Hot Housing

23rd July 2010

We are always there with the hot topics and there is none hotter at the moment than how to arrive at the housing provision to be made through the LDF in the absence of an imposed figure from the Regional Strategy. We have been doing this job for authorities in Wales where there was never a top down target and now with the revocation of the RS we are being called upon by authorities in England. We ran a session on the subject at a SW RTPI meeting on 14 July too. Whatever else can be interpreted from all of the statements (and speculation) on the changing planning system, it is clear that it is for local authorities to decide on their housing numbers and they should expect to be challenged if the figure doesn’t fit with evidence. Sedgemoor District Council has been the first to use our skills. Demographic projections have a role of course, but the interesting and complicated stuff comes from deciding how housing provision works to deliver the vision everybody has for the place, and how the district fits with the districts around. This is real spatial planning with no excuses