Issue - meetings

Recommendation from the meeting of the Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel on 4 March 2021 on the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan.

Cabinet approved the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan for publication.

Recommendation from the meeting of the Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel on 4 March 2021 on the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan.

(1)       The Decision Taken

RESOLVED:

(unanimous)

Cabinet approved the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan for publication.

(2)       Reasons for the Decision

The Government has published its latest housing delivery test results, which confirm that Welwyn Hatfield built 1,450 homes in the period 2017/18-2019/20 against a target of 2,284 homes.  This equates to 63%.

As the supply had fallen below 95% the Council had to prepare an Action Plan to assess the causes of under-delivery and identify actions to increase delivery in future years.

As there had been significant under-delivery over the previous three years, the Council had to add a 20% buffer to its five year housing land supply calculation.

As the supply had fallen below 75% the Council had to apply the presumption in favour of sustainable development when determining planning applications, so expect to see the test appearing in delegated reports and officer reports to Development Management Committee.

The Action Plan therefore seeks to identify the causes of under-delivery and to identify actions to increase delivery in future years.

It focuses on actions within the planning service to improve the speed of determining planning applications, especially where they are accompanied by a Section 106 agreement, along with other actions such as the submission of internal planning applications for new housing on council-owned land.

It also notes that the Council already exceeds national targets and that some delay is due to the pace of construction once permission is granted.

It is ultimately likely to be the case however that the Council cannot improve its delivery rates until the Local Plan is adopted, which will simultaneously set a local housing target, identify a housing trajectory for the future and allocate a portfolio of urban and green belt sites for development.