Archived decisions

Addendum to Supplementary Planning Guidance `Implementing Policy H4'

This Addendum should be read in conjunction with the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) 'Implementing Policy H4' adopted in 2001. This Addendum adds further clarification of the process of deciding where the release will be made, in the event that a release is needed.

This Addendum supercdes paragraph 2.18 of the Supplementary Planning Guidance; that paragraph should therefore be deleted. (The references to paragraph 2.18 in paragraph 2.19 and 2.24 should be changed to paragraph 2.19.) Paragraph 2.19 should be renumbered as 2.18 and following new text added as new paragraph 2.19:-

2.19a If the annual housing technical report concludes that it is necessary to trigger the release of some of the reserve provision, a supplementary report will be prepared for the same Spring meeting of the Joint Advisory Panel meeting. The supplementary report will recommend where the release should be made. That recommendation will be in two parts: the sub-division(s) in which the release should be made; and then within the sub-division(s), the District(s) and /or reserve MDA(s) in which the release should be made. (The second part would not be necessary if all the reserve in a particular sub-division were released.)

Determining in which sub-division(s) to make the release

2.19b To reach a recommendation on which sub-division(s) to make the release, the following factors will be analysed:

(i) Whether any of the sub-divisions are under performing in relation to the baseline housing requirement and whether this under performance is forecast to continue. Any such under performance would be a factor favouring the release of some reserve provision in that same sub-division.

(ii) The size of the release. A small release would most sensibly be confined to only one sub division. A larger release might be confined to only one sub-division, or could be spread across two or all three.

(iii) The buoyancy of the housing market/housing demand in each sub-division, as indicated by house price inflation. High house price inflation relative to the other two sub-divisions would be a factor favouring the release of some reserve provision in that sub-division.

(iv) The affordability of housing in each sub-division as indicated by the house price/income ratio. A high ratio relative to the other two sub-divisions would be a factor favouring the release of some reserve provision in that sub-division.

(v) A comparison of forecast labour demand and forecast labour supply in each sub-division. A shortfall in forecast labour supply compared to forecast labour demand would be a factor favouring the release of some of the reserve provision.

2.19c The analysis will attach greatest importance to factor (i) above, factor (ii) will be considered important, and factors (iii) - (v) will be considered to be less important.

2.19d The outcome could be that the release is recommended wholly in one sub-division, or in two sub-divisions, or is spread across all three.

Determining in which District(s)/MDA(s) to make the release

2.19e To reach a recommendation on which District(s) and/or reserve MDA(s) to make the release(s) to make the release, the following factors will be analysed:-

(i) Whether any of the districts are under performing in relation to the baseline housing requirement and whether this under performance is forecast to continue. Any such under performance would be a factor favouring the release of some reserve provision in that same district.

(ii) The size of the release. A small release might sensibly be confined to just one District. It would also be sensible not to trigger the release of the reserve Major Development Area at Winchester City North unless the whole of it is to be released.

(iii) The year(s) in which the completed dwellings are required. For example, a reserve site with development constraints which cannot be overcome until, say, 2008, would be ineffectual in bridging a shortfall occurring in the year 2006. (See paragraph 2.29 below in relation to Districts where reserve sites have not yet been identified.)

(iv) The buoyancy of the housing market/housing demand in each district, as indicated by house price inflation. High house price inflation relative to the other districts in the same sub-division would be a factor favouring the release of some reserve provision in that district.

(v) The affordability of housing in each district as indicated by the house price/income ratio. A high ratio relative to the other districts in the same sub-division would be a factor favouring the release of some reserve provision in that district.

(vi) The ability of the housing market in each District to absorb the additional housing, such that the additional dwellings would be occupied immediately on completion.

(vii) The need for affordable housing. Favourable consideration would be given to a release in a District which has an above average requirement for affordable housing.

2.19f The analysis will attach greatest importance to factor (i) above, factors (ii) and (iii) will be considered important, and factors (iv) - (vii) will be considered to be less important.

2.19g The outcome could be that the release is made wholly in one District, or in one reserve MDA/MDA extension, or in more than one.

Consultation and Implementation

2.19h If the Spring Joint Advisory Panel concludes that a release should be made, the supplementary report will be published immediately after that Panel meeting to enable interested organisations and individuals to comment on it. The comments received on it will be considered by the early summer meeting of the Joint Advisory Panel. At that meeting, each local authority representative will be invited to set out their authority's formal response to the supplementary report's recommendations and any alternative release distribution that their authority may wish to propose.

2.19i The conclusion on the sub-division(s) in which the reserve should be released will be made by the strategic planning authorities representatives on the Joint Advisory Panel. The conclusion on the District(s)/MDA(s) in which the reserve should be released will be made by the strategic planning authorities representatives jointly with the representatives of the local planning authorities which the comprise the sub-division in which the release is to be made.

2.19j As soon as possible after the Panel meeting, the portfolio holders/Executive Member in each of the three strategic planning authorities will decide on where the reserve provision should be released in the light of the Panels conclusions... This sequence is explained graphically in the flow diagram overleaf

2.19k The above process will trigger the release of some of the reserve MDA provision and/or a quantum of the non-MDA reserve provision in a District(s). If the latter is triggered, the local planning authority will then need to decide which reserve sites to release, ensuring that the total capacity of the sites meets the quantum of release triggered.

2.19l The local planning authority(ies) will be expected to act promptly to make the actual release(es). This will need to be sufficiently in advance to ensure delivery of completed dwellings in the year(s) when the shortfall is predicted to occur.

2.19m The County Council in responding to subsequent consultations on planning applications and evolving Local Plans will take account of the Joint Advisory Panel's conclusions.

The following additional paragraphs should be inserted after paragraph 2.26 of the Supplementary Planning Guidance:-

Non-identification of reserve provision

2.27 At the time this Addendum is published, not all the reserve provision required by Policy H4 has yet been identified in Local Plans. This will not in any way influence decisions on where to release the reserve in the event that some reserve provision needs to be released.

2.28 In District(s) where a release is triggered and the local planning authority has identified the reserve provision, that authority will, as a consequence, be in control of the release process, as described in paragraph 2.19i.

2.29 In District(s) where a release is triggered but the local planning authority has not identified the reserve provision, the precise location of the released sites will emerge from housebuilders and landowners promoting sites through the development control process.