Evidence Base for Planning Policy

In accordance with Planning Policy Statement 3 (Annex C, 2006) Local Authorities are now required to carry out a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) to identify future sources of land for housing. The purpose of the assessment is to understand the level of housing potential within the District and to identify sites which are considered to be suitable for housing and likely to be developed. The information will form an important part of the evidence base for the Harborough District Local Development Framework (LDF).

Harborough District Council undertook its existing SHLAA in 2008/9 and it was published in March 2009. The final document is available to view below:

2008/09 SHLAA Final Report  

SHLAA 2010 Update Report

The SHLAA 2010 Update Report is now available in draft form.  The Update has reviewed the current availability of housing land within the District. The report has been published in draft first to allow any interested parties to comment on . All comments on the draft should be recieved by the 16th July 2010.

Draft SHLAA 2010 Update Report 

Comments should be sent to:

Planning Policy Team, Harborough District Council, Adam & Eve Street, Market Harborough, LE16 7AJ.

Or alternatively emailed to: planningpolicy@harborough.gov.uk

For any additional enquiries please contact Joe Qureshi on 01858 821153 or via j.qureshi@harborough.gov.uk

Five Year Supply of Deliverable Housing Sites: 2010-2015

The SHLAA Update 2010, in accordance with best practice guidance, has for the first time brought together the Five Year Housing Supply Calculation with the investigation into the potential housing capacity of the District.

In this way, housing supply, both underway (through valid permissions) and potential (through the SHLAA sites) can be considered together to identify a detailed forward look of housing delivery to 2026, measured against regionally-set targets.* 

The Housing supply calculation for the period 2010-2015 establishes that Harborough District is 4.7 yrs (1512/322) or 93.9% (1512/1610) of regionally-set housing targets. The full housing supply position for this period can be viewed below:

Five Year Housing Land Supply Position Statement 2010

 * On 27 May 2010, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government issued a letter to highlight the coalition government's intention to rapidly abolish regional spatial strategies and return decision making on housing and planning to local councils. Consequently decisions on housing supply will rest with Local Planning Authorities without the framework of regional numbers and plans. A formal announcement is expected soon.  At the time of writing (June 4th 2010), the Council is considering the implications of this advice and awaiting subsequent Government announcements.