenda is essential to getting sites to
planning without meeting significant local opposition.
Thus, having up-to-date development plans that have
gone through the consultation process locally is a key
element that needs to be addressed in pushing forward
more housing sites in the North East.
Making spatial strategies accessible to local people,
not just planning experts; showing the scale of housing
need in the North East; and getting local people
involved from the outset can help encourage the public
to face up to the choices needed and build support for
development.
RECOMMENDATIONS • Critical spatial planning documents such as local
plans should be presented in a way which is accessible
to everyone, not just planning experts and provide
the basis for strengthened engagement with the
local community.
• Preconceptions that development is a bad
thing should be challenged, along with common
development myths. The ‘silent majority’ should be
targeted using new forms of engagement, such as
social media and targeted marketing.
• Planning should better identify types of housing
need, for instance more bungalows for an ageing
population, thereby making it more difficult to
oppose developments.
• Housing should generate the greatest economic
benefit for the local and regional economy.
Where possible, local apprentices should be
used to boost skills and foster a sustainable
workforce moving forward. Public bodies have a
responsibility to utilise the local supply-chain and
encourage local procurement where they are
financing development.
17
PELTON FELL, CHESTER-LE-STREET Both Isos and their development partner Durham
Aged Mineworkers Home Association are working
in partnership with Bellway Homes and Chester-le-
Street Council to deliver a major regeneration project
in Pelton Fell.
The development comprises of 249 new homes of
which 91 are affordable – a mix of rented and New Build
HomeBuy. The attractive new homes are being built
over several phases.
Community involvement, participation and decision-
making are essential to all regeneration projects.
To aid the successful delivery of the development,
Isos was instrumental in the creation of the Pelton
Fell Neighbourhood Regeneration Partnership and
continues to play an active role in its successor
organisation, Pelton Fell Community Partnership.
The project has incorporated the recruitment and
training of local 16-18 year olds to become trades
people, as well as the development of the community
through a number of community activities.
The Isos Neighbourhood Investment Manager
supported Pelton Fell Community Partnership to
successfully raise over £1.4m to give Pelton Fell’s
Village Hall a major refurbishment.
ExistingStock
While greater levels of housing development are clearly needed in the North East, it is also essential that the best use is made of the housing stock that already exists. This requires making sure that empty homes are brought back into use wherever possible, and that more is done to make sure that the good quality family homes badly needed are used to full effect.
EMPTY HOMES Currently, it is estimated that there are
914,000 empty homes across the UK10;
216,050 of these properties are in the North
East, meaning one out of every five vacant
properties in the UK is located in our region.11
Addressing the housing crisis is not simply
a matter of building more homes – we must
make the most of our existing stock.
Some level of housing vacancy is a natural
part of the market and can be explained by
short-term vacancy for refurbishment, being
between lets or as second-homes.
However, the North East has a relatively higher
incidence of long-term vacancy that cannot
be explained as natural market turnover, but
is symptomatic of a region failing to make the
best use of its existing stock.
Some areas have experienced dramatic
periods of social and economic change, for
instance pit villages built solely to capitalise on
the mining industry; others are simply in a state
of disrepair and dilapidation without the funds
or demand for refurbishment.
Once properties are long-term vacant it is
difficult to stem the issue, with pockets of
decline and deprivation typified by higher levels
of unemployment, lower average earnings and
higher housing benefit bills. Those who can
leave do so and the spiral of decline worsens.
Essentially, the topic of empty homes is a
pressing socioeconomic issue.
Poor demand for housing in these areas;
comparable methods of valuation which bring
down the profit potential of new development
in the area; and the negative perceptions often
aroused by areas demonstrating high levels of
disrepair make development and investment
incredibly unlikely.
There is no universal solution to the empty
homes issue. Homes are empty for a variety
of reasons and responses and solutions
should recognise this. Some properties can be
cost-effectively brought back into use, while
for others the best option is demolition and
redevelopment.
RECOMMENDATIONS• The powers of local authorities to address
empty homes should be strengthened, with
greater ability to leverage funds; work with
private sector partners; and pilot projects
to address empty homes and boost the
local area.
• The perception of areas of empty homes
as problem places to be avoided must be
addressed and instead work to demonstrate
the development potential latent in these
areas. For instance, renovation projects using
local apprentices or community awareness
schemes can boost the local community
and breakdown unhelpful stereotypes and
perceptions.
