Decision details

11.1

The Executive Director, Place submitted a report in relation to the Sheffield Local Plan.

11.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:-

(a)

agrees to commence work on a new Local Plan, given the Government’s requirement to (a) increase housing land supply in order to demonstrate a 5 year supply of economically viable housing sites and (b) allocate sites for Gypsies and Travellers in the Local Plan;

(b)

agrees that work on the current emerging Local Plan City Policies and Sites document and Proposals Map should be incorporated into the new Local Plan and instructs the Head of Planning to notify the Planning Inspectorate and Secretary of State of the Council’s decision to not submit the City Policies and Sites document for public examination;

(c)

endorses continued use of the Core Strategy ‘saved’ policies in the Sheffield Unitary Development Plan and the Pre-Submission Draft City Policies and Sites document for development management decisions, as appropriate, pending adoption of the new Local Plan;

(d)

requests the Executive Director, Place to draw up a project plan for a new Sheffield Local Plan (including review of the current adopted Core Strategy) and authorises the Cabinet Member to agree the timetable, funding and process for producing the new plan; and

(e)

authorises the Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Development to agree interim responses to the representations made during the public consultation period on the Pre-Submission Draft City Policies and Sites document and proposals map.

11.3

Reasons for Decision

11.3.1

In light of the evidence from the Planning Inspectorate and decisions being taken by Inspectors on emerging Local Plans elsewhere in the country, there appears to be little prospect of the City Policies and Sites document and Proposals Map being found sound. It is currently not possible to demonstrate a 5-year supply of deliverable housing sites and no Gypsy and Traveller Sites have been allocated. Both these factors mean the plan conflicts with national planning policies.

11.3.2

The National Planning Policy Framework requires a 5-year supply of deliverable sites to be maintained, as well as a further supply of sites that are developable during the plan period. In theory, there is enough land available for housing in Sheffield to meet the housing target in the current adopted Local Plan Core Strategy. However, current market factors mean that not all of this land is economically viable to develop at the moment and it is unlikely it will all be developable during the period covered by the current Local Plan. A major increase in public subsidy for housing would be needed to enable all the sites to be delivered.

11.3.3

Planning strategy needs to take the long view on the delivery of new homes. This accords with the Corporate Plan aim of having the right number of desirable homes in the right places to meet the future needs of residents. The Government’s presumption in favour of sustainable development, together with its ambition to increase levels of house building, mean that where there is not a five year supply the presumption will be to allow appeals into refusal of permission for housing wherever they occur. In the current policy context, the lack of a five-year supply could mean the plan being found unsound.

11.3.4

Objectors to the Pre-Submission documents have highlighted the lack of a 5-year housing supply and have questioned whether the housing target in the Local Plan Core Strategy is high enough, given the latest projections of household growth and Rotherham’s decision to cut their housing target. Even though current market demand for new homes is suppressed by economic factors and a lack of affordable mortgages, Government planning policy does not allow this to be taken into account when deciding how much housing is needed. The Planning Minister has stated that, whilst local authorities can determine the location and type of housing built, the role of central Government is to make sure Council’s allocate enough land to meet their objectively assessed need. It is also apparent from decisions on Local Plans elsewhere in the country that the Government’s own household projections are given significant weight when Inspectors are reaching a view on overall housing needs.

11.3.5

Options for allocating more housing land are heavily constrained by the policies in the Core Strategy and, consequently, the only way more land can be brought forward is to commerce a comprehensive review. This would need to take place as part of a wider re-assessment of housing requirements and land supply across Sheffield City Region but would allow consideration of housing land allocation options which are more economically viable (and, therefore, more attractive to the market). It would also enable consultation to take place on options for Gypsy and Traveller sites.

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

11.4.1

Alternative policy options for the City Policies and Sites document and Proposals map were fully considered and consulted on at the Emerging Options stage. The more strategic choices were largely determined by the Core Strategy and the choice with many of the policy criteria and allocations is whether to have them or not. However, there were alternative options for many of the criteria (e.g. a higher standard or a lower one than what is proposed) and choices about the required uses for allocation sites. These are detailed in the Background Reports which contain fuller evidence for the selection and rejection of options for policies and proposals.

11.4.2

Preparation of a revised Local Plan will allow more wide-ranging options for finding new housing land to be consulted on. These options should take account of new research into changes in nationally produced projections, assessment of local housing markets in the City Region, appraisals of the sustainability of additional site options and negotiations with neighbouring authorities.

11.5

Any Interest Declared or Dispensation Granted

None

11.6

Reason for Exemption if Public/Press Excluded During Consideration

None

11.7

Respective Director Responsible for Implementation

Simon Green, Executive Director, Place

11.8

Relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee If Decision Called In

Economic and Environmental Wellbeing