Issue - meetings

It is proposed that this report will be a standing agenda item to inform members on the progress being made on the review of the local plan.

The Committee:

(1)            Noted the overview of the Office for National Statistics new household growth projections;

(2)            Noted the recently published consultation ‘Technical consultation on updates to national planning policy and guidance’ and agreed the Council’s draft responses to the consultation as set out in Annex 1.

The Committee received a report updating members on the progress of the Local Plan, and it was noted that this would be a regular report to the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee.

In September 2108 the government’s Office for National Statistics had published projections relating to future population changes (mid 2016 – mid 2041).  As the government used household growth projections as a baseline for its standard method calculations it was anticipated that objectively assessed housing needs would be adjusted accordingly. Initial calculations indicated that the housing projections for Epsom & Ewell could result in a reduction in the Borough’s objectively assessed housing need from 579 new homes per annum to 372 new homes per annum.  However, it was noted that the government remained committed to significantly boosting the supply of new homes (in order to deliver their target of 300,000 new homes per annum) and as a consequence had indicated that the standard method would not, in the short to medium term be adjusted to reflect the latest household growth projections.

The Committee noted that the implementation of the new Housing Delivery Test could also see the introduction of additional measures to address a potential shortfall in delivery. 

The report also included a technical consultation published in October 2018 requesting views on the updates to the National Planning Policy.   The Committee reviewed the responses.

Subsequently, the Committee:

(1)            Noted the overview of the Office for National Statistics new household growth projections;

(2)            Noted the recently published consultation ‘Technical consultation on updates to national planning policy and guidance’ and agreed the Council’s draft responses to the consultation as set out in Annex 1.