18
• Financial incentives and public funding to address
empty homes, including funding to speed up the
demolition process, should be increased to reflect
the expense and resource-intensive nature of this
process; otherwise few housing associations will
have the wherewithal to act.
• As part of the Local Plan process, local authorities
should identify instances of empty homes and
appropriate responses. For homes that can be
feasibly brought to a decent homes standard,
the local supply-chain should complete this work
wherever possible. For houses where there is no
economic case for refurbishment, they should
be demolished to free up scalable sites for
development.
CLEADON PARK Cleadon Park sits within South Tyneside. It was an
estate of approximately 950 council houses with large
gardens, built in the 1920s. Once sought after, the
area had become blighted by high levels of crime and
anti-social behaviour, along with the highest levels of
deprivation in the UK and parts of the estate had 70%
empty and abandoned properties.
Today, Cleadon Park is being successfully transformed
through a £132m redevelopment partnership (Isos
Housing, South Tyneside Council and Bellway Homes)
scheme involving the demolition of 538 homes and
the building of 741 new seamlessly integrated homes
for sale and rent, a Primary Care Centre, library and
community facilities.
Helping people into jobs and encouraging enterprise
is at the heart of the regeneration of Cleadon Park.
21 local people were employed as apprentices and
general workforce on the development site and three
local people were employed by Groundwork to provide
the landscaping works.
A huge amount of work has been undertaken to
educate and work with younger members of the
community. The partnership has funded football and
netball team strips, supported festivals in the area,
delivered building and fire safety workshops at the
local Primary School and funded bus passes for those
families that were temporarily moved off the estate.
An educational toolkit has also been developed
for use in Primary Schools in areas undergoing
regeneration. This has been accredited by the Homes
and Communities Agency.
The successful transformation of Cleadon Park has
been recognised via a series of awards, most notably
the Housing Corporation Gold Award for delivering
joined up development.
19
BEFORE REGENERATED
ExistingStock
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE Making the most of our existing stock is
not simply a matter of empty homes and
dilapidated properties, but recognising that the
North East’s current housing offer does not
meet the region’s needs, particularly when we
consider demographic change.
The Office for National Statistics (2013)
expects the percentage of the population
aged 65 and over to be one of the fastest
growing among the regions. It is projected
that by 2021, for every five people living in the
region, one will be aged 65 or over.12
As the baby-boomer generation reaches
retirement age and the proportion of those
aged 85 and over doubles by 2030, housing
need and requirements are changing –
changes the housing market is slow to reflect.
Demographic change undoubtedly poses
a challenge in the North East, with much of
our existing stock ill-equipped to cater to the
needs and aspirations that develop later in life.
Homeowners aged 65 and over in England
and Wales hold over £600bn of equity in
their property.13 Providing a range of housing
offers that reflect the diversity of people’s
circumstances and aspirations as they age can
help release this equity.
For instance, housing offering more storage
space; designed to cater for any health needs;
close to the local services and amenities
required; or offering a sense of community can
encourage older people to downsize, thereby
releasing equity and freeing up existing stock
more suitable as family homes.
The over 65s represent a flourishing market
opportunity. The North East housing industry
must rise to the challenge and capitalise on the
new opportunities they represent.
RECOMMENDATIONS• Local authorities and LPAs should
demonstrate a clear understanding of future
housing need, working with public and private
sector partners to deliver housing reflective
of the North East’s changing demographic
profile.
• The potential to adapt existing stock to meet
the needs of an ageing population and reach
this emerging market should be explored.
Financial incentives should be offered to
encourage this process.
• New homes for specific markets, such
as older people and students should be
developed in areas where this will free up
existing stock that is more suitable as family
homes.
20
CASE STUDY: NEWCASTLE AGE FRIENDLY CITY In Autumn 2011 Newcastle engaged with the
World Health Organisation Global Age Friendly
City programme with the aim of making the
City a great place to live for all ages.
Typical of much of the UK, the proportion of
the population aged 65 and over in Newcastle
is projected to grow significantly over the
next 20 years. With this in mind the Council
established the Age Friendly City Group to
understand the challenges and opportunities
of the City’s changing demographic profile.
The Group recognised that if Newcastle is to
be an age-friendly city, it must deliver the wide
choice of housing options and services needed
to cater to this burgeoning demographic
group.
