The department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has published the latest housing delivery test results.
Brett Spiller, Director at Chapman Lily Planning, explained ‘The results show how Local Planning Authorities are performing, highlighting those who are delivering the requisite level of houses on the ground and those that are not. The performance is important in so far as it can trigger the presumption in favour of sustainable development in its own right where there is an acute failure. Those that persistently under-perform have to apply a higher buffer to their housing land supply – making it more likely that the presumption in favour of sustainable development will be engaged. Those with more marginal deficit need to prepare an action plan setting out how they will bolster delivery. It should however be noted that the Government are allowing some relief for the impact of Covid last year’.
Brett added ‘the poor performance in areas such as Bournemouth and North Dorset comes as no surprise. The shortfall in housing development automatically triggers the presumption in favour of sustainable development. Poole and Purbeck have to apply a 20% buffer to their housing land supply calculation. Other struggling authorities in our region include Havant, Havering, Isle of White, Portsmouth. Christchurch and East Dorset perform better and are in action plan territory, albeit I suspect that the joint calculation belies weaker performance in the former. West Dorset and Weymouth have performed strongly and deserve credit. In my experience the officers in these legacy authorities have more readily embraced the benefits of new development and this positive attitude is reflected in the performance figures. Other top performers in our region include Bath and North-East Somerset, Bracknell Forest, Chichester, Cornwall, East Devon, East Hampshire, Exeter, Hart, Mid-Devon, Mid-Sussex, New Forest, Oxford, South Somerset, Southampton, Test Valley, Wiltshire, Winchester.’
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