Planning Policy & Built Heritage
Working Party
Please Contact: Linda Yarham
Please email: linda.yarham@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Please Direct Dial on: 01263 516019
3 June 2015
A meeting of Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party will be held in the Council
Chamber at the Council Offices, Holt Road, Cromer on Monday 15 June 2015 at 10.00am.
At the discretion of the Chairman, a short break will be taken after the meeting has been running
for approximately one and a half hours.
Members of the public who wish to ask a question or speak on an agenda item are requested to
arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the meeting. It will not always be possible to
accommodate requests after that time. This is to allow time for the Committee Chair to rearrange
the order of items on the agenda for the convenience of members of the public. Further information
on the procedure for public speaking can be obtained from Democratic Services, Tel: 01263
516010, Email: democraticservices@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Anyone attending this meeting may take photographs, film or audio-record the proceedings and
report on the meeting. Anyone wishing to do so must inform the Chairman. If you are a member of
the public and you wish to speak on an item on the agenda, please be aware that you may be
filmed or photographed.
Sheila Oxtoby
Chief Executive
To: Mrs S Arnold, Mrs A Claussen-Reynolds, Mrs J English, Mrs A Green, Mrs P Grove-Jones, Mr
P High, Mr N Pearce, Mr J Punchard, Mr R Reynolds, Mr S Shaw, Mrs V Uprichard
All other Members of the Council for information.
Members of the Management Team, appropriate Officers, Press and Public
If you have any special requirements in order to attend this meeting,
please let us know in advance
If you would like any document in large print, audio, Braille, alternative format
or in a different language please contact us
Chief Executive: Sheila Oxtoby
Corporate Directors: Nick Baker and Steve Blatch
Tel 01263 513811 Fax 01263 515042 Minicom 01263 516005
Email districtcouncil@north-norfolk.gov.uk Web site northnorfolk.org
AGENDA
1.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
To receive apologies for absence, if any.
2.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS
3.
MINUTES
(page 1)
To approve as a correct record the Minutes of a meeting of the Working Party held on 23
March 2015.
4.
ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS
To determine any other items of business which the Chairman decides should be
considered as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government
Act 1972.
5.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Members are asked at this stage to declare any interests that they may have in any of the
following items on the agenda. The Code of Conduct for Members requires that
declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary
interest.
6.
AN INTRODUCTION TO LOCAL PLANS AND THE REVIEW PROCESS
(page 6)
This report provides an introduction to the process and likely timetable for a review of the
Local Development Framework and the preparation of a new Local Plan for North Norfolk. It
introduces some of the main areas of work which will be considered by the Working Party
over the coming months.
7.
THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (LDS), REGULATION 18 NOTIFICATION AND
STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (SCI)
(page 12)
(Appendix 1 – page 17; Appendix 2 – page 35; Appendix 3 – page 38)
This report provides a summary of the contents of the following documents:
1. Local Development Scheme (LDS) which sets out the likely timetable for adoption of a
new Local plan for the district, highlighting the main regulatory requirements the emerging
Local Plan must meet in order to be found ‘sound’ and legally compliant;
2. The Regulation 18 notification document which sets out what the Council considers to be
the required scope of the new Local plan, and;
3. The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) which sets out how the Council will
consult people throughout the Local Plan preparation process and when planning
applications are made.
8.
HOUSING LAND SUPPLY – PUBLICATION OF STATEMENT OF FIVE YEAR SUPPLY
OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT LAND
(page 60)
(Appendix 4 – page 66)
This report provides an overview of the amount of land available for housing development in
the District, identifies how much of this land might reasonably be expected to be developed
over the next five years and seeks authority to publish a statement of the Council’s position.
9.
UPDATE ON GENERAL ISSUES
10.
EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
To pass the following resolution (if necessary):“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be
excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they
involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A
(as amended) to the Act.”
11.
TO CONSIDER ANY EXEMPT MATTERS ARISING FROM CONSIDERATION OF THE
PUBLIC BUSINESS OF THE AGENDA
Agenda item 3 .
23 MARCH 2015
Minutes of a meeting of the PLANNING POLICY & BUILT HERITAGE WORKING PARTY
held in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Holt Road, Cromer at 10.00 am when there
were present:
Councillors
B Cabbell Manners (Chairman)
Mrs S Arnold (Vice-Chairman)
N D Dixon
Mrs A R Green
Mrs P Grove-Jones
D Young
P W High
R Reynolds
P Williams
Officers
Mr M Ashwell – Planning Policy Manager
Mrs S Ashurst – Planning Policy Team Leader
(36)
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
There were no apologies for absence.
(37)
MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 19 January 2015 were approved as a correct
record and signed by the Chairman.
(38)
ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS
The Chairman stated that there were no items of urgent business which he wished to
bring before the Working Party.
(39)
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
No interests were declared.
(40)
STAFFING ISSUES & LOCAL PLAN REVIEW
The Planning Policy Manager introduced Sarah Ashurst, who had recently been
appointed as Planning Policy Team Leader, and outlined the changes in the staffing
structure within the Planning Service and in particular, the Planning Policy Team.
The Planning Policy Manager answered Members’ questions regarding the scope of
the Local Plan review. The new Council would need to decide whether the review
was a full review or a ‘light touch’ review.
Concern was expressed with regard to public perception around services and
infrastructure in relation to site allocations.
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(41)
UPDATE – STARTER HOMES NATIONAL INCENTIVE FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS
The Planning Policy Manager presented a report which provided an update on the
Government’s introduction of a new first time buyer’s scheme..
Following on from the Government’s ‘Help to Buy’ mortgages and ‘Right to Buy’
initiatives the Government had introduced further changes to National Planning
Policy specifically focussing on starter homes on brownfield sites. A new ‘Starter
Homes’ scheme had been introduced in England, with the intention of helping young
first-time buyers purchase a home with a minimum of 20% discount off the market
value of the property. The aim was to make 100,000 new build houses available for
first time buyers who are under the age of forty. If a dwelling was sold within five
years the discount would be passed on to the next purchaser; beyond five years the
dwelling could be sold at market value. There was a cap on the purchase price of
£250,000.
The scheme had come into immediate effect and it was necessary to produce
practice guidance. A number of issues had been raised which would be the subject
of a further report to the Working Party.
The Planning Policy Manager answered Members’ questions.
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Unlike exceptions schemes for affordable dwellings, there was no requirement for
purchasers to have a local connection.
The dwellings would qualify for New Homes Bonus in the normal way.
These schemes could not be included in the five year land supply figure as there
was no guarantee they would come forward.
Schemes would be exempt from the Section 106 requirements for affordable
housing but other contributions could be included. They were also exempt from
CIL where it had been introduced.
Concern was expressed regarding the potential increase in value of poor
brownfield sites and how viability would be assessed. The Planning Policy
Manager stated that this required further thought.
Planning permission could be refused on sites which were not viable or
sustainable. Other planning policies had to be taken into account.
Consideration needed to be given to the imposition of principal residence
conditions to avoid abuse of the scheme by people buying under the scheme and
then renting out the property. This could be secured by a Section 106 obligation
which would be registered as a land charge. However, there was a question of
enforcement.
A design panel had been set up. However, planning applications would need to
be submitted and there was no reason why the Council could not apply its own
design criteria.
The scheme was already in place and changes had been made to the NPPF.
Members expressed concern that there was potential for abuse of the scheme.
The Working Party noted the report.
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(42)
DUTY TO CO-OPERATE – AGREEING AN APPROACH TO DISCHARGING THE
DUTY
The Planning Policy Manager presented a report explaining the Duty to Co-operate
when preparing Local Plans, what it means, and a recommended approach to ensure
that the duty is properly discharged.
A Forum had been established, comprising Members and Officers from all the Local
Planning Authorities in Norfolk and representatives of other relevant public bodies
specifically to address the requirements of the Duty. The Forum had considered a
number of options and concluded that formal co-operation should be established
through a non-statutory strategic framework, which would result in a set of common
objectives with the core principles being incorporated into each Authority’s local plan.
The Planning Policy Manager explained the process for preparation of the framework
and requested that the Working Party made recommendations to Cabinet as set out
in the report.
The Planning Policy Manager answered Members’ questions.
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Concern was expressed regarding the use of outside consultants and the
importance of local knowledge. The Planning Policy Manager stated that the
Forum would have input into the drafting of the document. There was limited
number of people throughout the country with expertise in preparing such a
document, and carrying out the work in house was risky.
The Forum would consider the more strategic issues rather than individual
development management policies, such as barn conversions.
The Forum was not being given powers to tell each authority what they should
do.
The Forum had been established on a fairly informal basis and the terms of
reference had been reviewed a few times. It comprised one Member per
authority and a small number of officers.
Councillor B Cabbell Manners referred to the Northern Distributor Road (NDR) which
would affect several districts. He considered there needed to be co-operation to
enable it to proceed.
Councillor N D Dixon stated that he was broadly supportive of the approach.
However, he considered that there was a need for practical, day-to-day co-operation
where there was an overlap of planning authorities or where planning proposals
affected more than one authority’s boundary. He considered there should be a
liaison protocol to cover these circumstances.
The Planning Policy Manager stated that he had put forward an argument regarding
shared statements but the Forum had not considered it to be sufficiently strategic to
be included. However, the Working Party could request that shared statements were
considered, as part of its resolution. He considered that it would be helpful to
document these concerns.
It was proposed by Councillor Mrs S A Arnold, seconded by Councillor N D Dixon
and unanimously
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RECOMMENDED to Cabinet
1) That North Norfolk agrees to the preparation of a non-Statutory
Strategic Framework focused on those areas identified in Table 1 of
the Officer’s report, produced using a structure outlined in Table 2 of
that report.
2) That North Norfolk agrees to contribute up to a maximum of £15,000
in 2015/16 and £10,000 in 16/17 to cover the anticipated costs.
3) That North Norfolk agrees with the terms of reference attached at
Appendix B to the Officer’s report.
4) That the consultants to be engaged to carry out the work have an
understanding of and empathy with Norfolk.
5) That the Duty to Co-operate Forum be asked to include the approach to the
planning of shared settlements (those which straddle administrative
boundaries) within the framework document.
(43)
PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
The Planning Policy Manager presented a report outlining the Council’s approach to
the provision and on-going maintenance of Public Open Space in the District. An
Interim Guide on open space was in place but had not been reviewed for some time.
The current system, whereby developers were provided to pay a commuted sum to
cover ongoing maintenance of open space provided within their developments for a
period of 15 years, worked reasonably well. After 15 years, the maintenance costs
fell on the general ratepayers.
Councillor N D Dixon considered that it was helpful to clarify matters. He referred to
Brook Park in Hoveton which had brought the issue into sharp focus. There was a
large amount of open space, with mature oak trees. There was not as much public
open space in the rest of Hoveton. The future maintenance costs would be high and
the residents of the development would enjoy disproportionate benefit in comparison
with the general population of the village.
Councillor Dixon stated that elsewhere there were areas of open space which had
been taken on by the residents, who had taken on a share and paid a levy. He
considered that other benefits flowed from people having a stake in the public areas
they enjoyed.
Councillor Dixon considered that there was a need to review the situation with regard
to large developments where open space may cost a great deal to maintain in the
future which the authority could not afford in the long term.
Councillor P W High referred to the Peacock Lane site in Holt where there was a
large playing field adjacent to the site. Neither the Council nor the Town Council was
willing to take on the land. He did not object to the provision of amenity land but
there was a question as to who would maintain it.
The Planning Policy Manager stated that the Countryside and Parks Manager was
trying not to inherit the maintenance responsibility for small areas of amenity land.
Small areas were sometimes important in terms of site layout. However, in cases
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such as Holt, it would be appropriate not to include on-site provision. Where there
was a requirement for on-site provision which the Council did not wish to adopt in the
future, the developer would be required to put forward arrangements for maintenance
in perpetuity, otherwise planning permission was unlikely to be granted.
Councillor Mrs P Grove-Jones stated that Stalham Town Council had been offered