The Older People’s Housing Delivery Plan
2013-2018 seeks to do just that and has
cross-party support to help older people
live independently in their own homes;
deliver more and diverse specialist housing;
and support older people to access the
information and advice they need.
Through a combination of investment, such as
the £25m Future Homes Fund, commissioning
and asset release, Newcastle is working with
public and private sector partners to harness
the benefits of making Newcastle a truly age-
friendly city.
21
Conclusion
Housing is an engine of economic growth and a crucial element of the North East economy. Its economic output is unrivalled by most other sectors and despite a history of an under-supply of new housing in the region, housebuilding still represents a £1.3bn contribution to our economic output.
Failure to deliver the number of homes we
need is not a new phenomenon. Indeed,
nationally for the past decade we have had a
recurrent undersupply of new housing. Political
parties of all persuasions have recognised
this, yet when it comes to how they would
address this issue and deliver more homes
there is a clear divergence in opinion and policy
responses. Accordingly, the confidence of the
housing sector is undermined and the delivery
of housing stymied.
Unlike many other regions, our capacity
for development is incredibly vast. With an
abundance of potential development land,
great resource availability and lower population
densities, the North East has a distinct housing
offer and should be a prime development area.
Ensuring the policy and economic conditions
most conducive to capitalising on this potential
are in place is a must.
Nationally, regionally and locally we need a clear
and long-term cross-party vision of the kind of
housing market we want and need, along with
a robust and sustainable delivery plan to realise
it. To this end, we need a delivery plan that
promotes a pro-development planning system
from the outset; a reformed and original
approach to finance; and innovative and
appropriate use of our existing housing stock.
In the North East, returns on capital
investment are typically lower than in most
other regions and as result securing finance
for development is a significant obstacle. It
is crucial therefore that the finance options
available are fit for purpose. Innovative public
and private financing options, mortgage
availability and financial incentives tailored to
the region’s needs will support our ability to
attract investment.
Our planning process should give the region a
competitive advantage for development. Well-
funded and highly skilled planning departments
are essential and the worrying tendency
for these departments to be targeted
disproportionately for budget cuts must end.
Equally, all stakeholders and decision-makers
exerting influence over a development should
work to ensure its success. Planning policy is
only one part of this. Local politicians must
not be afraid to show leadership and deliver
housing in the face of public opposition.
It must be noted that housing need in the
North East is changing. Over the next 25
years the proportion of the population aged
65 and over is expected to show the greatest
increase of all the regions. While this poses
a challenge to our housing market, it is
undoubtedly a huge opportunity. Older people
represent a flourishing market opportunity and
if our housing sector can provide the range
of housing options to meet the needs and
ambitions of this diverse group, we will be in a
great position to capitalise on these emerging
opportunities.
These must be underpinned by strong
leadership presenting a clear, proactive and
pro-development stance on behalf of the
North East. Whether this comes from local
authorities, combined authorities of local
enterprise partnerships is not important;
what is essential that a single body takes
responsibility for driving this policy agenda and
is willing to be held accountable for doing so.
22
Summary of Recommendations
23
FINANCE
• Review current public funding arrangements, with a specific focus on the North East housing market.
• Rationalise existing funding pots and ensure lending terms are proportionate to the level of risk.
• Review grant rates; increase supply-side spending; and support for risk-sharing arrangements.
• Showcase why the North East is an attractive option to developers to address perception that returns on capital investment are decisive to potential investors.
• Lenders work more closely with developers to identify the best funding options available, with a forum to facilitate discussions between developers and finance.
• Support continuation of Help to Buy.
• Exclude London from assessments of national housing market when judging national policy.
• Mortgage lenders demystify the application process.
• Extend deadline for implementation of CIL Charging Schedules.
PLANNING
• Coordination between all stakeholders in the planning process should occur from outset. Identify and resolve any potential barriers to development at earliest opportunity.
• Resolve contradictions in national planning policy.
• Delivery of up-to-date Local Plans.
• Local authorities identify sites for self-build to support delivery of small scale developments.
• Review greenbelt policy and depoliticise decisions about its release.
• Greater public support to make brownfield sites viable.
• Planning documents accessible to everyone, not just planning experts.
• Engage local community in planning process and challenge preconceptions that development is a bad thing.
