Object

Harborough Local Plan 2011-2031, Proposed Submission

Representation ID: 5371

Received: 17/11/2017

Respondent: Persimmon Homes (South Midlands) Ltd

Agent: Pegasus Group

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Representation Summary:

The Council is unable to demonstrate a five-year land supply and will need to identify additional deliverable sites within the Local Plan to stand any prospect of restoring and maintaining a five-year land supply in accordance with national policy.

Full text:

Based on the housing trajectory, the Council have delivered 2,458 completions in the period 2011-17. Over this period, there was a requirement for 3,840 homes (based on the annualised housing requirement for 640 homes). This means that there has been a shortfall of 1,382 homes over this period. When this is added to the housing requirement for the next five years this produces a figure of 4,582 homes. With the agreed buffer of 20% this produces a five-year requirement for 5,498 homes. The trajectory however suggests that only 3,797 homes will be delivered over the next five years which results in a shortfall of 1,701 deliverable homes and a five-year land supply of only 3.45 years.

Even if as proposed by the Council, the five-year land supply is assessed against the objectively assessed needs for Harborough in isolation of the unmet needs of neighbouring authorities, (contrary to paragraph 47 of the NPPF), then the requirement over the period 2011-17 would have been for 3,342 homes (based on 557 per annum). This would result in a shortfall of 884 homes to date. With the annualised objectively assessed need for the next five years this would produce a figure of 3,669 homes. Once the agreed buffer of 20% is applied this would produce a five-year requirement for 4,403 homes. The Council have identified a deliverable supply of only 3,797 homes which results in a shortfall of 606 homes and a five-year land supply of only 4.31 years.

Under any approach, it is clear that the Council are unable to demonstrate a five-year land supply and additional deliverable sites will need to be identified within the Local Plan to restore a five-year land supply as required by paragraph 47 of the NPPF.