Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Planning on the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan.

Decision

The Cabinet approves the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan attached as Appendix 1 to the report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and delegates authority to the Cabinet Member for Planning to make minor changes to the document prior to its publication

Reasons for decision

1.         The report of the Cabinet Member for Planning on the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan and the draft action plan attached as Appendix 1 to the report

2.         The Government commitment to improve the delivery of more new homes

3.         The introduction of the Housing Delivery Test by Government as a monitoring tool to demonstrate whether local areas were building enough homes to meeting their housing need

4.         The Housing Delivery Test results which identified South Kesteven was achieving 81% of its housing requirement, which meant that the Council had to plan for a 20% buffer and set out an action plan to increase delivery across the district

5.         Since the Housing Delivery Test results were published, 676 dwellings were completed within South Kesteven, which was above the requirement

6.         Consultation with key landowners, developers and stakeholders in the production of the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan

7.         Clarifications required within section 6 of the document to ensure actions were aligned to the correct council

Other options considered and rejected

The Cabinet could choose not to approve the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan. This was not recommended as it was contrary to Government requirements.

A further alternative would be to amend the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan. This was intended to be a working plan, so there was scope for the Cabinet to make revisions in light of a further comments on the plan.

The Cabinet Member for planning presented his report on the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan. He referred to the Government’s commitment to improving the delivery of new homes nationally and measures and reforms that had been put in place to assist in the delivery of this. The Housing Delivery Test was introduced by the Government as a monitoring tool to test whether local planning authorities were building enough to meet their identified housing need.

The test took account of the number of homes that had been built over the previous 3 years; where delivery was less than 95% of the housing requirement, local planning authorities were required to prepare an action plan setting out the causes of under delivery and the actions they intended to take to increase delivery. Where delivery had been less than 85% of the housing requirement, a 20% buffer had to be applied to the supply of deliverable sites. South Kesteven achieved 81% of its housing requirement. The action plan that had been drawn up was attached as Appendix 1 to the report of the Cabinet Member for Planning.

Members noted that since the publication of the results of the Housing Delivery Test, evidence indicated that 676 dwellings were delivered in South Kesteven in 2018/19, which exceeded the requirement.

Some frustration was addressed that the Council was being asked to find resolutions for barriers to delivery that were reliant on third parties and outside its control. The action plan, which had been produced on the Council’s behalf by a consultant, identified that the Council was subservient to developers. It was also noted that where an application came forward and was refused by the Council, time, money and effort was required to bring a revised application back, which caused delays to delivery.

Members noted that changes had been made in respect of the viability calculations, which would now be based on the actual value of land rather the price the developer paid for it. Reference was also made to the design officer who had recently been appointed by the Council and the benefit of that role in assisting members of the Planning Committee in their consideration of applications.

The Cabinet Member for Planning stated that there had been positive engagement with developers. He added that all parties, including the Council’s design officer, working through technical details together at an early stage in the application process meant that there were fewer opportunities for the determination of applications to be delayed.

Members noted that prior to publication some clarifications were required at section 6 of the document so that actions were aligned to the correct council.

It was AGREED:

The Cabinet approves the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan attached as Appendix 1 to the report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and delegates authority to the Cabinet Member for Planning to make minor changes to the document prior to its publication