Housing Strategy and Provision (L3)

Question 1

How have house prices increased?

Answer 1

May 2021 to May 2022 UK wide increase = around 13%

May 2022 to Feb 23 South East = 6% increase

Question 2

What is a SHMA?

Answer 2

Strategic Housing Market Assessment. (DEMAND)

Assessment of future housing market requirements within an area, including assessment of type, density etc.

This forms a key component of the analysis of determining the number of homes needed over the plan period.

Question 3

What is a SHLAA/ HELAA?

Answer 3

Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SUPPLY)

It is in effect a ‘pool’ from which sites can be tested on their potential suitability, availability and achievability. Call for sites leads to SHLAA.

Technical exercise to determine quality and suitability of development land for housing.

Part of the evidence base needed for the preparation of a Local Plan.

Question 4

How often are SHMA’s / SHLAA’s updated?

Answer 4

SHMA’s = Local Authorities are required to produce them under the NPPF. Around once every five years. Often part of the first stage of developing a local plan.

SHLAA = is created post a councils call for sites to assess the sites that have been put forward.

Question 5

How often are Five Year Housing Land Supplies updated?

Answer 5

Meant to be updated annually through a SHLAA or Annual Monitoring Report.

Question 6

Example of a certain demographic has influenced a councils tenure mix?

Answer 6

Aldershot = commuter town with lots of families, hence high requirement for 3 bed (40% of estimated mix) going forwards and just 5% requirement for 1 beds.

Question 7

What are Brownfield registers and why were they introduced?

Answer 7

Sites council has highlighted with the intention of speeding up the planning process for these sites. All councils required to produce one.

Question 8

What is a Core Strategy?

Answer 8

This is one of the first documents produced in the creation of a Local Plan. It sets out the overall planning strategy for an area.

Question 9

How would you promote a site?

Answer 9

Submit in call for sites and make written reps.

Question 10

How many houses per year does Countryside build per year?

Question 11

Can you explain the difference between an option agreement and a promotion agreement? How does this differ from a Hybrid Agreement - do you think they are a success?

Question 12

Why was the undersupply of housing a consideration in an appeal meeting?

Question 13

Current rate of inflation? Impact on inflation on the industry?

Answer 13

Dropped this week to 8.7%. Increasing material costs.

Question 14

How do you think the London elections will influence housing delivery across London?

Question 15

What makes up the evidence base for a local plan?

Question 16

Do you know the methods uses to assess and identify overall housing and associated mixed use community development?

Question 17

How would you use economic and demographic indicators to inform a proposed tenure and type mix?

Question 18

How would you source housing need information?

Answer 18

National housing supply targets, local plan and evidence base

Question 18

How would you use a local plan to identify development opportunities?

Answer 18

Adopted areas for growth etc.

Question 19

Can you explain how central government housing targets influence your developments

Question 20

You mention Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA). Can you provide some detail on what the purpose of this document is and its importance to you? (Need)

Question 21

What do you understand by the term SHLAA? (Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment? (Capacity)

Question 22

What happens if a local authority is consistently underperforming on the delivery of housing?

Question 23

How do you think CIL might affect affordable housing delivery?

Question 24

What different types of affordable housing are you aware of?

Question 25

Explain your understanding of a financial review mechanism?

Question 26

Are you aware of any recent housing strategy change in the UK at the moment or London?

Question 27

What is the importance of a 5 year supply?

Question 28

What is the UK housing target right now?

Question 29

What is Lambeth’s Strategic Development Vision and how does it align with their housing needs?

Question 30

What was the different type of housing need at Aldershot and Andover? Why were they different?

Question 31

You mention alternative tenure options to improve the financial performance of the scheme, can you elaborate?

Question 32

You mention the disposal of a land parcel in one of your examples? How would you approach this

Question 33

How would you propose a suitable housing mix for an upcoming phase at Clapham (S73 application)?

Answer 33

First risk - Maximising viability and the LPA accepting the revised mix
Second risk – GLA referable – housing levels will be scrutinised

Researched:
o Lambeth Local Plan – Old version (adopted Sept 2015) vs New (adopted Sept 2021). Changes: Previous - 40% 3 Bed+, Current – 30% 3 Bed +
o Lambeth SHMA (2017): 36% 1 Bed, 40% 2 Bed

• Engaged with my S&M team to determine suitable private mix
• I explored the option of including PRS units however this affected viability and I was instructed not to explore this.
• I asked my planning consultant to review the proposed mix