Agenda item

Question from Councillor Stuart Wilson to Councillor Gareth Williams (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration )

 

“Buckinghamshire Council is required to deliver a new Local Plan no later than April 2025. Residents have been asked by the Planning Policy team to complete a new questionnaire from November 29th, 2021 to February 11th, 2022. The questionnaire is described as “The Discovery & Exploration Phase for the new Local Plan for Buckinghamshire”. It is seeking early views from residents on their views regarding their current communities and what would anticipate for themselves regarding housing need and their expectations for housing and communities in Buckinghamshire in the future. The introduction to the section on Homes (Q2) in the survey makes the statement:

 

“By 2040, the county is likely to need around 55,000 more new homes (based on latest estimates). Some of these already have planning permission or are already planned for in existing Local Plans (28,000). This leaves about 27,000 to be built.”

Question 5 goes on to ask: In the future we need to build many more new homes in Buckinghamshire. What do you think are the best locations for new homes?

 

Office of National Statistics 2018-Based Household Projections for Buckinghamshire are the most up-to-date dataset available and recommended for use by the Council’s own Business Insights team. The ONS 2018-Based Household Projections for Buckinghamshire show an increase of only 22,533 households between 2021 and 2040. This increase is allocated to Aylesbury Vale (+17,035), Chiltern (+2,157), South Bucks (+1,857) and Wycombe (+1,484). The equivalent increase in population projection for Buckinghamshire between 2021 and 2040 is 26,170 (ONS 2018-Based Population Projections by Local Authority). The statement in the questionnaire issued on November 29th would therefore suggest that Buckinghamshire Council is intending to accommodate twice as many homes as the ONS projects would suggest are required.

 

What is the basis and detailed explanation of how the requirement for 55,000 more new homes has been calculated relative to the up-to date and relevant evidence as required by the NPPF (i.e., 2018-Based ONS projections); and the extent to which there is a genuine shortfall in meeting housing need, taking into account current Local Plans, 5 year housing supply and evidenced windfall through up-to-date monitoring?

 

Question from Councillor Robin Stuchbury to Councillor Steven Broadbent (Cabinet Member for Transport)

 

“Buckinghamshire Council on 24 November 2021 voted and agreed a policy regarding a 20 mile an hour speed limit. Will the Council now be communicating how the agreed policy will be implemented in the coming period to town and parish councils, community boards, interested parties and stakeholder groups? In particular how will the decision taken by the Council affect historical applications/bids to the community board for funding of potential schemes and feasibility studies. In this respect it would be helpful to know whether Community Board Chairman were consulted on the proposed policy before it was agreed at the Council meeting.”

 

 

Minutes:

Question from Councillor Stuart Wilson to Councillor Gareth Williams, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration 

 

“Buckinghamshire Council is required to deliver a new Local Plan no later than April 2025. Residents have been asked by the Planning Policy team to complete a new questionnaire from November 29th, 2021 to February 11th, 2022.  The questionnaire is described as “The Discovery & Exploration Phase for the new Local Plan for Buckinghamshire”. It is seeking early views from residents on their views regarding their current communities and what would anticipate for themselves regarding housing need and their expectations for housing and communities in Buckinghamshire in the future. The introduction to the section on Homes (Q2) in the survey makes the statement: 

 

“By 2040, the county is likely to need around 55,000 more new homes (based on latest estimates). Some of these already have planning permission or are already planned for in existing Local Plans (28,000). This leaves about 27,000 to be built.”  

Question 5 goes on to ask: In the future we need to build many more new homes in Buckinghamshire. What do you think are the best locations for new homes? 

