To approve an interim position statement on housing delivery.

THAT:

(a)    the draft interim position statement upon housing delivery (at appendix 1) be approved; and

To provide planning officers and planning committee with advice regarding the approach to dealing with planning applications for housing in the absence of a 5-year supply of available housing land.

Alternative options to preparing an interim statement would include:

(a)    Continuing to process planning applications without an interim statement.  This would not provide a positive response to the lack of a five year housing supply and would result in significant difficulties at planning appeals in justifying why adopted policy SS3 – ensuring sufficient housing land delivery of the core strategy was not being fully implemented.

(b)    Undertake a partial review of the core strategy or adoption of new development plan documents.  Policy SS3 does provide the option for a partial review of the core strategy in order to increase the supply of housing land.  This option is not recommended given how recently the core strategy was approved and that adopting this option  would require the identification of additional strategic allocations and would not provide a solution in short/medium term. Given the rate at which neighbourhood plans are now being finalised and adopted, and the potential for a positive improvement in the overall housing land supply within that period, to undertake a partial review or adopt new development plan documents is not currently recommended; it is proposed that the position be reviewed annually.