land which it was willing to take on, and other land where it did not wish to do so.
She asked who owned land after the developer had developed a site.
The Planning Policy Manager explained that in many cases land was offered to
NNDC for adoption, to remain as open land in perpetuity. NNDC would only adopt
land if there was no cost involved. It was clear that there were no common standards
and it would be appropriate to revisit this matter and produce a document which dealt
with the both the provision and maintenance of open space. The authority had come
to the view that there was no point in adopting small areas.
Councillor Mrs Grove-Jones suggested that a sum be offered to local Councils to
take on the maintenance of open space.
The Planning Policy Manager explained that ownership of public open space by
residents often led to friction as they regarded it as their own. The provision of a
dowry to maintain land was a tortuous process.
Councillor D Young considered that the existing arrangements were good in terms of
public open space. However, where open space was confined within developments
it should be the responsibility of the property owners. He asked if commuted sums
were earmarked for specific land or taken into reserves.
The Planning Policy Manager stated that these sums were held for public open
space but he was unsure as to whether they were kept for specific sites.
Councillor Dixon referred to Badersfield which had a residents’ association. He
considered this to be the gold standard as open space was much larger than on most
private developments and included responsibility for footpaths and roads which were
not adopted by Norfolk County Council. These spaces were very well maintained
and residents had a large stake in the future of the site.
Councillor Dixon considered that the open space issues should be dealt with at
planning stage so everyone knew what they were expected to do in the future.
It was proposed by Councillor N D Dixon, seconded by Councillor Mrs P GroveJones and
RESOLVED unanimously
That maintenance of open space be integrated into the planning system
and the points raised be taken forward for consideration as options for
the future.
The meeting closed at 11.30 am.
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Agenda item 6__
PUBLIC BUSINESS – ITEM FOR INFORMATION
AN INTRODUCTION TO LOCAL PLANS AND THE REVIEW PROCESS
This report provides an introduction to the process and likely timetable for a review of the
Local Development Framework and the preparation of a new Local Plan for North Norfolk.
It introduces some of the main areas of work which will be considered by the Working Party
over the coming months.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Local Development Framework (LDF) is the generic title given to one or more
documents which contain the adopted planning policies and development proposals for the
District. The LDF in North Norfolk currently comprises an adopted Core Strategy and a
separate adopted Site Allocations Development Plan. The Core Strategy is a compendium
of land use policies, including both strategic and detailed policies which are used as a basis
for determining planning applications. Planning legislation requires that those who reach
decisions on planning applications should make decisions in accordance with the
development plan (Local Plan) unless there are material considerations which would
suggest otherwise. The intention is that if Local Plans are up-to-date they should provide
the basis for making consistent and fair decisions on planning applications which are in the
public interest and deliver sustainable growth. The LDF is supported by a number of other
documents including a Design Guide and a Landscape Character Assessment.
The LDF system of plan production has since been reviewed by the government and the
LDF “family of documents” concept is being phased out. Instead, local planning authorities
must produce a “local plan” for their area, although the local plan in practice may consist of
more than one published document. In November of last year the Council resolved that a
new single Local Plan to replace these current documents should be prepared for the
District and that it should cover the period between 2016 and 2036. This Local Plan will
contain revised planning policies to be used for determining planning applications and
additional allocations of land to meet the predicted needs for all types of new development
in North Norfolk.
The process of preparing this new Local Plan is complex and highly regulated and the
eventual Local Plan will be subject to an independent examination to determine if it is
legally compliant and ‘sound’. It is anticipated that the process is likely to take around three
years to complete.
The regulations require that a Local Plan is prepared in a number of stages with each stage
being subject to a number of tests and requirements. In summary a sound plan will be:
1. Positively prepared – the plan should be prepared based on a strategy which seeks to
meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure requirements, including
unmet requirements from neighbouring authorities where it is reasonable to do so and
consistent with achieving sustainable development;
2. Justified – the plan should be the most appropriate strategy, when considered against
the reasonable alternatives, based on proportionate evidence;
3. Effective – the plan should be deliverable over its period and based on effective joint
working on cross-boundary strategic priorities; and
4. Consistent with national policy – the plan should enable the delivery of sustainable
development in accordance with the policies in the National Planning Policy
Framework.
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2. THE EVIDENCE BASE
What eventually appears in the new Local Plan will need to be supported by evidence. One
of the tests of ‘soundness’ which will be applied by the inspector is ‘has the plan been
justified’. In large part this will be determined by the quality of evidence that is prepared.
The guidance suggests that the evidence should be proportionate, but what constitutes
‘proportionate’ is not defined. In practice both at the consultation stages and when the plan
is independently examined the Council will need to clearly justify what it is proposing. Some
types of evidence are specifically required by the National Planning Policy Framework
whilst there is a degree of discretion, and risk if not prepared, in relation to others. As a
minimum the Council will need to prepare, or commission:
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) – this establishes what the need and
demand for housing is likely to be over a twenty to thirty year period. It takes account of
natural population change and net migration and establishes both the quantity and type of
housing that is necessary. This is called Objectively Assessed Need (OAN) and the
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires that each Council addresses OAN in
full, unless there are very compelling reasons why it should not. These assessments are
prepared to cover a defined housing market area rather than being based on the district
boundary and in the case of North Norfolk a study is currently being produced in
partnership with the five authorities that cover central/north Norfolk. This is expected to be
available in July and will be the primary source of evidence in relation to housing growth in
the District for the next 20 years.
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) – this considers the capacity
of the District to deliver housing growth. It assumes that there is no policy constraint to
development and identifies individual sites that might be suitable for building. This allows
the OAN figure from the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) to be related to the
ability of the District to accommodate it. Once the unconstrained capacity figure is
understood a range of policy options for the distribution of development can be considered.
A SHLAA was prepared in 2010 but this will need to be updated to support the new Local
Plan.
At an early stage in the preparation of a new Local Plan the Council will undertake a ‘call
for sites’. This will allow individuals, developers and a wide range of organisations to put
land forward for consideration.
By considering the evidence in the SHMA and SHLAA the Council will be able to determine
firstly the quantity and type of housing growth that is needed, and secondly whether the
area is likely to be able to accommodate this growth in a sustainable way. Neither
documents are policy documents, they are evidence that help to determine policy options.
Employment Growth Study – this considers the types of employment opportunity in the
district, what are likely to be the growth areas and what policy interventions might be
required to facilitate this. For example, does the Council need to identify and reserve land
for industrial development, town centre uses, tourism, or care homes? A study (Business
Growth and Investment Opportunities Study) has been commissioned by the Councils
Economic Development Team which will help to inform both the preparation of the Local
Plan and the wider economic development strategy of the Council. The need for
employment growth should be considered alongside housing growth and the inter
relationships between the two should be fully understood.
Development Viability Study – All Local Plan policies and individual development
proposals must be realistic and deliverable and have a realistic prospect of actually
happening. This means that policy choices, such as the proportion of affordable housing
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that might be required, should be realistic. To ensure that this is the case it is increasingly a
requirement to subject policies to viability testing to ensure that the obligations that might
be placed on developments through planning policy requirements will still deliver a
reasonable return for both the land owner and the developer. A District wide viability
assessment has previously been prepared but this will need to be updated to support the
new Local Plan.
Appropriate Assessment and Strategic Environmental Impact – These are formal legal
requirements of the Local Plan making process and assess the impact of policies and
proposals on particular types of protected wildlife habitat. In North Norfolk there is a
particular concern about the possible impacts of more development on some of the
internationally important wildlife habitats along the coast and on the Norfolk Broads. A
study has been commissioned to understand where visitors to these sites come from, how
often and why they visit, and what they do when they arrive. This will help to determine if,
and what, mitigation measures might be appropriate.
Demographic Trends Analysis and Spatial Portrait – A key part of any Local Plan is to
understand the nature of individual places, how are they likely to change and how can this
change be managed and planned effectively? All development plans include a spatial
portrait of the area which describes the key characteristics of the area and individual places
within it. It combines demographic and other statistical information with a description of
environmental, social and economic characteristics to produce a ‘picture’ of the area from
which policies can be developed.
Infrastructure Report – Assesses the adequacy of many types of physical (roads,
drainage, power) and social (schools, health) infrastructure in an area and the need for
improvement when development takes place. Access to appropriate infrastructure is one of
the key indicators of sustainability, or lack of sustainability, and has a significant and
sometimes determining influence on the distribution of new development.
Flood Risk Assessment - A Strategic Flood Risk Assessment has been prepared for the
area. Since its production new information has become available and new approaches
have been developed in relation to surface water drainage (SUDS). New Surface Water
Management Plans are also being produced for a number of catchment areas in the
District. It is likely that a new Flood Risk Assessment will be required to inform decisions in
relation to the distribution of development.
3. ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES
The process of preparing the plan is a consultative one. There are a minimum of two, and
often three, formal regulated stages of consultation with what are called specific and
general consultees, this includes public consultation. Comments received during these
consultations must be considered by the Council and where appropriate plans should be
amended to address concerns raised. A significant part of the independent examination at
the end of the process will focus on the representations that are made and how the Council
has addressed these. The representations made in relation to the submitted plan will be
considered directly by the independent examiner rather than by the Council so when a plan
is submitted the Council should be confident that it is ‘sound’ and can pass the
examination. It is typical to seek views on Draft Plans as they are prepared and also to
publish and seek comments on the supporting evidence that underpins them.
4. DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
All Plans must plan positively to deliver sustainable growth with the quantity of different
types of growth being determined by objective assessment of need. Sustainability Appraisal
is a tool which is used to assess the environmental, economic and social consequences of
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policies and development proposals. The Appraisal process must be a continuous one at
all stages of plan preparation. The process involves establishing the baseline position in
relation to a range of sustainability indicators such as type and number of jobs, condition of
wildlife habitats, adequacy of infrastructure, access to services and so on. This initial
Sustainability Appraisal Scoping report allows any future change (policy approach or
specific development proposal) to be assessed against the baseline position. The
Sustainability Appraisal of the Plan is one of the core documents that will be consider by
the Inspector to ensure that the plan is properly justified.
5. THE DUTY TO CO-OPERATE
The Duty to Co-operate is a legal test at Local Plan examination – The test applied is –
‘Have you Co-operated in relation to strategically important cross boundary issues?’. The
formal duty to co-operate is applicable to District and County Council’s and some of the
more significant public sector organisations involved in development. The basic concept is
that Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) should understand and respond to the bigger picture
– land use planning crosses administrative boundaries and authorities will need to work
together to resolve problems. This principle extends to the possibility of accommodating
growth from elsewhere if it is shown that an adjacent authority is not able to accommodate
growth in a sustainable way.
The duty is also a soundness test at examination - How have you co-operated and has cooperation been effective?
The bar of ‘effectiveness’ is being set very high by Local Plan Inspectors and must show:
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genuine Member level co-operation;
co-operation throughout the process of Local Plan preparation, not just at the end,
and;
co-operation across all cross boundary strategic issues.
Failure to co-operate is now the most common reason for Local Plan failure. Failure can
mean starting again so can be very damaging in terms of cost, consequences of not having
