Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment
The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) forms part of the evidence base underpinning the production of the new Local Plan to 2032. The form and content of the documents that comprise the SHLAA have been compiled in order to be consistent with advice issued by Central Government and contained within PPS 3: Housing and the practice guidance issued by DCLG in 2007.
The West Somerset SHLAA was signed off by the Somerset Housing Market Partnership on 25th March 2010, the study having been prepared in compliance with the SHLAA methodology adopted by the Partnership in the light of the above government guidance.
The SHLAA provides an assessment of over 80 sites that were nominated for consideration as land that could potentially be allocated for residential use in the future. It provides a brief analysis of past supply and demand, looking at trends and changes in housing provision. The SHLAA provides for each site:
- an indicative figure of the potential number of houses which could be accommodated,
- an estimate of when delivery could start,
- an estimate of the time it could take for each site to be built out, and;
- any potential constraints that could affect delivery of individual sites.
All the sites were assessed by an independent Panel of experts.
This comprised representatives from local, regional and, national businesses and organisations. These included housebuilders, estate agents and housing associations. The sites evaluated for their potential residential use were assessed on the basis of ‘no commitment' on the part of Council or the land-owner, and without prejudice to any decision the Council may make in respect of any of the sites in future.
The consideration of land through the SHLAA process, does not imply that it would necessarily either be allocated for development, or receive planning consent for housing should a planning application then be submitted. The information contained in the SHLAA will however inform and influence the strategy, policy and their justification included in subsequent Local Plans and related documents.