Harborough Local Plan 2011-2031, Proposed Submission

Policy SS1 (as drafted) is considered unsound.

The Government has committed itself to boosting the supply of housing. NPPF/47 sets out this as an express policy requirement for all LPAs. The paragraph is designed to increase the delivery of new homes. Reflecting the requirement of NPPF/47, Policies SS1 and H1 (as drafted) are not considered to be positively prepared or consistent with national policy as they fail to allocate sufficient residential sites to ensure that the District's full objectively assessed housing need is delivered over the plan period. As an example of this deficiency, currently 6% of the District's residual housing requirement is proposed to be delivered on non-allocated sites, or sites to be allocated in Neighbourhood Plans. In the case of Fleckney over half (56%) of the settlement's minimum housing requirement is to be delivered on sites allocated in the emerging Neighbourhood Plan.

Relying on proposals on non-allocated sites and allocations in yet adopted to be Neighbourhood Plans to deliver a significant proportion of the District's housing requirement, provides insufficient guarantees that the District's identified housing need will be met. Evidence shows that many Neighbourhood Plans ignore suitable housing allocations in favour of less development. Some Neighbourhood Plans seek to deliver fewer houses than required by the Local Plan, or suppress development by making very minor or minimal allocations. In this regard, policies SS1 and H1 as drafted are not considered to be effective.

Policies SS1 and H1 as drafted are not considered to be justified as they do not represent the most appropriate strategy when considered against the alternative of allocating sufficient sites to meet all of Fleckney's minimum requirement. This is particularly relevant when sites suitable for residential allocation are clearly identified; as is the case in Fleckney - see land south of Kilby Road as promoted by Catesby Estates.

Policy H1 (as drafted) is considered unsound.

The Government has committed itself to boosting the supply of housing. NPPF/47 sets out this as an express policy requirement for all LPAs. The paragraph is designed to increase the delivery of new homes. Reflecting the requirement of NPPF/47, Policies SS1 and H1 (as drafted) are not considered to be positively prepared or consistent with national policy as they fail to allocate sufficient residential sites to ensure that the District's full objectively assessed housing need is delivered over the plan period. As an example of this deficiency, currently 6% of the District's residual housing requirement is proposed to be delivered on non-allocated sites, or sites to be allocated in Neighbourhood Plans. In the case of Fleckney over half (56%) of the settlement's minimum housing requirement is to be delivered on sites allocated in the emerging Neighbourhood Plan.

Relying on proposals on non-allocated sites and allocations in yet adopted to be Neighbourhood Plans to deliver a significant proportion of the District's housing requirement, provides insufficient guarantees that the District's identified housing need will be met. Evidence shows that many Neighbourhood Plans ignore suitable housing allocations in favour of less development. Some Neighbourhood Plans seek to deliver fewer houses than required by the Local Plan, or suppress development by making very minor or minimal allocations. In this regard, policies SS1 and H1 as drafted are not considered to be effective.

Policies SS1 and H1 as drafted are not considered to be justified as they do not represent the most appropriate strategy when considered against the alternative of allocating sufficient sites to meet all of Fleckney's minimum requirement. This is particularly relevant when sites suitable for residential allocation are clearly identified; as is the case in Fleckney - see land south of Kilby Road as promoted by Catesby Estates.

The proposed residential allocation on land off Arnesby Road, Fleckney (Policy F1) is considered to be unsound. The proposed allocation does not represent the most appropriate strategy when considered against the alternative of allocating the more deliverable residential site to the south of Kilby Road, Fleckney - as promoted by Catesby Estates.

The proposed allocation on land off Arnesby Road is principally in two separate land ownerships. Furthermore the allocation includes an area of unregistered land adjoining Arnesby Road (between No's 106 & 108) which could critically prevent the delivery of an access to Arnesby Road, as required by Policy F1. As far as Catesby is aware no developer or housebuilder has a formal agreement with the landowners to progress the site for residential development, which brings into question its deliverability.

In comparison the land to the south of Kilby Road, Fleckney is in single ownership and is in the control of Catesby Estates, an experienced land promoter with a successful record of promptly securing outline planning permissions and subsequently selling land to housebuilders for development within five years.

The land to the south of Kilby Road is situated to the west of Fleckney, accessed from Priest Meadow. It has capacity for 150 dwellings. In similarity with the proposed allocation on land off Arnesby Road; the site to the south of Kilby Road is equally well located to local services and facilities in Fleckney village centre and was also judged to be deliverable over 0 to 5 years in the SHLAA. The SHLAA identified the site as suitable to contribute to the housing requirement in Fleckney. In respect of landscape impact, the site south of Kilby Road was judged to have medium capacity for development (Harborough Landscape Capacity Study 2014). This is equivalent to the landscape capacity of the draft allocation off Arnesby Road.

Accompanying these representations is a Vision Framework for the proposed residential allocation on land south of Kilby Road, Fleckney. A separate Location Plan for the site is also enclosed. The enclosed Vision Framework demonstrates that the 7 hectare site is deliverable and capable of appropriately accommodating up to 150 dwellings to meet Fleckney's minimum housing requirement.