up to date policies, and reputation.
There is a Duty to co-operate Officer Group and a Members Forum on which all Councils in
Norfolk are represented which recommends actions to individual authorities. Each Authority
is represented by their Planning or Housing portfolio Member. There is agreement across
the County to prepare Local Plans for the period 2016-2036 and to commission evidence
accordingly but each authority retains control over their precise timetable. Some joint
commissioning of evidence is already happening (e.g. SHMA and Recreation/Wildlife
Impacts Study).
The Forum is currently overseeing the task of preparing a framework document on behalf
of all Councils in the County which will establish and agree a number of objectives in
relation to strategic cross boundary planning.
The Framework is likely to deal with the following issues:
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Informing the overall housing number for each LPA;
Housing distribution across the member authorities – to include any necessity to
redistribute across boundaries;
Methodology for assessing capacity – what is sustainable, settlement hierarchy –
who can/should accommodate what? ;
Employment growth – what targets for job creation? ;
Employment Land – how much and where? ;
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Infrastructure requirements and priorities – water, sewerage, power, schools, social
and community facilities – If there is limited supply which authority will be given
priority and how will shortages be addressed/funded?, and;
Green Infrastructure approach.
The Framework document is not a Local Plan and it will not determine particular policy
approaches, instead it is likely to suggest a number of agreed objectives that subsequent
Local Plans should aim to achieve.
6. LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
The process for preparing a Local Plan is set down in national regulations. These
determine the production process that must be followed including who should be notified
and when. Failure to comply with the regulations is very likely to render a Local Plan
unsound when it is considered at the examination stage.
The main steps in the local plan procedure are(a) publication of the scope a local plan, consultation on a draft plan and consideration
of representations (regulations 18 to 20)
(b) submission to the Secretary of State, independent examination of the local plan
and publication of the recommendations of the person appointed to examine the
local plan (regulations 22 to 25); and
(c) adoption of the local plan by the local planning authority (regulation 26).
7. NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANS
Neighbourhood Plans are part of the statutory development plan and are prepared by
Neighbourhood Forums (usually town or parish councils) on behalf of local communities.
Neighbourhood Areas are designated by the District Council upon application by a
Neighbourhood forum. The designation of an area enables, but does not obligate, the
Parish Council to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan. Such plans may contain policies and/or
proposals relating to the development of land and once adopted become part of the
statutory Development Plan for the designated area and sit alongside the District Council’s
Core Strategy and Site Allocations Development Plans. Neighbourhood Plans must comply
with the strategic policies of the adopted Core Strategy and as they are part of the statutory
development plan they must be taken account of when determining planning applications.
The process for preparing these Plans is similar to other elements of the Local Plan and
must comply with the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 but they are not
subject to the same tests of soundness or the duty to co-operate. Most Neighbourhood
Plans are taking two or three years to prepare.
Although Neighbourhood Plans are prepared by the community the regulations require that
the District Council supports the preparation process. The District Council has specific
responsibilities to designate areas, support the gathering of evidence, appoint the
Inspector, administer the examination, and undertake a local referendum. Grant funding is
available to both the Neighbourhood Forum and the District Council to assist with this
process.
Applications have been made for Neighbourhood Area status by Holt Town Council and
Corpusty and Saxthorpe Parish Council. In both cases the applications for neighbourhood
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area status for the whole of the respective parishes have been approved and work is
underway on the preparation of draft Plans.
8. WORKING PARTY SCHEDULE OF WORK
The Planning Policy and Built Heritage Working Party were established specifically to
oversee the preparation of development plans for the District and to make sure that policies
remained effective and up-to-date. It recommends to Cabinet. It is also responsible for
overseeing part of the work of the Council’s Conservation and Design Team in relation to
review of Conservation Areas and related work. Although it is difficult to be definitive at this
early stage it is anticipated that preparing the new Plan will take around three years in total.
The first formal requirement of the regulations is to publish a notice of the intention to
prepare a Plan and seek representations on its scope (Regulation 18). At this stage it will
also be necessary to agree a formal project plan, prepare and publish an agreed timetable
(called the Local Development Scheme (LDS)), and agree and publish a statement
outlining how the Council intends to engage with others when preparing the document
(called a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)). These are subject to a separate
report on this Agenda.
The project will then move into a phase of scoping, commissioning, and considering the
various types of evidence that will be required to prepare the Plan. Some of this is
underway and some is likely to be prepared collectively with other authorities under the
duty to co-operate. In parallel with this the Authority can undertake a ‘call for sites’ and start
to consider the options for new development.
It is unlikely that a new draft Plan will be prepared until the summer of 2017 at which time it
should be subject to consultation, probably alongside the duty to co-operate framework
document which is likely to be finalised around the same time. Unless substantial changes
are required as a result of this consultation the Council can then move quickly to submit the
Plan for Independent Examination and subsequent adoption.
RECOMMENDATION – This report is for Information only.
Mark Ashwell, Planning Policy Manager, ext. 6325
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
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Agenda item 7 .
PUBLIC BUSINESS – ITEMS FOR DECISION
THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (LDS), REGULATION 18 NOTIFICATION AND
STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (SCI)
This report provides a summary of the contents of the following documents:
1. Local Development Scheme (LDS) which sets out the likely timetable for adoption of a
new Local plan for the district, highlighting the main regulatory requirements the emerging
Local Plan must meet in order to be found ‘sound’ and legally compliant;
2. The Regulation 18 notification document which sets out what the Council considers to be
the required scope of the new Local plan, and;
3. The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) which sets out how the Council will
consult people throughout the Local Plan preparation process and when planning
applications are made.
1. Introduction
This report provides information on three documents which are required to be published
during the first stages of preparing a new Local Plan. These documents are the Local
Development Scheme (LDS), the Regulation 18 notification, and the Statement of
Community Involvement (SCI).
In order to make the process of plan-making as easy as possible to understand it is
proposed that we will publish the LDS, the Regulation 18 notification and the SCI together
and run an 8 week consultation period on the latter two documents commencing in midAugust 2015. In this way, the timetable for plan preparation, the scope of the local plan that
will be prepared and how we will consult people throughout the process can be seen in the
round.
Three separate recommendations are proposed at the end of this report relating to each of
these three documents.
2. The Local Development Scheme (LDS)
A Local Development Scheme (LDS) must be prepared under Section 15 of the Planning
and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011). The LDS
sets out North Norfolk District Council’s intended programme for the preparation of all Local
Plan documents, setting out the documents to be prepared as part of the Local Plan, a
short description of the content and status of each document, and how the documents
relate to one another. A timetable for the preparation of the Local Plan is included,
indicating the stages at which the public can get involved in the plan-making process, along
with details of how the Local Plan will be monitored and reviewed in the future. A draft
document is attached as Appendix 1.
The existing Local Development Framework (LDF)
A number of documents are already in place to guide the Council’s decisions on planning
applications. Together these form the existing adopted Local Development Framework
(LDF) for North Norfolk. As these documents are already adopted they do not form part of
the LDS schedule as this deals, in the main, with new/emerging documents that will be
prepared to replace the existing adopted framework.
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In 2012 the Government published the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which
requires Local Planning Authorities to prepare and maintain up to date Development Plans
which comply with the revised national guidance and provide for all objectively assessed
needs and demands for development, consistent with the principles of sustainable
development. Those authorities with existing plans adopted before the introduction of the
NPPF are encouraged to consider review. The NPPF also requires that Development Plans
should plan for a period of at least 15 years and ideally longer.
The Council’s current plans were adopted in 2008 (the Core Strategy incorporating
development management policies) and 2011 (the Site Allocations). The Council has
previously considered the extent to which the adopted policies in the Core Strategy are
aligned with the NPPF and since March 2012 has made a small number of policy
adjustments. These minor amendments, coupled with other such measures such as the
Housing Incentive Scheme, mean that the adopted policies continue to provide an effective
basis for day to day decision making for the majority of planning applications. However,
there are currently, and are likely to be an increasing number of tensions between the
NPPF and the approach taken in local policy, not solely as a result of the introduction of the
NPPF in 2012, but also due to the changes made in relation to which types of development
require planning permission, initiatives such as Neighbourhood Planning and the
Community Infrastructure levy, and changes in the national and local economy.
The Site Allocations Plan was adopted in 2011 and allocates land for around 3,500
dwellings. Some of the allocated sites are unlikely to be developed by 2021. In addition,
delivery rates are behind target at this point in the plan cycle, mainly as a consequence of
recession, and whilst the Council has sufficient allocated development sites to meet the
next five year requirement the position in relation to future housing land supply is expected
to be very different. It is likely that many of the existing housing allocations will be either
developed or under construction, and by 2019/20 it is anticipated that most of the larger
allocated development sites, other than perhaps Fakenham, will be substantially
completed. Depending on the rates of new house building in the next few years it is likely
that in the near future the Council will not be in a position to demonstrate a five year
housing land supply. The demand and need for new housing and other types of
development will continue and new development sites therefore need to be identified and
allocated.
Given the above the Council’s Cabinet resolved in November 2014 that formal plan review
would commence in May 2015 with the intention of adopting a new Local Plan (combined
Core Strategy and Site Allocations DPD) covering the period 2016-2036 as soon as
possible.
The Local Development Scheme (LDS) process
The process for preparing a Local Plan is set down in the Town and Country Planning
(Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. These determine the process that must be
followed in plan-making including detail of who should be notified and/or consulted and
when throughout the process. Failure to comply with the Regulations is very likely to render
a plan unsound when it is considered at the examination stage.
The main steps in the local plan procedure are(a) publication of the scope a local plan, consultation on it and consideration of
representations (Regulations 18 to 20)1;
1
Regulation 21 relates only to the London Plan
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(b) submission to the Secretary of State, independent examination of the local plan and
publication of the recommendations of the person appointed to examine the local plan
(Regulations 22 to 25), and;
(c) adoption of the local plan by the local planning authority (Regulation 26).
These regulatory ‘milestones’, alongside the broad assumptions for how long the plan will
take to prepare, are shown in the LDS timetable (page 8 of the document appended to this
report (Appendix 1)). It is anticipated that the process to prepare a new local plan can
commence in earnest with publication of the Regulation 18 notification document and the
Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) in August 2015 and the associated
consultations on both these documents commencing on the 17th August 2015 following
authorisation by Cabinet. Experience suggests that these ‘milestones’ may change and
consequently the SCI will need to be kept under regular review.
The current regulations do not require the LDSs to be submitted to the Secretary of State
for approval, or for LPAs to consult on their contents.
3. The Regulation 18 Notification
The Town and Country (Local Planning) (England) Regulations (2012) set out the detailed
legislative process for preparation and adoption of development plan documents (called
“local plans” in the Regulations), including the requirements for consultation and the
availability of documents throughout the whole process.
Regulation 18 of the Local Planning Regulations (2012) requires LPAs to notify specific and
general consultees and all others whom the LPA considers to have an interest, on the
subject of the emerging Local Plan. In addition, the regulations require LPAs to invite
comments on the proposed subject of the emerging Local Plan. The notification essentially
asks ‘Do you think the Councils proposals for the new Plan will cover the right issues?’
The Regulation 18 notification document (attached at Appendix 2) outlines what officers
consider to be the subjects required to be considered in the emerging North Norfolk Local
Plan and the main issues to be addressed by the plan over the period 2016-2036. These
issues include:




