Local Plan Review 2026-2043 Issues and Options Consultation

Identifying Additional Housing Supply

Where Should Additional Land Supply Come From?

82. The NPPF is clear at paragraph 147 that before concluding that exceptional circumstances exist to justify changes to Green Belt boundaries, the Council will need to demonstrate that it has examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting its identified need for development. This includes:

• Making as much use as possible of suitable brownfield sites and underutilised land.
• Optimising density – including town centres and other locations well served by public transport.
• Whether neighbouring authorities could accommodate some of the need.

83. Paragraph 148 of the NPPF goes onto to state that where it is necessary to release Green Belt land for development, plans should give priority as follows:

• Previously developed land
• Grey Belt (which is not previously developed)
• Then other Green Belt locations

84. In considering these options, the need to promote sustainable patterns of development should determine whether a site’s location is appropriate.
     
85. Effectively, when taken together, these paragraphs of the NPPF indicate a hierarchy of potential locations as follows:

86. The following sections will identify the issues and options regarding additional supply in non-Green Belt locations and then Green Belt locations.