Translating OAN figures from the local plan down to NP areas - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)
Translating OAN figures from the local plan down to NP areas
We are now planning some work around matters that were raised by delegates at the recent series of officer events on NP.
One of the areas that delegates felt could do with some more explanation and sharing of good practice is around the process that councils are using to try to work down from their local plan objectively assessed need to give a figure that neighbourhood planning groups could use in developing their plans.
We would like to start the work by hearing from:
- councils that have been trying to do this, or from
- parishes and neighbourhood forums who have experience of trying to work to housing targets that have been handed down
- parishes and forums that have worked on defining housing need in their area themselves.
If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please get in touch with me at phillipa.silcock@local.gov.uk . I will arrange a round table discussion for a date in June.
I will fix a date to accomodate those who contact me.
Meanwhile, please feel free not to wait for a meeting - note your experiences down in this discussion and we'll get started already!
Daniel Hudson, modified 9 Years ago.
RE: Translating OAN figures from the local plan down to NP areas
Advocate Posts: 121 Join Date: 25/04/12 Recent PostsHi Phillipa
This is a very vexed question on which there is almost no guidance. The normal models for assessing dwelling needs (and other development needs) don't really work at this scale. For many rural settlements, there is no specific development target in the Local Plan, merely an expectation that a certain number of dwellings will be delivered in the rural part of the District. So the Local Plan isn't necessarily much help.
If communities set their own, there is a risk that they will under-deliver. This could lead to a process of beggar-my-neighbour whereby communities with restrictive neighbourhood plans effectively 'dump' development on communities without. With no acknowledged methodology for assessing small area needs there is no means of correcting this. Three options that we have considered are
- running conventional population and household forecasts at micro level. In small areas however this can produce misleading results due to sample size and the reliability of assumptions about migration:
- using of local housing needs surveys. These however will only produce a snapshot, cannot predict future growth and do not capture people with needs who have already left, or people from outside looking to come in. In small areas, confidentiality may also be an issue - particularly where information on affordability - which includes incomes - is required. It has been suggested that the market need necessary to deliver the locally identifiable affordable need is an appropriate approach;
- dividing grouped local plan targets pro rata, by households or by dwelling numbers. This however risks the criticism that it is top down and does not reflect local circumstance;
I've got three neighbourhood plans and a joint AONB plan and the question is material to all of them. Did your post result in a meeting or any insights? It seems to be in everyone's too hard pile.