Housing: how much housing is needed, what type and tenure of housing is
required, where will housing be accommodated, and the needs of specific users
including gypsies and travellers;
Employment: the needs of employers and industry sectors and where growth will
be accommodated;
Environment: the impact of development on the natural and historic environment,
including climate change and adaptation and coastal erosion;
Infrastructure: transport and infrastructure requirements.
(this list is not exhaustive as the process will involve a wholesale and comprehensive review of all
aspects of land use planning in the district)
The process will comprise a comprehensive review of all policies in the existing plan and
allocate new land for development.
It is proposed that the Regulation 18 notification is published and sent out to the following
groups in mid-August inviting comments on the proposed subject of the emerging Local
plan and advising of an 8 week period of consultation commencing on the 17th August
2015:
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



town and parish councils and local bodies/organisations;
developers and agents;
specific and general consultees, and;
all others who made representations on the last round of plan-making.
Further, a press advert will be placed in the North Norfolk News as soon as practicable
after the 17th August 2015.
Any representations received will be reported back to members at the first available
opportunity.
Enclosed with the Regulation 18 notification will be a newsletter containing information on
the publication of the LDS (scheduled for early August) and the consultation on the
Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) (see below). A series of events will be
programmed for early September (during the consultation period) in order that we can
answer any queries and engage with all interested parties as necessary.
4. The Statement of Community Involvement
Section 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) requires
Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to produce a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)
to explain how they will engage local communities and other interested parties when
preparing their Local Plan, other policy documents, and when determining planning
applications.
The Council’s current SCI was adopted in 2006. Due to legislative changes brought about
in the main by the Localism Act 2011, the National Planning Policy Framework 2012 and
the Local Plan Regulations 2012, the SCI produced in 2006 needs to be updated. This
review also provides an opportunity to update our approaches to community involvement,
and recognises that the opportunities for community involvement have evolved since 2006
and that new methods of engagement (such as social media forums and web based
consultations) can be used to help reach a wider audience.
The aim of the SCI is to provide a clear and accessible guide on how the local planning
authority will endeavour to encourage widespread involvement in the planning process. It
provides details on the minimum statutory requirements for consultation at both the planmaking stage and the planning application stage and gives details on the different
consultation methods that the LPA may use. Other than where there is a statutory
requirement, the SCI is deliberate in not committing the LPA to specific methods of
consultation; this will enable consultation methods to be tailored to specific situations and
will enable the methods used to reflect best practice and to reach specific groups.
Key updates incorporated into the revised draft SCI:




