Hi all,
The meaning of the phrase "housing requirement" seems to be inter-changeable in the new NPPF and I'm interested to see if people are interpreting the need for an action plan and/or a 20% buffer in the way I am. In terms of our Borough, the standard methodology produces a 0 housing need figure whilst our emerging Local Plan contains a higher figure of 119 dwellings per annum.
The Housing Delivery Test Rulebook, para 12, states that where an authority has a recently adopted Local Plan, the lower of either the "latest adopted housing requirement" or the minimum annual local housing need figure produced by the standard methodology should be used to calculate the "number of homes required". So far so good as this means authorities aren't "punished" for being aspirational.
Para 4 of the Rulebook states that "the planning policy consequences of not meeting the Housing Delivery Test are set out in the revised NPPF paragraphs 73 and 75". Para 75 of the NPPF states that "Where the Housing Delivery Test indicates that delivery has fallen below 95% of the local planning authority’s housing requirement". By this does it mean the "number of homes required" (i.e. the lower of the rulebook figures) or the Local Plan housing requirement? I'm assuming its the former.
Same question with regards to the requirement for a 20% buffer. Footnote 39 of the NPPF states that the buffer is required when the HDT indicates that "delivery was below 85% of the housing requirement". Again I'm assuming this means the "number of homes required" (the lower of the Rulebook figures) rather than the adopted housing requirement.
Thoughts please! Thanks, Leanne
