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The revised National Planning Policy Framework was published on 19 December 2023. It sets out within paragraphs 77 and 226 that Councils only need to demonstrate 4 years supply of housing sites if they have an emerging local plan which has reached Regulation 18 or 19 stage through consultation, which included policies maps and allocations to meet housing need. Dorset Council reached Regulation 18 stage with the emerging Dorset Council Local Plan consultation in January 2021.
East Dorset 2022/23 housing land supply
Previously, Christchurch and East Dorset published a joint 5 year supply position reflecting the jointly adopted Local Plan covering the two former Dorset local authority areas. Since the formation of the unitary councils of Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, the 2 former local planning authorities now form part of the larger unitary authorities.
Given the above position and to move towards the calculation of the 5 year housing land supply on the basis of the new unitary authorities, the councils have taken the decision to produce separate 5 year housing land supply figures for the former local planning authority areas of East Dorset and Christchurch.
For the period 2023 to 2028, the East Dorset area does not have a sufficient supply to meet the four-year supply requirement as set out in national policy. The East Dorset area can demonstrate a supply of deliverable sites equivalent to 3.9 years as shown in
Figure 5.1 of the East Dorset housing land supply Report 2022/2023. The calculation for this is available on page 24 of the report, at Figure 5.1.
East Dorset 2021/22 5 year housing land supply
For the period 2022 to 2027, the East Dorset area did not have a sufficient supply to meet the five-year supply requirement as required by national policy. The East Dorset area demonstrated a supply of deliverable sites equivalent to 4.15 years as shown in
Figure 5.1. The calculation for this is available in the East Dorset Five-year housing land supply Report 2021/2022, page 24, Figure 5.1.
East Dorset 2020/21 5 year housing land supply
For the period 2021 to 2026, the East Dorset area demonstrated a supply of deliverable sites equivalent to 5.2 years. The calculation for this is available in the East Dorset Five-year housing land supply Report 2020/2021, page 22, Figure 5.1.
East Dorset 2019/20 5 year housing land supply
For the period 2020 to 2025, the East Dorset area demonstrated a supply of deliverable sites equivalent to 5.36 years. The calculation for this is available in the East Dorset Five-year housing land supply Report 2019/20, page 24, Figure 4.1.
East Dorset 2018/19 5 year housing land supply
For the period 2019 to 2024, East Dorset did not have a sufficient supply to meet the 5 year supply requirement as required by national policy and can only demonstrate a supply of deliverable sites equivalent to 4.91 years. The calculation for this is available in the East Dorset Five-year housing land supply Report 2018/19, page 24, Figure 4.1.
Christchurch and East Dorset Core Strategy - 2017/18 5 year housing land supply
Housing land potential has been assessed for the plan area as a whole in line with the housing provision set out in Policy KS4 of the Christchurch and East Dorset Local Plan part 1 - Core Strategy, adopted in April 2014. The following document sets out the supply for the period 2018 to 2023 and a schedule of all the sites that make up the supply:
This document takes into account the results of the Housing Delivery Test published by the Government in February 2019. As a result of the Housing Delivery Test this shows that Christchurch and East Dorset have a 5-year supply of 4.77 years when a 20% buffer is applied. The document also sets out that when a 5% buffer is applied Christchurch and East Dorset demonstrate a supply of 5.45 years.
Calculating Christchurch and East Dorset's 5 Year Supply
The prediction of housing completions has been informed by evidence in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments, pre-application meetings with the prospective developers and planning permissions where they have been issued. This information is supplemented with residential monitoring information and discussions with Development Management and policy colleagues. It has identified a 5 year supply of 4,384 units.
The 5 year housing requirement for Christchurch and East Dorset is calculated at 4,598, which incorporates a 20% buffer and Core Strategy plan shortfall. Against our identified housing supply, this results in a shortfall of 214 units.
Applying buffers and shortfall to the housing target
The Councils have previously delivered the necessary housing to meet historic targets, and prior to the publication of the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) applied a 5% buffer. However, following the publication of the HDT in February a 20% buffer has now been applied as delivery has fallen below 85% of the Core Strategy's annual housing target over the past 3 years
For the Core Strategy plan shortfall, Christchurch and East Dorset Councils use the 'Sedgefield' methodology to address the previous years under delivery of houses. This is to best clarify the Councils' position against national guidance and to use a more simplified approach to calculating the 5 year supply.
The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment reports for Christchurch and East Dorset explain further how the 5 year requirement is calculated.