The Duty to Cooperate, introduced in the 2011 Localism Act (see pages 6 & 19 of
the SCI (Appendix 3));
Neighbourhood Planning, introduced in the 2011 Localism Act (see pages 6, 12,
13 of the SCI);
Recognition of the evolving methods of consultation (primarily through the
increased use of electronic communication and the use of social media);
The addition of new consultees.
Consultation
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Notwithstanding that the current regulations do not require SCIs to be submitted to the
Secretary of State for approval, or for LPAs to consult on their SCIs, it is proposed to
consult on the draft SCI for a period of not less than 8 weeks, commencing on the 17th
August 2015.
Consultation on the draft SCI will enable statutory consultees, communities and other
interested parties to have an input on how they will be involved during the plan-making
stage and when planning applications are submitted. Comments made can be considered
and amendments made as required.
Once approved, communities will have access to a clear and plain-English document
explaining how they can get involved in all aspects of the planning process.
Any comments made during the consultation period would be considered and any
amendments made to the SCI as necessary. The final draft SCI along with comments
made during the consultation period and responses will be presented back to Members of
the Working Party with any appropriate recommendations in due course.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1) To recommend to Cabinet the publication of the Local Development Scheme
(LDS) as the timetable for production of a new Local Plan for the district as soon as
reasonably practicable following authorisation by Cabinet, but in any case having
effect from the 3rd August 2015.
2) To recommend to Cabinet the publication of the Regulation 18 Notification
document as the scope of the emerging Local Plan for North Norfolk and to
authorise the formal notification of all those specified in the regulations, and to
invite representations on the scope of the new local plan for a period of not less
than 8 weeks commencing on the 17th August 2015.
3) To recommend to Cabinet the publication of the Statement of Community
Involvement (SCI), and to authorise a period of consultation of not less than 8
weeks commencing on the 17th August 2015.
Contact Officers:
Sarah Ashurst
Martha Moore
Planning Policy Team Leader
Planning Officer
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ext. 6144
ext. 6084
15 June 2015
APPENDIX 1
North Norfolk
Local Plan
Local Development
Scheme – June 2015
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1. Introduction
1.1 A Local Development Scheme (LDS) must be prepared under Section 15 of the Planning and
Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011). The LDS is a project plan
which identifies the development plan documents which make up the Local Plan for the area. It
must be made publicly available and kept up-to-date. The LDS enables the public and stakeholders
to find out about planning policies in their area, the status of those policies, and the details of and
timescales for production of all relevant documents.
1.2 This LDS sets out North Norfolk District Council’s programme for the preparation of all Local Plan
documents. The timetable sets out which documents are proposed to be prepared and when, and
indicates at what stage the public can be involved in the plan-making process. Its purpose is:
 to set out the documents to be prepared as part of the local plan, and to provide a short
description of the content and status of each document, and show how the documents
relate to each one another;
 to set out a timetable for the preparation of the documents; and,
 to explain how the documents will be monitored and reviewed.
1.3 This LDS is to be recommended to the Council’s Cabinet on 6th July 2015 for publication following
consideration by this working party. It updates the LDS which was published in September 2009 and
takes effect from 1st August 2015.
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2. The North Norfolk Local Development Scheme (LDS)
2.1 The LDS covers the following types of documents:
 Development Plan Documents (DPDs):
These are documents which once adopted make up the statutory Local Plan for North Norfolk.
The council’s planning decisions must be made in accordance with the Local Plan unless material
considerations indicate otherwise. The main documents covered in this scheme are the Core
Strategy incorporating development management policies, and the Site Specific Proposals which
together form the Local Plan for the district.
Both documents must be prepared in accordance with the Local Planning Regulations (2012) (or
successor document). At key stages of plan-making there is an opportunity for the public to
comment on the emerging planning policies and proposals in the Local Plan documents. At the
end of the process, the Local Plan is submitted to the Secretary of State and subject to
independent examination by a government appointed inspector to assess their soundness and
legal compliance before they can be adopted by the council.
Certain other documents must be published alongside each Local Plan document, including:
o the Sustainability Appraisal report of each Local Plan document at each stage of plan-making;
o a policies map, setting out the Local Plan’s policies and proposals on a map base;
o a Statement of Consultation summarising public representations made to the plan at each
stage of plan-making, and how they have been addressed (this is called the “Regulation 22(c)
statement”);
o copies of any representations made;
o any other supporting documents considered by the council to be relevant in preparing the
plan;
o an Adoption Statement and Environmental Statement (when the plan is adopted).
 Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs):
These documents help to support and explain in more detail how the Council will implement
particular policies and proposals in the Local Plan. SPD can also take the form of design briefs or
development briefs for sites allocated in the plan and design guides to help inform how
development in the district should look.
SPD can be reviewed frequently and relatively easily to respond to changes quickly whereas a
review of the policies in the Local Plan is a longer and more complex process.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG)
state that SPDs should be used “where they can help applicants make successful applications or
aid infrastructure delivery”, and should not be used to add unnecessarily to the financial burdens
on development. SPD should not include new or excessively detailed policy guidance, but ought
to be used only where it can clarify and amplify existing policy and set out how it will help to
bring forward sustainable development.
At present no SPDs are identified in this document preparation timetable. If any SPDs are
identified as necessary during the plan preparation process then these will be added to future
publications of this document.
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 Other Local Plan documents:
Documents such as the Local Development Scheme (LDS), the Statement of Community
Involvement (SCI) (which outlines how the community can be involved in the planning process),
and the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) should be included. The AMR is published each year, and
provides progress on national and local indicators and progress against the milestones set out in
this Local Development Scheme.
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3. The existing Local Development Framework:
3.1 A number of documents are already in place to guide the Council’s decisions on planning
applications. Together these form the existing adopted development framework for North Norfolk.
As these documents are already adopted they do not form part of the LDS schedule set out later in
this document as this deals, in the main, with new/emerging documents that will be prepared to
replace the existing adopted framework. However, details are included below in order to provide a
complete picture of the planning policy documents which apply to the district.
3.2 In 2012 the Government published the National Planning Policy Framework which requires LPAs to
prepare and maintain up to date Development Plans which comply with the revised national
guidance and provide for all objectively assessed needs and demands for development consistent
with the principles of sustainable development. Those with existing plans were encouraged to
consider review and if such reviews were not completed within a one year transitional period full
weight should be given to the NPPF in subsequent decision making. Development Plans should plan
for a period of at least 15 years and ideally longer.
3.3 The Council’s current Plans were adopted in 2008 (Core Strategy incorporating development
management policies) and 2011 (Site Allocations). The Council has previously considered the extent
to which it’s adopted policies in the Core Strategy are aligned with the NPPF and over the period
March 2012 to-date has made a small number of policy adjustments. These minor amendments,
coupled with other such measures as the Housing Incentive Scheme, mean that the adopted
policies continue to provide an effective basis for day to day decision making for the majority of
planning applications.
3.4 The Site Allocations Development Plan was adopted in 2011 and allocates land for around 3,500
dwellings. Some of the allocated sites are unlikely to be developed by 2021 and the current Plan
includes an allowance for housing delivery through to 2023/4 on the basis that the housing
allocations will continue to contribute to housing land supply at the required rate beyond the
current Core Strategy plan period. The Council remains dependent, at least in part, upon continued
development on unallocated sites (windfall) to deliver the target number of dwellings. Although
delivery rates are behind target at this point in the plan cycle, mainly as a consequence of
recession, the Council has sufficient allocated development sites to meet the next five year
requirements and subject to positive market conditions and delivery rates continuing to improve
expects to deliver close to the required local plan target of 8,000 dwellings by 2021, and
approximately 10,000 by 2026.
3.5 However, by 2016/17 the position in relation to future housing land supply is expected to be very
different. By this time it is likely that many of the existing housing allocations will be either
developed or will be under construction, and by 2019 it is anticipated that most of the larger
allocated development sites, other than perhaps Fakenham, will be substantially completed.
Depending on the rates of new house building in the next few years it is likely that by 2017/18 the
Council will not be in a position to demonstrate a five year housing land supply. The demand and
need for new housing and other types of development will continue and new development sites
therefore need to be identified and allocated for development.
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3.6 The current development plan for the District includes a target to provide 4,000 net additional jobs
over the plan period. The number of jobs in the District increased in the early years of the current
plan period but following the closure of RAF Coltishall fell back to around the 2001 total of 37,500
jobs. There has been no net increase in jobs over the first part of the current plan period but
unemployment levels are low. Designated employment land in the District continues to be
developed, albeit at a slow rate, and the adequacy of supply in terms of quantity, location and
choice will also soon need further consideration.
3.7 There are currently, and likely to be an increasing number of tensions between the national
planning policy framework and the approach taken in local policy, not solely as a result of the NPPF
but also due to the changes made in relation to which types of development require planning
permission, initiatives such as Neighbourhood Planning and the Community Infrastructure levy, and
changes in the national and local economy. Most notably national guidance arguably adopts a more
pro-development approach to sustainable development than that which underpinned the
preparation of the adopted development framework for North Norfolk.
3.8 Under the Duty to Cooperate, the Council, in conjunction with neighbouring authorities, has
commissioned a new Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) which will provide up to date
evidence in relation to housing need and demand in the District up to 2036. This is likely to be
published in the autumn of 2015 and will necessitate reconsideration of the scale of planned
housing growth in the District beyond the current plan period. In addition, as time progresses there
will also be increased pressure to plan over the longer term, for example, infrastructure providers
will need to clearly understand the growth strategy for the District to inform their long term
investment programme beyond 2021.
3.9 Given the above the Council has resolved that it will commence formal plan review in May 2015
with the intention of producing a revised Local Plan (combined Core Strategy and Site Allocations
DPD) covering the period 2016-2036.
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4. The emerging Local Plan for North Norfolk
4.1 The documents making up the Local Plan for North Norfolk must conform to national planning
policy in the NPPF. The Core Strategy, incorporating development management policies, and the
Site Allocations Local Plan which interprets the Core Strategy policies for growth, should be
consistent with one another. If required, Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) build upon and
provide more detailed advice or guidance on the policies in the Local Plan.
4.2 The Localism Act 2011 allows for community led neighbourhood plans to be brought forward to
complement the adopted Local Plan. At the time of writing this LDS two areas have been
‘designated’: Corpusty & Saxthorpe and Holt, but no plans have been formally ‘made’. The council
remains open to working in cooperation with community-led groups to produce Neighbourhood
Plans for individual parts of the district where these help to promote beneficial development,
regeneration or neighbourhood enhancement in accordance with the presumption in favour of
sustainable development and the general principles set out in the NPPF.
4.3 Figure 1 shows the structure of the Local Plan for North Norfolk.
The Local Plan for North Norfolk
Other Local Plan documents
Core Strategy
(incorporating development management policies)
Local Development Scheme:
Core Strategy: Strategic planning policies
DM policies: general policies applying to all new development
The programme for preparing documents which
form the Local Plan
Statement of Community Involvement:
Statement setting out how the Council will
involve local people in plan-making and planning
decisions
Site allocations plan
Individual policies and proposals for specific sites where
change is likely to happen
Policies map
Annual Monitoring Report:
Map showing where particular policies and proposals apply
Regular report setting out how the local plan is
performing against its objectives and targets
Neighbourhood Plans
Plans prepared by the community to guide and manage
change in locally designated areas. Must be in general
conformity with the Local Plan. Prepared independently.
Supplementary planning documents
Including development briefs, design guides and landscape character
assessments
Figure 1: The Local Plan for North Norfolk.
4.4 Further information on each of the documents forming the Local Plan can be found in the profiles in
Appendix A which sets out the contents of each document, status, review arrangements and the
periods of public participation and consultation envisaged.
4.5 A number of other documents will be prepared to support local plan review and the development
of the new Local Plan. This may include a Strategic Housing Market Assessment, Strategic Housing
Land Availability Assessments, Sustainability Appraisals and Appropriate Assessment, Consultation
Statements, Habitats Regulations Assessment, and other local evidence as required.
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5. Project Plan and Resources
Programme and Consultation
5.1 The Government published the Local Planning Regulations in 2012 which set out the stages required
to be performed during plan preparation. These are:
Key Stages of Local Plan preparation
Notification of the subject of a local plan
which the LPA proposes to prepare
Draft plan preparation and publication of and
consultation on the draft local plan
Submission of the regulation 19 draft local
plan to the Secretary of State
Pre-hearing meeting
Examination
Publication of Inspectors findings
Adoption of the plan
Period for Judicial Review
Regulation
Regulation 18
Regulation 19
Regulation 22
N/a
Regulation 24
Regulation 25
Regulation 26
N/a
5.2 Preparation of Local Plans is subject to specific regulations, a formal duty to engage positively with
other Authorities (Duty to Co-operate), at least two separate statutory periods of public
consultation and independent examination to establish the legality and soundness of the plan. Any
plan prepared must be based on a credible evidence base and should positively seek to address all
needs for different types of development.
5.3 It is not possible to be absolutely certain about the timetable for plan preparation at the start of the
process and so this LDS takes a cautious approach. Experience suggests that there will be delays at
various stages and the initial timetable will require adjustment as work proceeds. By way of
example the new requirements under the Duty to Co-operate require collective decisions to be
reached on behalf of several authorities some of which may have different priorities in relation to
plan review timetables.
5.4 Figure 2 highlights the key tasks and suggests a draft timetable. This would result in a new Local Plan
being adopted in late-2018.
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Figure 2: Local Plan production timetable
Annual
→ monitoring
report
Local
Developm
→
ent
Scheme
Statement
of
Communit
→
y
Involveme
nt
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2
3
4
5
6
7
Examination
Key Stages of Local Plan Preparation
Project planning
Plan Preparation
Notification of Scope of plan and consultation
Evidence gathering
Options development
Options consultation
Options development into Draft local plan
Draft Plan Consultation
Submission preparation
Submission
Pre-hearing meeting
Examination in public
Inspectors report
Adoption (or publication of AMR)
Period for High Court Challenge
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
Regulation
Regulation 18
Regulation 19
Regulation 22
Regulation 24
Regulation 25
Regulation 26
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15 June 2015
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sept
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sept
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sept
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sept
Aug
5
2
Adoption
Jul
4
DPD
May
DPD
3
DPD
2
1
4
5
6
7
2019
1
Milestones
Preparation
3
2018
AMR
Proposals
Map
2017
LDS
→
2016
SCI
Core
Strategy
→ incorporati
ng DM
policies
Site
→ Specific
Proposals
Jun
2015
Local Plan
Documents
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
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5.5 The Local Planning Regulations (2012) stipulate the requirements for consultations on the plan making
process. Regulation 18 requires specific and general consultation bodies, relevant authorities and other
statutory consultees to be notified of the subject of the local plan. Detail on the bodies to be consulted
can be found as an appendix to the Statement of Community Involvement and are repeated in Appendix B
of this document for clarity.
5.6 In addition to this the Council will consult with the general public for a period of not less than 6 weeks on
the draft plan (under Regulation 19). There may be other intervening consultations in addition to the
above.
5.7 The document, with minor revisions if necessary, will then be submitted to the Secretary of State and
notice will be given to all parties previously notified or who have made representations.
Governance and resources
5.8 The Local Plan process is steered by the Council’s Planning Policy and Built Heritage Working Party who
meet regularly to review progress, provide a policy steer and agree consultation documents.
Recommendations made by this committee are referred to Cabinet for executive decisions. There is also
liaison both within the Council and with partner authorities through regular meetings. The Planning Policy
manager, Planning Policy Team Leader and the Project Support Officer provide day-to-day guidance on
project progress.
5.9 Resources to undertake the local plan work programme comprises the Planning Policy team: the Planning
Policy Manager, Planning Policy Team Leader, a Planning Officer, a Planning Assistant and the Project
Support Officer. Other expertise within the Council will be involved in detailed aspects of the plan
preparation as and when necessary. This may include the following teams in addition to others:





