Issue - meetings

That:

1)         the current five year housing land supply position be noted;

2)         the release of the allocated reserve sites to boost housing supply in the short term be approved;

3)        the invitation of an application on land south of Cutbush Lane be approved.

The Executive considered a report relating to Housing Land Supply and Reserve Sites.

The report stated that national planning policy and guidance required the Council to maintain a supply of land sufficient to provide five years’ worth of housing. The Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Highways reported that the most recent assessment (March 2017) indicated a 5.27 year supply against the level of housing need identified by the Berkshire (including South Bucks) Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA).

Councillor Lee confirmed that the level of land supply and housing need continued to be challenged by developers at appeal. Whilst the Council could demonstrate a five year land supply in the annual SHMA update, Inspectors who accepted partial updates to the deliverable land supply or found that housing need was higher, were likely to find a periodic deficit as not all sources of supply were considered. Consequently, the release of additional sites was recommended in order to boost housing supply in the short term.

Councillor Lee gave an update on a specific site within Appendix A to the report: Reserve Sites and Current Activity, as follows:

“Land at Valley Nurseries, Broadwater Lane, Hurst (site SA 104). Full application for 16 dwellings refused on 22^nd December 2016. An appeal was submitted at the beginning of March 2017, all written exchanges were completed and the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) were moving towards an imminent decision on appeal. A decision has been held in abeyance by PINS until the end of July pending the outcome of this Executive Report at the request of both the Council and the appellant. An application for costs has also been made by the appellant”.

Councillor Haitham Taylor commented on the fact that the Council had granted planning permission for over 12,000 houses which, to date, had not been built. Unfortunately, the Government did not take this into account when assessing housing needs. The Council would continue to lobby the Government and local MPs about the way in which local housing needs were assessed.

RESOLVED that:

1)         the current five year housing land supply position be noted;

2)         the release of the allocated reserve sites to boost housing supply in the short term be approved;

3)        the invitation of an application on land south of Cutbush Lane be approved.