• Planning to better identify types of housing need.
• Housing should generate greatest economic benefit for local economy. Public bodies have responsibility to encourage local procurement where they are financing development.
EXISTING STOCK
• Local authorities identify empty homes and appropriate responses, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Increase powers of local authorities to address empty homes.
• Pilot schemes and regeneration projects to address negative perceptions aroused by empty homes.
• Increase financial incentives.
• Local authorities and LPAs to demonstrate a clear understanding of future housing need.
• Financial incentives to adapt existing stock to meet needs of an ageing population.
• New homes for specific markets to free up existing stock.
Housing TaskGroup
24
TRACY HALL (CHAIR), WATSON BURTON LLP Tracy is the group head of real estate and is chair
of the report task group. She has been involved in
a large number of major regeneration schemes
and having worked across the private and public
sectors, has a wealth of real estate experience,
Tracy undertakes a wide range of development
work, but has a particular specialism in residential
development. She adopts a cradle to grave
approach on development sites for developer
clients across the North of England to include
everything from prestigious private schemes to
slum clearance regeneration schemes, working
with public authorities and other stakeholders.
Recognised as a problem solver and an expert
in her field, Tracy has a very real interest in the
commercial fitness of the house builder market
and the forces which govern its effectiveness.
With a strong belief in both the private and public
sectors, she has worked to bridge the gap and
identify both opportunities and synergies.
DAVID SAXON, WATSON BURTON LLP David heads up Watson Burton’s Marketing &
Business Development Team and is responsible
for helping to grow the business as well as
managing the outward facing image of the
Firm. He joined Watson Burton in January 2014,
from the renewable energy industry where
he spent seven years marketing services to
businesses across the world for companies such
as Wind Prospect and Econnect and chaired the
Renewable-UK communications strategy group.
A professional marketer, David became one of
the UK’s earliest achievers of Chartered Marketer
status in 2002 and holds both a degree in
Management Science and the CIM Postgraduate
Diploma in Marketing.
KEITH LORAINE, ISOS HOUSING GROUPKeith is the Chief Executive of the Isos Housing
Group. Keith’s career began in local government
with a Metropolitan Council in the West Midlands.
Following a brief period in Somerset he joined
the Housing Association world with Anchor in
Manchester. His first executive position was with
the Beth Johnson Housing Group in Staffordshire,
where he was director of housing for five years.
Keith returned to his native North East in 1992
to take up the post of chief executive with the
Enterprise 5 Housing Association (E5) – a 900
homes community based association based
in North Tyneside. He has since built upon the
successes achieved by E5 to lead on the formation
and growth of the Isos Group, which now owns
and manages more than 12,000 homes across
the North East.
IAN STEWARD, JOHN N DUNN GROUPIan Steward is a Director of John N Dunn Group
Limited, a family-owned business established in
1893 based in Wallsend with over 300 employees,
specialising in the design, installation and
maintenance of plumbing, heating, mechanical,
electrical and renewable energy systems. John N
Dunn has worked with many major housebuilders,
housing associations and councils over several
decades.
Ian has lived, been educated and worked in the
North East his entire career and is passionate
about the region’s new build housing and the
current shortage of supply to meet the increasing
demand for private and social housing.
Ian has a keen interest in the forthcoming skills
shortage being addressed through greater
employment, apprenticeships and training to
meet future needs and was previously a board
member of SummitSkills, the Building Services
25
Engineering Sector Skills Council. Ian is also
a member of the IOSH Tyne & Wear Branch
Executive Committee.
SARAH ARMSTRONG, BARRATT DAVID WILSON NORTH EAST Sarah Armstrong works as a Senior Land Manager
at Barratt David Wilson North East. Established in
the North East of England in 1958, Barratt have
been building homes for more than 50 years
and in that time have grown to become one of
the nation’s largest housebuilders with more
than 5,000 direct employees and 27 divisions
throughout Britain.
Sarah has over 13 years of land buying experience
within the North East housebuilding industry.
Sarah joined Barratt David Wilson Homes in
2007, and whilst with the company has worked
extensively on numerous private schemes and
many public sector partnership schemes including
Elba Park, Lambton and The Rise, Scotswood.
Sarah’s expertise lies in procurement, planning and
legal arrangements.