Development management, including Conservation, design and landscape
Economic development
Strategic housing
Coastal strategy team
Environmental health
5.10 There are a number of constraints and risks associated with the timetable for the North Norfolk Local Plan
outlined in this LDS. These risks relate to:

the resource requirement demanded by the new development plan preparation system, particularly in
relation to public involvement and sustainability appraisal;

I.T failure, specifically ‘Objective’ document publication and consultation software which is remotely
hosted;

loss of individual staff with specialist knowledge;

public acceptance of proposals

uncertainty around delivery of evidence being prepared under the Duty to Cooperate, and;

changes in national planning policy, either in terms of policy itself or process changes.
5.11
These risks will need to be reviewed and managed throughout the plan preparation process.
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Monitoring & Review
5.12
Monitoring is an important part within the cyclical process of policy making and provides feedback
on the performance of policies and whether aims are being achieved, as shown below.
5.13
Annual Monitoring Reports (AMRs) are prepared each year to assess the extent to which policy
aims are being achieved. AMRs must be based on the period 1 April to 31 March. AMRs for previous
years can be viewed at: www.northnorfolk.org/ldf.
5.14
The AMR requires local planning authorities to:
 review actual progress in terms of local development document preparation against the timetable
in the LDS; assess the extent to which policies in local development documents are being
implemented;
 where policies are not being implemented, explain why and set out what steps are to be taken to
ensure that the policy is implemented, or whether the policy is to be amended or replaced;
 identify the significant effects of implementing policies in local development documents and
whether they are as intended; and
 set out whether policies are to be amended or replaced.
5.15
As development of the plan progresses a monitoring framework will also be developed to enable
the plan-monitor-review cycle to continue forward and assess how the plan is being implemented and
its impact. Alongside national Government core output indicators covering business development,
housing, transport, local services, minerals & waste, flood protection and water quality, biodiversity
and renewable energy, corporate indicators and the new local plan indicators will monitor the
effectiveness of the plan.
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Appendix A: Local Plan document profiles
Document title
Document details
Role and Content
Status
Conformity
Geographical coverage
Timetable for production
Evidence required
North Norfolk Local Plan – Core Strategy
The document sets out the vision, objectives and strategy for the spatial
development of North Norfolk in the period up to 2036. It provides a range
of strategic policies covering the overall type, level and broad location of
development, with strategic level policies on sustainable development,
housing, economic development, the natural and built environment, and
access and infrastructure. There is also a vision for each of the main
settlements to guide development to the most appropriate locations.
Development Plan document
The document will conform with the National Planning Policy Framework
(NPPF) 2012
North Norfolk District Council local planning authority area (excluding the
Broads Authority area)
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), Strategic Housing Land
Availability Assessment (SHLAA), Housing Needs Study, Retail Study,
Employment Land and Economic Growth Study, Rural Economy Study,
Infrastructure Study, Health Impact Assessment, Tourism Study, Viability
Assessment, Flood Risk Assessment, Water Cycle Study, Landscape
Character Assessment, Visitor Pressure Survey Study, Gypsy and Traveller
Needs Assessment, Open Space Audit, Shoreline Management Plan, Sport
& Recreation Study
NB This list will be refined as the evidence requirements for the Local plan are
established in full.
Production milestones
Responsibilities
Lead Officer
Governance
Commence local plan preparation – May 2015
Notification of preparation of policy options and call for sites, including
publication of timetable (LDS) and Statement of Community involvement
(SCI) - Regulation 18 consultation – July 2015
Preparation of evidence studies required to support local plan
preparation:
 Scoping/commissioning/preparing/publishing all evidence – by
December 2016
Preparation of policy options and appraisal of available sites, including
preparation of Sustainability Appraisal of both and potential options
consultation - January 2017 – August 2017
Prepare Regulation 19 plan (draft plan) and carry out consultation –
October 2017 – December 2017
Assess representations to regulation 19 consultation and prepare for
submission – December 2017 – February 2018
Submit to Planning Inspectorate – February 2018
Examination – June 2018 – August 2018
Inspectors Report – October 2018
Adoption – December 2018
NB The above projected timetable may slip if additional rounds of
consultation are required.
Planning Policy Manager
Housing and Policy Board, Planning Policy and Built Heritage Working
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Resources
Monitoring and review
Mechanism
Party
Staff from: Planning Policy, Development Management, Strategic Housing,
Environmental Health, Economic Development, Coastal Management.
Annual Monitoring Report (AMR)
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Document title
Document details
Role and Content
Status
Conformity
Geographical coverage
Timetable for production
Evidence required
Production milestones
Responsibilities
Lead Officer
Governance
Resources
Monitoring and review
Mechanism
North Norfolk Local Plan – Development Management Policies
(DM policies)
The document sets out the local policies, standards and criteria against
which all proposals for development and change of use of land and
buildings across the district will be assessed, and to inform decisions on
planning applications made to the period 2036.
The DM policies also supplement and interpret the wider principles for
sustainable development set out in the NPPF and reinforces the strategic
policies and objectives in the Core Strategy, where further guidance is
necessary.
Development Plan document
The document will conform with the National Planning Policy Framework
(NPPF) 2012
North Norfolk District Council local planning authority area (excluding the
Broads Authority area)
As per Core Strategy
Commence local plan preparation – May 2015
Notification of preparation of policy options and call for sites, including
publication of timetable (LDS) and Statement of Community involvement
(SCI) - Regulation 18 consultation – July 2015
Preparation of evidence studies required to support local plan
preparation:
 Scoping/commissioning/preparing/publishing all evidence – by
December 2016
Preparation of policy options and appraisal of available sites, including
preparation of Sustainability Appraisal of both and potential options
consultation - January 2017 – August 2017
Prepare Regulation 19 plan (draft plan) and carry out consultation –
October 2017 – December 2017
Assess representations to regulation 19 consultation and prepare for
submission – December 2017 – February 2018
Submit to Planning Inspectorate – February 2018
Examination – June 2018 – August 2018
Inspectors Report – October 2018
Adoption – December 2018
NB The above projected timetable may slip if additional rounds of
consultation are required.
Planning Policy Manager
Housing and Policy Board, Planning Policy and Built Heritage Working
Party
Staff from: Planning Policy, Development Management, Strategic Housing,
Environmental Health, Economic Development, Coastal Management.
Annual Monitoring Report (AMR)
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Document title
Document details
Role and Content
Status
Conformity
Geographical coverage
Timetable for production
Evidence required
Production milestones
Responsibilities
Lead Officer
Governance
Resources
Monitoring and review
Mechanism
North Norfolk Local Plan – Site Allocations policies
The document sets out the site specific proposals for the district to show
how objectively assessed development needs will be met over the plan
period to 2036, including for housing, employment and other types of
development in accordance with the strategic objectives of the Core
Strategy. Details of specific land allocations will be included, identified on
the proposals map and details of the infrastructure and other
requirements arising from development.
Development Plan document
The document will conform with the National Planning Policy Framework
(NPPF) 2012
North Norfolk District Council local planning authority area (excluding the
Broads Authority area)
As per Core Strategy
Commence local plan preparation – May 2015
Notification of preparation of policy options and call for sites, including
publication of timetable (LDS) and Statement of Community involvement
(SCI) - Regulation 18 consultation – July 2015
Preparation of evidence studies required to support local plan
preparation:
 Scoping/commissioning/preparing/publishing all evidence – by
December 2016
Preparation of policy options and appraisal of available sites, including
preparation of Sustainability Appraisal of both and potential options
consultation - January 2017 – August 2017
Prepare Regulation 19 plan (draft plan) and carry out consultation –
October 2017 – December 2017
Assess representations to regulation 19 consultation and prepare for
submission – December 2017 – February 2018
Submit to Planning Inspectorate – February 2018
Examination – June 2018 – August 2018
Inspectors Report – October 2018
Adoption – December 2018
NB The above projected timetable may slip if additional rounds of
consultation are required.
Planning Policy Manager
Housing and Policy Board, Planning Policy and Built Heritage Working
Party
Staff from: Planning Policy, Development Management, Strategic Housing,
Environmental Health, Economic Development, Coastal Management.
Annual Monitoring Report (AMR)
Five Year land supply statement incorporating housing trajectory and
SHLAA update
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Appendix B: Consultation bodies (extract from the Statement of Community Involvement)
Specific Consultation Bodies
Government regulations requires that the following specific consultation bodies must be consulted when the
Local Planning Authority considers that they may have an interest in the subject of the Local Plan / other
planning documents.

Town and Parish Councils within and adjoining the North Norfolk administrative boundaries

Adjoining Local Authorities: Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Breckland Council, Broads
Authority, Broadland District Council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Norfolk County Council

The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (Historic England)

Natural England

The Environment Agency

Lead Local Flood Authority (Norfolk County Council)

Relevant sewage undertaker

Relevant water undertaker

Clinical Commissioning Groups in the East of England Region (CCGs) (or successor health care bodies)

Norfolk Constabulary

Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk

Relevant electronic communication companies

Relevant electricity companies

Relevant gas companies

The Homes and Communities Agency

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Network Rail

The Secretary of State for Transport

The Garden History Society

Sport England

The Ministry of Defence

The Marine Management Organisation

The Coal Authority
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It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive and may change overtime as legislation and regulations are
updated.
General Consultation Bodies
Government regulations require that the following general consultation bodies must be consulted when the
Local Planning Authority considers it appropriate.

