Issue - meetings

This Report seeks to provide the Committee with an advance overview of the proposed Housing Strategy, which will form a key part of the forthcoming public consultation on the emerging new Local Plan.

Following consideration, it was resolved:

That the Committee:

(1)      Noted the overview content of the proposed Housing Strategy; and

(2)      Endorsed the Strategy approach that will be used in the preparation of the Local Plan Regulation 18 public consultation.

The Committee received a report detailing the proposed Housing Strategy which would form a key part of the forthcoming public consultation on the emerging new Local Plan.

The following matters were considered by the Committee:

a)            Sound Housing Strategy: Members discussed the importance of having a Local Plan Housing Strategy that is demonstrably sound in order to ensure that the Borough Council remains in control of future growth. The soundness criteria were: Sustainable, optimising, Objectively Assessed Housing Need and 5-year Housing Land Supply.

b)            Necessary infrastructure: Members noted the factors which have made it necessary to consider larger site allocation options. It was noted that larger sites have greater capacity to provide and secure investment in infrastructure.  In contrast, smaller sites have limited capacity to deliver necessary investment. Larger sites were also more likely to deliver necessary infrastructure such as transport corridors and education provisions.

c)            National Planning Policy Context: National planning policy requires local planning authorities to undertake a review of their local plans every five years.  This approach ensures that housing delivery performance is monitored effectively and if necessary, policy interventions introduced to improve delivery.

d)            Potential sites: Members noted that the majority of the proposed site allocation options for the Borough are sustainable locations. However, due to the nature of the allocation options, many were unlikely to supply the immediate supply of homes needed to demonstrate a deliverable Five Year Housing Land Supply. 

Following consideration, it was resolved:

That the Committee:

(1)      Noted the overview content of the proposed Housing Strategy; and

(2)      Endorsed the Strategy approach that will be used in the preparation of the Local Plan Regulation 18 public consultation.