Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)

What is a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)?

The SHLAA has been carried out to assess how much land in the borough is potentially available for development and reflects advice from the Government in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and includes information on sites suggested to the Council. The SHLAA also includes details of whether a five year supply of housing land is available within the borough taking account of the guidance in the NPPF

The Council publishes its SHLAA in two parts. The first covering the assessment of five year housing land supply and the second listing all the sites suggested for development. These are normally published in the summer following the monitoring of housing development during the period from 1 April until 31 March.

Following the monitoring of residential development at 31 March 2012 and publication of the Proposed Submission Managing Development Delivery Development Plan Document (MDD DPD), the Council also published both five year housing land assessments and the appraisal of all sites.

The Council this year has also undertaken housing monitoring for the period from 1 April to 30 September and is therefore publishing an updated assessment of five year housing land supply for April 2013.  The updated assessment of sites will be published when the Council submits the Managing Development Delivery DPD to the Secretary of State (expected on 19 December 2012). 

Which sites will be considered for development?

Although all potential sites suggested for development will be examined as part of the SHLAA, only those sites that conform with planning policy will be assessed as being 'available' and 'deliverable'. If there isn't enough 'deliverable' land available, the SHLAA may reveal other options available to the Council for addressing any shortfalls. Only a Local Plan i.e. the Managing Development Delivery DPD can identify additional sites if there is a shortfall since this is the only way to amend planning policy in the borough.

How will sites be assessed?

The suitability of sites for development will also be assessed against a range of criteria including the findings of a Sustainability Appraisal, Strategic Environmental Assessment and an Appropriate Assessment.

The Council has consulted upon a draft method for undertaking the SHLAA. Copies of the complete SHLAA from  2008 to 2011 are available below and the updates associated with housing land supply at April 2012 and October 2012 are available on the top right hand side of this page.