Agenda item

The Portfolio Holder for Growth and Prosperity to submit a report providing information in relation to the current housing delivery and housing supply situation in the Borough and exploring different scenarios to respond to changes in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and associated guidance.

That Cabinet

(1)  APPROVED the publication of the report in accordance with the requirements established in paragraph 74 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, 2021);

(2)  NOTED that the minimum required in terms of housing delivery is not only met, but widely surpassed;

(3)  NOTED that the number of years’ worth of housing supply identified in future annual reports is likely to decrease in the next years;

(4)  NOTED that the short-term impact as consequence of Covid-19/Brexit and other external factors were negligible for this exercise.

Sarah Legge, Local Plans Manager introduced the report, the purpose of which was to provide information in relation to the current housing delivery and housing supply situation in the Borough and explore different scenarios to respond to changes in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and associated guidance

Mrs Legge advised that the report and accompanying appendix showed that the Council were in in a good position to demonstrate 8.4 years of housing land supply against the government requirement for 5 years supply.  Last year, we delivered 365 homes against the target of 245.  The Local Plan covered 2011 to 2036.  This was the first year since 2011 that a cumulative surplus of homes could be demonstrated and the most homes delivered in any financial year in the last 30 years.

The Portfolio Holder for Growth and Prosperity, Councillor Rob Bindloss,  thanked officers for their work, commenting that 8.4 years of housing supply and delivery of 365 homes (49 of which were affordable) was a great achievement.

That Cabinet

(1)  APPROVED the publication of the report in accordance with the requirements established in paragraph 74 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, 2021);

(2)  NOTED that the minimum required in terms of housing delivery is not only met, but widely surpassed;

(3)  NOTED that the number of years’ worth of housing supply identified in future annual reports is likely to decrease in the next years;

(4)  NOTED that the short-term impact as consequence of Covid-19/Brexit and other external factors were negligible for this exercise.

Reason for Recommendations:

Approval to publish the final 2021/22 ‘Five-years’ housing land supply and housing trajectory’ report is sought in order to meet the national requirement as identified in paragraph 74 of the NPPF, which states: ‘[…] Local planning authorities should identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide a minimum of five years’ worth of housing against their housing requirement set out in adopted strategic policies […]’.

The acknowledgement of the positive position of the Council regarding housing delivery is given by a range of indicators explored in the main body of this document, illustrating that the Council can demonstrate 8.4 years’ worth of housing supply against the housing requirement.

The acknowledgement of the likely decrease of the number of years’ worth of housing supply in the next years given the increased basic requirement that needs to be met. This is explained by the adopted stepped trajectory, which increases the basic requirement to 245 dwellings per annum for the period 2021-2026 and to 320 dwellings per annum for the period 2026-36.

The impact of the external factors such as Brexit, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine or the inflation, has been considered in the report taking into account the results from the survey sent to site promoters. The small sample and its variance, the uncertainty in relation to the period they will cover, the minimum impact in the calculation or the adjustments to the Housing Delivery Test are the most substantial reasons these impacts have not been factored into the 5-years’ housing land supply calculation