Comment

Representation ID: 9893

Received: 15/03/2019

Respondent: David Wilson Homes

Agent: Barton Willmore Planning

Barton Willmore Housing Need Technical Note
Summary of Finding:
* Government have reiterated that the SM represents 'minimum' housing need, and it should represent the 'starting point' for planning;
* Revised PPG confirms that 'actual housing need may be higher' than the SM minimum;
* Revised NPPF states how inadequate housing should not form a barrier to investment;
* Recent technical consultation responses confirm Government's stance that 2014-based household projections are to be used for the SM and not the 2016-based projections;
* Revised PPG confirms that the 2016-based ONS household projections cannot be used as an 'exceptional circumstance' to justify a minimum housing need figure below SM;
* The Standard Method will be revised within the next 18 months.
* Barton Willmore have tested the level of housing required to support the range of job growth published by PBA's Employment Land Review (Jan 2017). This shows need of between 825 and 926 dwellings per annum over the Plan period, just to meet the baseline level of job growth set out in the Council's Employment Land Review.
* To achieve the UK Hub scenario, between 1,019 and 1,127 dwellings per annum would be required. N.B. The UK Hub scenario is considered to be a conservative projection in the context of historic job growth, and should be at least 1,225 jobs p.a. not 1,080.
* Additionally, Solihull has a duty to deliver a share of the unmet need from the wider HMA, which ranges from 28,000 up to 2031 to 80,000 up to 2036 on the basis of recent evidence base documents in the public domain.