MIKE HAMMOND, NORTHERN POWERGRID Mike Hammond is the Head of Connection
Services, leading the Connections business
of Northern Powergrid. Providing in excess
of 30,000 electricity connections per annum
Northern Powergrid plays a significant part in
regional growth and development in the North
East of England. Mike has worked in the electricity
distribution industry in the North East for 25 years,
having a wealth of experience in all engineering
disciplines and prior to this worked at British Steels,
General Steels at Scunthorpe.
During his time at Northern Powergrid Mike
has specialised in the development of industry
leading asset management process to improve
the efficiency of capital investment. Recently
his work has led to Mike working with other
businesses across the US Berkshire Hathaway
group, owned by Mr Warren Buffet, to improve
business performance. Mike is now leading
the transformation of the Northern Powergrid
Connections business to improve customer
service to a position where they are recognised by
customers as being class leading in the UK.
MICK BROPHY, GATESHEAD COLLEGE Mick is Managing Director of Business, Innovation
and Development at Gateshead College. He
has been involved in education and training for
over 30 years particularly in the field of work
based learning, apprenticeships and commercial
activity. His role has been predominantly working
with employers to ensure that training provision
meets their needs. Mick has also led the College
in the field of innovation particularly in low carbon
(Transport and Buildings) and has established
engineering and construction campuses to
respond to innovation through research and
capacity building as well as meeting employer
requests. Mick believes in partnership working
especially with employers recognising it is more
than a supply-demand relationship but is really
a close and trusting collaboration that draws on
the expertise of all partners to achieve agreed
outcomes that benefits learners and employers.
MICHAEL HEPBURN, NATHANIEL LICHFIELD AND PARTNERS Michael is a Senior Director in the Newcastle
office of Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners, a
town planning consultancy named Planning
Consultancy of the Year by the Royal Town
Planning Institute for the past three years.
After graduating with a Degree and Diploma in
Town Planning from Newcastle University, Michael
Housing TaskGroup
26
has worked in both the public and private sector with
the past 10 years spent at NLP.
Michael leads two teams that work with major
housebuilders and developers on a wide variety
of schemes from mixed use urban extensions to
accommodation for the elderly and students as
well as hotels, offices and leisure developments.
Together with his team, Michael covers all aspects
of the planning process from initial site appraisals
through to planning applications and is an
experienced expert witness at appeals and Local
Plan examinations.
MARK THOMPSON, RYDER Mark began his career at British Shipbuilding as an
engineering apprentice. Following the decline of
the shipbuilding industry, he joined Ryder in 1988,
qualified as an architectural technician at Newcastle
Polytechnic in 1990 and went on to study project
management and business at Newcastle University.
He became director of Ryder in 1995. In recognition
of his “influential and inspirational role within the
industry” Mark was made an Honorary Fellow
of the RIBA in 2003. As managing partner Mark
has ultimate responsibility for the strategic
development of Ryder, which over recent years has
included broadening the portfolio to sectors such as
higher education, transport, and the development
of international projects and the Ryder Alliance
which has resulted in a team being established in
Hong Kong and partnerships in Australia.
Mark is chair of blood cancer charity Bright Red,
vice chair of the NewcastleGateshead Initiative and
a member of the CBI North East Council and CBI
National Construction Council.
GEOFF WOODCOCK, ESH DEVELOPMENTS LTD. Geoff is Managing Director of Esh Developments
Ltd, the construction arm of Durham based Esh
Group, who turnover circa £270m in construction
and housebuilding.
He previously worked for Grainger plc in Newcastle
as Land Development Manager, leading on a
successful, community-based housing-led
regeneration project at Hadston and Widdrington
Station in Nortumberalnd, where former run down
rural coalfield villages were revitalised.
In 2007 he joined Esh Group with the brief of
supporting the growth and diversification of the Esh
Group’s housebuilding and development business,
progressing to his current role in 2012.
Esh are in the process of building 500 Affordable
Homes in the current HCA Programme, many
of these are being built on land acquired by Esh
Developments specifically for this purpose, with
successful planning applications even in the Tyne
Valley Greenbelt.
Geoff has also been leading the Group’s successful
collaboration with Swedish timber frame specialist
Sodra, which has led to the creation of a newly
formed Joint Venture company creating ‘Zero
Energy’ Sustainable Homes, branded as ‘Trivselhus
by Esh’.
