Object

Representation ID: 4860

Received: 22/12/2022

Respondent: Offoxey Road Limited

Agent: Cerda Planning

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

The SHISD report in relation to Option G clearly shows there was the ‘potential for limited growth’ in Bishops Wood within the emerging housing strategy for the Local Plan Review. However allocations at Tier 4 settlements were not proposed yet a windfall allowance of 6% (600 homes) is still relied upon. Policy DS5 also confirms that windfall sites in Tier 1-4 will be supported. As no allocations are within settlement boundary this indicates that any windfall development that comes forward will need be outside any settlement boundary where (for the most part) it will be in the Green Belt. The reality is therefore, that the only windfall development (beyond single plots or conversions) that will be possible will be rural exception proposals. The delivery of c. 600 homes as rural exception schemes seems highly unrealistic. Accordingly, we maintain that there is a need for the proposed housing strategy to allocate further sites across the district. Moreover, if the housing need is increased to take account of the requirement to proportionately maintain the contribution to the GBBCHMA shortfall, then the total identified 'allocations' is short of the identified need by a minimum of c.550 homes. As such, we would assert that this is too great a gap to be made up by a further windfall allowance and that further allocations will be required across the district. In order that a more equitable distribution of dwellings is made across the district, it is considered that further, appropriate allocations can be made to those Tier 4 villages where there are no significant policy objections or constraints to development.

More generally we continue to raise concerns with the spatial strategy insofar as it places a significant reliance on major allocations coming through in the Tier 1 and 2 villages and urban edge. In total, 7 sites account for some 5,000 homes which is some 95% of the new allocations. Any delays in the delivery of these sites will inevitably have significant impact on the ability for the council to maintain a 5 year supply of housing land.