Agenda item

The Housing Delivery Test and associated Action Plan for 2021 was agreed by the Policy and Resources Committee on the 19 July 2021.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires councils to prepare an action plan where housing delivery has fallen below the housing requirement.

The Action Plan analyses the reasons for the under-delivery of new homes and sets out actions to improve housing delivery within the District.

The report consisted of the Housing Delivery Test result and corresponding action plan.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) required Councils to prepare an action plan where housing delivery had fallen below the housing requirement.

The Head of Planning Policy and Conservation presented the report. The Housing Delivery Test was brought in by Government in 2018 and measured the Council’s housing delivery against the government’s standard method calculating housing need. Prior to this the targets were measured against the current adopted Local Plan, the Council were able to achieve over this target. The standard method set a target the Local Plan was unable to meet.

A score of 46% was received in the Housing Delivery Test and in response to this, the council were required to produce an action plan, apply a 20% buffer to the 5 year housing land supply and apply the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

The targets were set out in paragraph 3.9 which were presented by the Head of Planning Policy and Conservation.

It was to be noted that the Council did not deliver the dwellings which were in the action plan. The Council could only plan for future growth and increase the number of planning applications approved.

The Action Plan analysed the reasons for the under-delivery of new homes and set out actions to improve housing delivery within the District.

The main action was to deliver the new Local Plan so that the Council could plan for the new levels of growth. In order to meet the level of delivery required the Council would need to consider some Green Belt release. Until such time as the Local Plan was adopted there would continue to be a failure of the Housing Delivery Test unless the Government made changes to the targets. Other actions were listed but none of these would make a significant difference until the Local Plan was in place. The recommendation was to agree the action plan and its publication.

The Director of Community and Environment made Councillors aware of information which had been released by the government the previous week. This stated that the Government would be undertaking a planning overhaul which would give Councils more powers over planning such as housing developments. Planning laws were set to be changed to end house building targets set by the Government and allow local Councils to set their own targets.

Members raised the following points:

•    In 1.1 was the ratio 14:4 correct, and should this be 14:1? The Head of Planning Policy and Conservation believed it should read 14:1 and this was likely a typo but would take this away and confirm.

•    If the 14:1 ration was correct, this would be completely unaffordable for this area and was causing young people to leave the area

•    With regards to 3.31 in the report and how the 73% appeal statistic was calculated. It was advised that this was a summary of all the decisions.

Councillor Sarah Nelmes moved, seconded by Councillor Roger Seabourne the recommendation as detailed in the report.

On being put to the Committee the motion was declared CARRIED by the Chair the voting being 9 for, 0 Against and 4 Abstentions.

RESOLVED:

•        Noted the Housing Delivery Test Result for 2021;

•           Agreed the Action Plan and the series of actions that the Council would seek to implement;

•        A greed to the publication of the Action Plan on the Council’s website.