Decision details

The Interim Housing Position Statement to Boost Supply provides a positive and proactive mechanism for dealing with planning applications for new housing development in the absence of a 5-year housing land supply.

The Kirklees Local Plan identified a housing requirement of 31,140 homes (1,730 per year) between 2013 and 2031 to meet local needs. Local planning authorities are required to identify and update annually a supply of sites sufficient to provide a five-year supply of housing against their Local Plan housing requirement. However, the 2023 annual update of the five-year housing land supply position demonstrates 3.96 years supply of housing land.

In the absence of a five-year housing land supply, planning applications for housing must be considered in the context a presumption in favour of sustainable development (the tilted balance). This requires planning applications to be considered favourably subject to other policy tests and material considerations.

The Interim Housing Position Statement to Boost Supply provides clarity about the application of the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ for landowners, developers, agents, and the public submitting planning applications for housing to enable more effective and timely decision-making through the planning application process.

The interim statement does not set new policy and does not replace the Development Plan for decision making purposes but has been produced as a positive and pro-active way forward in the absence of a five-year supply of housing land. Once adopted, the interim statement would become a material consideration in determining planning applications.

The Council has actively engaged with the Housing Growth and Homes and Neighbourhood teams in the preparation of the document in relation to the wider council actions that contribute to boosting housing land supply and delivery.

Background papers: Cabinet Report (Interim Housing Position Statement to Boost Supply) 21/12/2023.

RESOLVED –

1)    That approval be given to the Interim Housing Position Statement to Boost Supply, and its publication.

2)    That authority be delegated to  the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) to make any necessary minor amendments and corrections to the document prior to publication.