Local Plan Review 2026-2043 Issues and Options Consultation

Existing Land Supply

75. 

    When the Council prepares the preferred option version of the plan next year, it will include a detailed breakdown of the land supply at that point in time^[22] so that the most up-to-date figures can be included in the plan going forward. For present purposes for an issues and options consultation, an alternative approach is being used to give a broad indication of the likely scale of additional allocations that may be required.
     
76. Although the 2020 plan was withdrawn, the Inspectors did consider that, in principle, the residential allocations were acceptable in principle. A number of planning applications have been submitted in relation to these sites, and some have now either been approved, or have a resolution to grant permission from Planning Committee. This followed the adoption of a process in July 2023^[23] that set out how such applications would be considered. This approach was endorsed by Full Council in October 2024 when a decision was taken to withdraw the 2020 plan.
     
77. The following sites from the 2020 plan now either have planning permission, or Planning Committee have resolved to grant permission subject to a S106 being entered into:

78. Having already been included in a plan considered to be sound by the Council, and with the Inspectors considering the sites to be acceptable in principle, the Council believe it is a reasonable starting point to carry forward these allocations into the new plan. There may be limited situations where a material change in circumstances may have since occurred that would suggest that this is not a reasonable assumption on a case-by-case basis. The Council is keen to hear stakeholders’ views if this has been the case with any of the proposed allocations.
     
79. If any of the proposed allocated sites in the 2020 Plan do not come forward, then the capacity from the sites not being carried forward would need to be added to the shortfall.

80. As will be seen from appendix C, most of the allocated sites are now the subject of planning applications, and 12 applications have now either got the benefit of a planning permission, or a resolution to grant permission. This will mean that, compared with the typical approach of plan allocations then moving to permissions, that these sites are likely to deliver earlier in the plan period than would otherwise have been the case.

81. On the basis that all allocations (and other land supply assumptions) in the now withdrawn 2020 plan are carried forward to the new plan, it is anticipated that around 9,270^[24] additional dwellings will need to be identified. Later sections of this consultation explore how this additional supply could be identified.