Issue - meetings

To approve and endorse the Cheshire East Housing Land Supply Position Statement September 2014, and that it be given due weight in the determination of planning applications.

1.    That approval be given to the Cheshire East Housing Land Supply Position Statement – September 2014, attached as Appendix 1of the report.

2.    That approval be given for the Cheshire East Housing Land Supply Position Statement – September 2014 to be given due weight in the determination of planning applications.

In order to meet the requirements in national planning guidance it is important that the Council maintains an up to date position on its 5 year housing land supply.  The ongoing monitoring of the supply enables the Council to provide a robust defence against planning refusals regardless of whether such decisions are appealed against by prospective developers.

In February 2014 Cheshire East produced a Position Statement on the 5 year housing land supply, and this now needed to be brought up to date.  The purpose of the Statement was to set out the Council’s assessment of its housing land supply position on the base date of 31 March 2014, with a further assessment of the relevant data up to 31 August 2014.

The Position Statement illustrated that, as of 31 March 2014, Cheshire East could demonstrate the availability of a 6.08 years supply using the Sedgefield methodology with a 5% buffer and a 5.32 years supply with a 20% buffer.

To bring the housing land supply fully up to date the Position Statement illustrated that as of 31 August 2014 the Council could demonstrate an increasing supply with the availability of a 6.36 years supply using the Sedgefield methodology with a 5% buffer and a  5.57 years supply with a 20% buffer.

The Development Manager explained how the figures had been calculated, and that a standard formula of build rates and lead in times had been applied to all housing sites of which the Council was aware. Those considered deliverable within the 5 year supply had been sense-checked and assumptions altered to reflect the circumstances of the particular site.  The report explained the sources of supply, that a discount had been applied to small sites and a windfall allowance included.

At the meeting the Housing Land Supply Co-ordinator presented an update of Table 8 – Housing land supply figures to 1 September 2014 (page 23 of the report) to which footnote details had been added to explain from where the figures had been drawn and how they had been calculated.  In addition it was reported that a representation had been received from Emery Planning concerning the calculations; the advice received from Counsel was reported.  (Table 8 (updated) and the Development Managers Update report have been added to the website for information)

The Portfolio Holder thanked all concerned for their hard work and effort in producing this Position Statement.

RESOLVED

1.    That approval be given to the Cheshire East Housing Land Supply Position Statement – September 2014, attached as Appendix 1of the report.

2.    That approval be given for the Cheshire East Housing Land Supply Position Statement – September 2014 to be given due weight in the determination of planning applications.