Advertisement: Our Advertising Policy
Advertisement: Our Advertising Policy
Government requires each Council to assess the amount of land that is available for housing development in their area as part of their Local Development Framework (LDF).
This process is known as a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). The SHLAA will provide part of the evidence base to support the delivery of sufficient land to meet the targets for more homes in the District.
For further information: CLG - Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment: Practice Guidance
In order to plan for the future and to ensure that each Council is making the best use of land, this assessment must identify sites which could potentially be suitable for housing. The SHLAA will rigorously examine all sites to determine their possible suitability.
The main role of the SHLAA is to:
The adopted SHLAA methodology and the results of the consultation on the draft methodology can be viewed here:
Basildon Council - SHLAA Methodology - Oct 2009 [878kb] Basildon Council - SHLAA Statement of Consultation - Sept 2009 [223kb]This methodology was produced in accordance with Government guidance in Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (November 2006) and the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments Practice Guidance (July 2007).
Stakeholders were invited to comment upon the draft methodology, which was revised in light of the comments received. Cabinet approved the methodology on 15 October 2009.
Q - Will the sites submitted during the Call for Sites be assessed by the SHLAA?
A - Yes. All the sites submitted during the two Calls for Sites will be assessed for the SHLAA.
Q - When will we know the results of the SHLAA?
A - The SHLAA will contain sites that are 'suitable for housing, available and developable.' A list of sites that were considered but not included in the SHLAA, with the reasons why they have not been included. The results of the SHLAA will be published alongside the Core Strategy Issues and Options consultation. At this point you will be able to comment on the SHLAA's results.
Q - Will the sites identified in the SHLAA be built on?
A - There is no guarantee that a site assessed for the SHLAA will be appropriate for housing development. It is important to note that the SHLAA only informs future plans, and it cannot in itself determine whether a site should be allocated for housing development
The SHLAA will identify a pool of possible sites that are 'suitable for housing, available and developable' for further consideration in the LDF, it does not examine overall need for housing on these sites, nor does it compare the relative merits of the sites assessed.
Just because a site is identified as having development potential does not mean it will necessarily be developed for housing, or for any other purpose. Sites will still need to be assessed against the relevant Local Development Framework (LDF) considerations and only those sites necessary to meet housing targets for the area will be put forward for development.
Q - If a site is going to be included in the LDF for development, will the public be consulted?
A - Yes. Areas of land identified in the LDF for development are called allocations. We will consult fully on proposals for all the allocations when we publish the Core Strategy for consultation. Allocations will be decided through LDF Development Plan Documents, which are subject to an Examination held in public by an independent Inspector. The Inspector's decision is based upon all the available evidence, not just the SHLAA.