Bodies which represent the following in the District:
o
Different racial, ethnic or national groups
o
Different religious groups
o
Disabled persons
o
Persons carrying on business
o
Community groups
o
Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople
o
Older or younger people
o
Health
o
The environment
o
The coast
o
The economy
o
Education
o
The historic environment
o
Tourism
o
Regeneration
o
Transport
o
Sport and recreation

Voluntary bodies some or all of whose activities benefit any part of the District

Bodies which provide Public services in the District

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Interested individuals
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive and may change overtime as legislation and regulations are
updated.
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APPENDIX 2
North Norfolk
Local Plan
July 2015
Subject of Local Plan for North Norfolk District Council
[Regulation 18 (1) notification and consultation on the subject of a new Local Plan]
The need to review the current Local Plan
With the abolition of Regional Strategies, and the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
in 2012, there is a new context under which Local Plans are required to be prepared and this may have
implications for the future planning strategy for the district. At the same time the plan-making system was
reviewed by the government and the local development framework “family of documents” concept was
phased out. Instead, local planning authorities must produce a “local plan” for their area, although the local
plan in practice may consist of more than one published document.
It is essential that the Council continues to have an up-to-date statutory development plan in order to provide
for the proper planning of the area.
North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) is commencing a review the existing Local Development Framework
(LDF) for the North Norfolk District. The current adopted LDF (the Core Strategy and Development
Management Policies (2008) and the Site Allocations Plan (2011)) covers the period up to 2021. The new Local
Plan will cover the period 2016-2036 and will take account of matters arising since the current adopted Local
Plan was prepared.
Subject of the new Local Plan
The Council will review the overall planning strategy for the district, and reconsider the appropriateness of
continuing the existing strategy of development restraint in light of the move in national planning policy to a
more pro-development approach. The review will include the following matters:
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Topic area
Key matters to be included in review
Review the District’s overall spatial strategy, based on an updated spatial portrait and
Spatial and town
strategies
identification of key issues and challenges.
Review current strategic town policies (taking into account changes in permitted development
rights).
Objectively assess needs for market and affordable housing.
Consider spatial strategy options for providing new housing.
Consider the implications for meeting housing needs of the national and international
designations within and near to the plan area.
Housing
Assess the accommodation needs of gypsies, travellers and travelling showpeople.
Review current policies (including those policies relating to dwelling type and mix, affordable
housing, the provision of occupational dwellings in the countryside, housing density, house
extensions and replacement dwellings in the countryside and the re-use of rural buildings as
dwellings).
Natural and historic
environment
Review current policies (including those policies relating to sustainable construction and energy,
flood risk and coastal erosion).
Objectively assess needs for employment and economic development and consider ways of
Employment and
economic
development
providing for these needs.
Consider spatial strategy options for new employment development.
Review current policies (including those policies relating to the re-use of rural buildings for
economic uses, extensions to existing businesses in the countryside, retail and commercial leisure
development, public car parking, tourism, and caravan and camping sites).
Community and
Transport
Review the current strategy, polices and standards (including open space designations, the
provision and retention of local facilities and services and parking provision).
Initial work will be focused on three key strategic matters, which will have a significant impact on the future
planning strategy for the area. These are:

The level of housing development that can be accommodated within the District, taking into account
objectively assessed needs and environmental impacts;

Provision for economic development and a growing local economy;

The protection of European nature conservation sites from significant effects on their integrity, and the
ability to deliver effective mitigation measures.
The Council will work with neighbouring authorities, public, voluntary and private sector organisations in
consideration of the future planning strategy for its area.
The Local Plan will establish future levels of housing and economic development and the spatial strategy for
accommodating the planned development. It will also include new allocations of land for development.
Specific site allocations may be identified in Neighbourhood Plans in areas where they are being prepared by
town or parish councils.
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The proposed timetable for Plan preparation
Milestones
Preparation
Key Stages of Local Plan Preparation
Provisional Timetable
Project planning
Plan Preparation
1
Notification of Scope of plan and consultation
June 2015 – July 2017
Evidence gathering
Options development
Options consultation
August – September 2017
Options development into Draft local plan
2
Draft Plan Consultation
Examination
3
October 2017
November – December 2017
Submission preparation
Submission
January – August 2018
Pre-hearing meeting
4
5
Examination in public
Adoption
Inspectors report
October – December 2018
6
Adoption (or publication of AMR)
7
Period for High Court Challenge
January – March 2019
The Process of Development Plan Document Production
Invitation to comment on matters to be included in the Local Plan Review
You are invited to comment on the subject(s) the new Local Plan ought to consider. At this stage we would like
to hear from you if there any matters which you feel have not been identified in this document and which you
consider should be included in the emerging Local Plan. Please tell us what they are and why you feel they
need to be included in the Local Plan.
Comments should be sent to: planningpolicy@north-norfolk.gov.uk / Planning Policy Team, North Norfolk
District Council, Holt Road, Cromer, Norfolk, no later than Friday 9th October 2015.
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APPENDIX 3
Statement of Community Involvement
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
Contents
Introduction


The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)
o What is the Statement of Community Involvement?
o Why are we Producing a New Statement of Community Involvement?
What are the Main Objectives of the Statement of Community Involvement?
The Planning Process
o How does the Planning System Work?
 Planning Policy Team
 Development Management and Major Development Teams
 The Role of Councillors in the Planning Process
--- 3
--- 4
--- 5
---------
6-8
8
8
8
9
10
11
12 - 13
14
How to get involved in…

Plan-making
o Local Plan Process
o Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) process
o Neighbourhood Planning Process
o How will we get Members of the Public Involved?
-----------

Planning Application Process
--- 15 - 16
Appendices




Appendix 1- Specific Consultation Bodies and General Consultation Bodies
Appendix 2- Duty to Co-operate
Appendix 3- What are material planning considerations?
Appendix 4- Where can you get further advice?
---------
17 - 18
19
20
21 - 22
If you would like this document in large print, audio, braille or in a different language, please
contact our Planning Policy team on 01263 516318
If you do not have access to the internet, this document can be viewed and hyperlinks
followed by using the public access computers available at the Council Offices.
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
Introduction
The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)
What is the Statement of Community Involvement?
The purpose of this document is to ensure that communities and other
interested parties understand how they can participate in the planning
process.
In brief…
The SCI lets you know how you
can get involved in planning.
The planning process enables
involvement at both the planmaking stage and when decisions
on planning applications are
made.
The planning system manages the use and development of land and
buildings and as the Local Planning Authority, North Norfolk District Council
(NNDC) is responsible for ensuring that the right development takes place
in the right areas of the district. As planning helps to shape the places
where people live and work, it is important that communities and other
interested parties have the chance to get involved, especially when there
are difficult planning decisions to be made. We want to give everyone the
opportunity to get involved from an early stage in the process and we want
to make engagement as easy and as meaningful as possible.
The opportunity to get involved in the planning process arises at two main
points:

Plan-making- sets out the vision for growth in North Norfolk and
acts as a guide for future development.

Planning application decisions- the process for considering
development proposals for individual sites or buildings.
NNDC places great importance on effective community involvement and
this SCI gives details on the different ways NNDC may do this, at both the
plan-making stage and at the planning application stage.
3
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
Why are we Producing a New Statement of Community
Involvement?
NNDC aims to put the interests of local communities at the heart of
In brief…
everything it does and believes in local decisions and local actions for the
benefit of local communities. The Council’s Corporate outlines our shared
vision, values and priority areas on which we intend to concentrate our
efforts: jobs and the local economy, housing and infrastructure, coast,
countryside and built heritage and localism, alongside the proposed means
of delivering the vision. Communities and businesses have an important
part to play in helping to deliver these visions by getting involved in the
planning process at both the Local Plan-making stage and at the Planning
This SCI review takes account of
legislative changes brought about
by:


The Localism Act (2011)
The National Planning Policy
Framework (2012)
Application stage.
The opportunity to get involved will be open to all who want to be involved,
regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual
orientation, social deprivation or social background. We will also endeavor
to ensure that consultations reach those ‘hard-to-engage’ groups.
The SCI is one of the documents that current planning legislation1 requires
Local Planning Authorities to produce. There have been a lot of changes in
planning legislation since adoption of our first SCI in 2006 and this review is
therefore vital to ensure that we are doing all we can reasonably do to
encourage involvement in the planning process. The revised SCI takes
account of recent legislative changes, introduced in the main by the
Localism Act (2011) and the National Planning Policy Framework (2012).
As a minimum, planning consultations will comply with legislative
requirements.
1
See Section 18, PLanning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended)
4
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
What are the Main Objectives of the Statement of
Community Involvement?

In brief…
Improve involvementTo make sure everyone knows why we are asking for involvement
and when and how they can get involved.

Enable joint workingTo try and link with existing groups and partnerships.

To be flexibleTo make sure the ways we involve people are working and change
them where necessary.

To informTo make our information clear so people can make informed
choices when replying to our consultations.

NNDC intends that the Statement
of Community Involvement will:





To make it easy for you to get involvedTo make sure any public exercises are appropriate and accessible,
whilst also making sure they are cost effective.

The Statement of Community
involvement will aim to meet a
number of objectives to ensure
that involvement in the planning
process is as easy and as
meaningful as possible.