LIBBIE HENDERSON, WATSON BURTON LLP Libbie is a partner in the Real Estate team and
advises on all aspects of land acquisition and
disposal for developers and landowners. In particular
she specialises in development for energy uses and
the energy aspects of development.
Her experience includes acting for national property
developers and energy companies in relation to
mixed use development projects and the real
estate, energy, minerals and structuring aspects of
those projects.
Libbie has extensive experience of leading
teams to provide cohesive real estate, planning,
environmental and commercial advice in relation
to all aspects of development projects including
remediation schemes and brownfield development.
Residential schemes of note which Libbie has
advised on include Elba Park Lambton and the 60
acre Bridgwater site delivering in conjunction with
neighbour land 2,000 homes, a school, retail and a
large regional distribution centre.
27
BRIAN ROBSON, NORTHERN HOUSING CONSORTIUMBrian Robson is Policy & Strategy Manager at the
Northern Housing Consortium, the voice of housing
in the North. The Consortium has over 400 members,
including the majority of housing associations,
local authorities and arms-length management
organisations across the North. Brian joined the
Consortium in 2011 from the National Housing
Federation, and has previously worked for a large
housing association and as a parliamentary researcher.
JANET HOPKINSON, SANDERSON YOUNG Janet is the Operations & New Homes Director for
Sanderson Young, responsible for overseeing the day
to day operations and management of the company
together with heading up the New Homes Division.
Janet moved to the North East in 1974 and has worked
in estate agency within Northumberland and Tyneside
for all that time.
Joining Sanderson Young in 2005, she has overseen
some of the region’s largest developments at
Grove Park, Elmfield Square, Gosforth, Lime Square,
Newcastle and Echo 24 in Sunderland. Smaller niche
developments have also been handled by the New
Homes Division and during times of slow market
conditions, due to the product and marketing expertise
offered, extremely good sales have resulted.
RACHEL TRAVIS, NORTH EAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Rachel Travis has been a Policy Adviser at NECC for a year
and a half, and specialises in procurement, planning and
regulation. Before NECC, Rachel worked for Sanctuary
Supporting Living as a Support Assistant, working with
vulnerable adults and teenagers living in supported
housing. Rachel holds a First Class MA in Geography and
Politics from the University of Edinburgh.
ROSS SMITH, NORTH EAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCERoss Smith was appointed Director of Policy in April
2012 after working as Head of Policy and Research at
NECC since May 2007. He is responsible for NECC’s
relationships with its 250 largest members, along with
overseeing NECC’s policy and campaign work, local
representation and public relations. Ross graduated
in politics and history from Newcastle University. Prior
to joining NECC he worked as a political journalist in
Northern Ireland and the North East and from 2004
to 2007 was Regional Affairs Correspondent at The
Journal. Ross is also a former member of the North East
regional council of the Arts Council.
NEIL BARKER, EMBARK ARCHITECTURE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NECC and Watson Burton LLP would like to thank all
businesses, organisations and individuals who have
contributed to this report.
REFERENCES 1. The Lyons Housing Review: Mobilising across the
national to build the homes our children need, Sir
Michael Lyons, October 2014.
2. North East Economic Review: Submission by the North
East Housing Sector, NLP, January 2013.
3. New Home Statistics Review Q3 2014, National
Housing Building Council (NHBC), October 2014.
4. Home Truths 2014/15: North East, National Housing
Federation (NHF), October 2014.
5. New Home Statistics Review Q3 2014, National
Housing Building Council (NHBC), October 2014.
6. Help to Buy (Equity Loan Scheme) and Help to Buy:
New Buy statistics: Data to 30 September 2014
England, Office of National Statistics, October 2014.
7. Council spending to have fallen by almost 30% over the
course of this parliament, CIPFA, August 2014.
8. Brownfield land solution? Nathaniel Lichfield and
Partners, May 2014.
9. North East Economic Review: Submission by the North
East Housing Sector, NLP, January 2013.
10. Empty Homes Toolkit, Homes and Communities
Agency.
11. Home Truths 2014/15: North East, National Housing
Federation (NHF), October 2014.
12. Regional Profiles – Population and Migration – North
East, Office for National Statistics, March 2013.
13. HAPPI Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for
Innovation, Homes and Communities
Agency, 2011.
© North East Chamber of Commerce 2014
Publishing by the North East Chamber of Commerce
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