 

Office of National Statistics 2018-Based Household Projections for Buckinghamshire are the most up-to-date dataset available and recommended for use by the Council’s own Business Insights team. The ONS 2018-Based Household Projections for Buckinghamshire show an increase of only 22,533 households between 2021 and 2040. This increase is allocated to Aylesbury Vale (+17,035), Chiltern (+2,157), South Bucks (+1,857) and Wycombe (+1,484). The equivalent increase in population projection for Buckinghamshire between 2021 and 2040 is 26,170 (ONS 2018-Based Population Projections by Local Authority). The statement in the questionnaire issued on November 29th would therefore suggest that Buckinghamshire Council is intending to accommodate twice as many homes as the ONS projects would suggest are required. 

 

“What is the basis and detailed explanation of how the requirement for 55,000 more new homes has been calculated relative to the up-to date and relevant evidence as required by the NPPF (i.e., 2018-Based ONS projections); and the extent to which there is a genuine shortfall in meeting housing need, taking into account current Local Plans, 5 year housing supply and evidenced windfall through up-to-date monitoring?”” 

 

RESPONSE from Councillor Williams, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration 

 

“The inclusion of the figures on housing requirements alongside Question 2 of the survey is to provide some context of the potential broad scale of housing provision that may be required in the new Plan. 

 

During the preparation of the Plan more information will become available on housing numbers, both in relation to the housing required and the supply of housing from existing commitments such as planning permissions and sites allocated in adopted local plans. As such it is important for Members to recognise that as we go through the preparation of the Plan, there are likely to be changes to the numbers, including what additional housing will need to be provided for in the Plan over and above existing commitments. 

 

In relation to the basis of the figure of 55,000, the Government has set a “standard methodology” for determining what is called “local housing need” (LHN) – LHN forms the basis of establishing a housing requirement in a local plan. Applying the standard methodology to Buckinghamshire gives an annual LHN figure of 2,936 homes per year. Over a time period of 2022-2040 (2040 being the end date of the Buckinghamshire Local Plan), this results in a total of 52,848 homes. A contingency/flexibility allowance of 5%, which is established good practice in plan-making, is then added to that total and the figures rounded to the nearest 1,000. 

 

The Government’s standard methodology is quite clear that for the purposes of calculating the LHN, the 2014-based household projections should be used in the calculation, not more recent household projections such as the 2018-based projections. It is understood that the standard methodology may be under review by the Government as part of their wider package of planning reforms. However, no proposals on this matter have been published by Government recently. As such, in terms of providing some context for people completing the questionnaire, it is right to base the information on the current position. The introduction to the questionnaire makes clear that the Government are currently making changes to the way Local Plans will work.” 

 

Question from Councillor Robin Stuchbury to Councillor Steve Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport 

 

“Buckinghamshire Council on 24 November 2021 voted and agreed a policy regarding a 20 mile per hour speed limit.  Will the Council now be communicating how the agreed policy will be implemented in the coming period to town and parish councils, community boards, interested parties and stakeholder groups? In particular how will the decision taken by the Council affect historical applications/bids to the community board for funding of potential schemes and feasibility studies. In this respect it would be helpful to know whether Community Board Chairman were consulted on the proposed policy before it was agreed at the Council meeting.” 

 

RESPONSE from Councillor Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport 

 

“Thank you for the question.  At it’s meeting on 24th November 2021, the Council passed a motion that outlines the approach to 20 mph limits/zones. This approach is entirely in line with Department for Transport (DfT) guidelines and reasserts the guidance that has been in place in Buckinghamshire for some time. There are already a number of 20 mph zones/limits in place in Buckinghamshire and, as I said in the Council meeting, the most recent of these is in Haddenham

  

If someone wishes to pursue a 20 mph zone/limit in their locality, they will need to request and fund the relevant speed assessment(s) and this will be completed as resources allow. The speed assessment will indicate whether the proposed location meets DfT speed criteria.  Local people, Buckinghamshire Councillors and communities will then need to decide if they wish to prioritise the introduction of such a limit or zone as opposed to other works that could address their concerns about the speed of vehicles. 

  

There will be no automatic reassessment of previous applications. 

  

Community Board Chairs/Chairmen, were not specifically consulted on this motion, however, it should be noted that all of these positions are filled by members of Buckinghamshire Council.”