Improve involvement
Enable joint working
Be flexible
Inform
Make it easy for you to get
involved
Let you know what decisions
have been made and why
To let you know what decisions have been made and whyIt is not always possible to make planning decisions that everyone
agrees with and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made. The
plan-making process includes the production of a Consultation
Statement, which outlines how the main issues raised by members
of the public and other interested have been addressed. We are
happy to discuss decisions on individual planning applications with
interested parties.
5
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
The Planning Process
How does the Planning System Work?
In brief…
Over the next few years, NNDC will be developing a Local Plan to replace
the current Local Development Framework (LDF). The current system of
Local Plans was largely put into place by the Planning and Compulsory
Purchase Act 2004, reforms set out in the Localism Act 2011 and the
National Planning Policy Framework 2012. Two changes of particular
significance to this review are The Duty to Cooperate and Neighbourhood
Planning, introduced through the 2011 Localism Act.
Over the next few years, NNDC
will be developing a new Local
Plan to replace the current Local
Development Framework. The
new Local Plan will be used to
help assess planning and listed
building applications.
The Localism Act recognises that there are some wider strategic planning
issues (such as housing, jobs, transport and water) where local authorities
and other statutory bodies may be able to work together to help deliver
joined-up development. NNDC is part of the Norfolk Duty to Cooperate
Member Forum, which has made a commitment to consider the need for
joint or coordinated working on particular topics or evidence (Appendix 2).
Neighbourhood Planning is a Government initiative to empower
communities to take a more proactive role in planning for their local area. It
allows local areas to come together to establish general planning policies
for development and the use of land in their neighbourhood, which then
becomes part of the local development plan (pages 12-13).
The Local Plan that NNDC produces will set out the priorities and policies
for delivering sustainable development in the district until 2036. It will
consider aspects such as housing, the economy, community facilities and
infrastructure, as well as how we will safeguard the environment, adapt to
climate change and secure good design.
Whilst the priorities and policies in the Local Plan will be specific to North
Norfolk, they will also need to be consistent with overriding planning
policies produced by the Government, on aspects such as achieving
sustainable development, meeting the challenge of climate change,
flooding and coastal change and requiring good design.
Once the Local Plan has been adopted, it will be used to help Planning
Officers consider individual planning applications. Figure 1, overleaf, shows
the relationship of the Local Plan to other planning documents.
6
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
Figure 1 – The relationship of the Local Plan to other documents.
7
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
Planning Policy Team
The Planning Policy team is responsible for producing the planning
framework to guide development and promote growth in the District and
providing advice on policy interpretation. The team is currently embarking
on a review of current planning policies. As part of the review, we will
update the evidence base where necessary to inform any future planning
policies and documents. Throughout the process, we will consult with
relevant statutory consultees, the general public and other organisations
and consider any representations made. The resulting draft plan will be
independently examined by a Planning Inspectorate to determine whether
the Plan is ‘sound’2 and can be adopted.
Development Management and Major Development Teams
The Development Management team and Major Development3 team are
responsible for assessing and determining the majority of applications
under the authority delegated to the Head of Planning, providing informal
advice on development proposals, preparing Development Briefs for land
allocated for development and making recommendations to Development
Committee on certain applications. As part of the process, the teams
consult relevant statutory consultees and members of the public. The
Council also has a Conservation, Design and Landscape Team, who provide
In brief…
The Policy team is responsible for
producing a new Local Plan and
will be asking you for your
comments at various stages of
the process.
During the process, we will send
out electronic newsletters to
keep you updated. If you would
like to receive these updates,
please email us on
planning.policy@northnorfolk.gov.uk
The Development Management
and Major Development teams
are responsible for assessing all
applications. For the majority of
applications, you will have the
opportunity to let us know what
you think of a proposal.
advice on listed buildings, conservation areas, design, trees (including Tree
Preservation Orders (TPO’s) and protected species. Applications are
determined in accordance with adopted policies and Neighbourhood Plans,
unless sufficient material considerations indicate otherwise.
The role of Councillors in the Planning Process
Every village and town within the District has at least one elected Councillor
representing them. Elected Councillors have an important role to play in the
planning process, by acting as community representatives and decision
makers. Crucially, Councillors can act as a link between communities and
Planning Officers. It is important to remember however, that views should
Elected Councillors have an
important role to play in the
planning process, by acting as
community representatives and
decision makers.
also be shared directly with the Planning Department so we can register
you as an interested party and let you know what future opportunities
there may be for you to get involved.
2
As defined in Para. 182 National Planning Policy Framework
Major development is defined in the Part 1 of The Town and Country Planning
(Development Management Procedure (England) Order 2015). The Major
Development team’s workload may vary from this list.
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Details of which Councillor is
representing each local area can
be found on the NNDC websiteFind My Local Councillor
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
How to get Involved in…
Plan-making
Once adopted, Planning Officers will use the policies contained in the new
Local Plan and supporting documents to make recommendations on
whether planning applications should be approved or refused.
The adopted Plan will be the result of extensive consultation with a wide
range of stakeholders including elected Members, statutory consultees, the
general public and other interested groups. The extent to which you get
involved is up to you; you may wish to attend public events that we arrange
or you may just wish to email us giving your opinion on a particular issue.
Whatever you decide, it is anticipated that the Local Plan will set out how
the vision for how the North Norfolk district will develop until 2036, so it is
In brief…
The new Local Plan will set out
the vision on how the North
Norfolk district will develop until
2036.
Throughout the process of
developing the plan, interested
parties will have the opportunity
to have their say and influence
the emerging plan.
important that you share your views with us when you are given the
opportunity. Details on different methods we will use to consult you are
outlined in figure 5 (page 13).
Town and Parish Councils are key partners in the process. They will be
formally consulted at certain stages and are responsible for representing
your community. With the introduction of Neighbourhood Planning, the
role of Town and Parish Councils has become even more important.
It is not only members of the public and Town and Parish Councils who will
be asked to get involved in the plan-making process. Specific consultation
bodies such as Historic England and Natural England will be consulted at
various stages, as will general consultation bodies such as voluntary or
community groups representing groups in the local area. These groups can
be vital in helping to gather the views of those people who may be difficult
to reach using typical consultation methods.
We will always consider your views when moving to the next stage of
developing the plan. It should be recognised, however, that difficult
planning decisions will have to be made and we will be unable to produce a
plan that fully meets everybody’s expectations. Ultimately, NNDC as the
Local Planning Authority will need to make key planning decisions and will
need to be accountable for those decisions.
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NNDC STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLEMENT September 1, 2015
Local Plan Process
Figure 2 – The Local Plan process: when local communities and stakeholders can get involved.
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Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Process
Figure 3 – The SPD process: when local communities and stakeholders can get involved.
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Neighbourhood Planning Process
Neighbourhood planning gives communities the opportunity to produce a
vision on how they want their local area to develop and grow. Providing the
community’s vision is in line with the strategic needs and priorities of the
wider local area, they will be able to choose where new development is
built and what it will look like.
Neighbourhood planning in a local area is led by a Parish or Town Council, a
neighbourhood forum or a community organisation (in the case of a
Community Right to Build Order). Communities can choose to set planning
policies through a neighbourhood plan and grant planning permission
In brief…
Neighbourhood Planning is
another way you can get involved
in shaping your community.
You can find out more about
getting involved in
Neighbourhood Planning by
visiting our website.
through Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to
Build Orders for specific development. Figure 4 shows the neighbourhood
planning process.
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Figure 4 – The Local Plan process: when local communities and stakeholders can get involved.
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How will we get Members of the Public Involved?
As figure 5 indicates (below), we will use a range of consultation methods to try and ensure that we engage a wide
audience as part of any plan-making process. The consultation method chosen will depend on the type of document
being consulted upon at the time. NNDC will continue to develop its understanding of which consultation methods work
best and the most effective of reaching those groups considered to be hard-to-engage (such as people whose first
language is not English, young people and gypsies, travellers and travelling show people). Consultation events will take
place in easily accessible public places at appropriate times.
The Planning Policy section
on the NNDC website is
kept up to date with the
latest news. You will be
able to respond to
consultations through the
website.
We may use posters
to alert you to
consultation events, or
site notices to let you
know if an area near you
is being considered as an
allocated site for
development.
Where considered
appropriate, we will
arrange exhibitions in
public places during
consultation periods. At
events, we will provide
feedback questionnaires.
Public
exhibitions
We may arrange workshops
to get feedback on specific
issues. In particular,
workshops can be used as a
way of getting feedback
from hard-to-reach groups.
Workshops
Site notices
and posters
NNDC Website
How will we get members
of the public involved?
Social Media
Public meetings
Newsletters
Press notices
We will endeavor to keep
our Facebook and Twitter
pages to keep up to date
with plan-making news.
We will issue press
releases to inform you
when we reach key stages
of the process. We may
also use press notices to
advice you of consultation
events.
Figure 5- How will we get members of the public involved?
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We may hold public
meetings to discuss
specific plan-making
issues. At events, we will
provide feedback
questionnaires.
Throughout the planmaking process, we will
send out newsletters
either electronically or
by post. To add your
details to the list, please
email us on
planning.policy@northnorfolk.gov.uk or call us
on 01263 516318
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Planning-application Process
In brief…
Members of the public and relevant consultees have the opportunity to
make representations on development, uses or works that require planning
permission or listed building consent. For the majority of applications, there
will be a formal period of at least 21 days in which you can let us know
whether you wish to object, support or comment on a proposal.
Representations made after the 21 days formal consultation period will be
accepted, providing they are made before a decision is issued. The diagram
on page 16 shows the planning application process and indicates at which
stages you can get involved.
Whilst we are unable to accept
verbal representations on
planning applications, there are a
number of ways you can contact
us to give us your views on
planning applications:

Email us- at
planning@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Make an on-line commentVia the ‘Search Planning
Applications’ option on the
NNDC website
www.northnorfolk.org

Write to us- at Planning
Department, NNDC, Holt
Road, Cromer, NR27 9EN

You can track the progress of
individual planning
applications on the NNDC
website Search for a planning
application or by speaking to
the Case Officer or a member
of the Planning Technical
team (telephone 01263
516150)
Once applications have been received, they will generally be determined as
submitted. There are occasions, however, when amendments can help to
deliver better development in the wider public interest. The decision to readvertise and re-consult on accepted amendments will depend on whether
there is a significant change to the nature, character or description of the
development and whether it is considered that a neighbour, would be
adversely affected by the change.
After a decision is made, NNDC will exercise caution in agreeing to accept
amendments. Some ‘non-material’ amendments, however, may in principle
be permissible providing particular criteria are met to ensure that the
amendment would not materially alter the description or appearance of the
approved development, would not breach adopted planning policy, would
not conflict significantly with the terms of an objection lodged in relation to
the original permission, would not move any wall outwards significantly
towards a boundary, would not significantly increase the height of any roof
and would not introduce any window which could potentially permit
significant overlooking of other properties.
Certain development, such as minor changes to dwelling houses, is often
exempt from the need to obtain planning permission. Development not
requiring planning permission is described as Permitted Development and is
detailed in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted
Development) Order 1995 (as amended). You can get more information on
what householder development can be carried out under permitted
development rights on the Governments Planning Portal Interactive House
and the accompanying Technical Guidance.
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Preapplication
Applicants are encouraged to get advice from
Planning Officers through our Pre-application
Advice Service.
Submission guidance can also be found on our
Planning Application Requirements page. Also
see Do you need planning permission page
and Major pre-application consultation page.
Application
We would expect developers for major development* to
support their application with a Statement explaining what
community engagement has been undertaken, the outcome of
the consultation and any resultant amendments made.
• Developer community consultation is mandatory for wind
turbine applications involving two or more turbines or any
turbines with a hub height of 15m or more.
* As defined in Part 2 of The Town and Country Planning
(Development Management Procedure (England) Order 2015).
•
•
•
Most valid applications are subject to a
minimum of 21 days of consultation with
members of the public and relevant
consultees, in accordance with Schedule 4 of
The Town and Country Planning
(Development Management Procedure
(England) Order 2015). For further
information on consultees please see the
National Planning Policy Guidance. Local
Councillors are notified when there is an
application in their ward.
•
•
•
•
•
Participation
Written, email or online representations can
be sent to the Council during the 21 days
public consultation period. Representations
made after the 21 days can only be considered
until a decision is made. Have your say on
Planning Applications and Tree Preservation
Orders
Officer
report
The case officer considers the application and
prepares a report and recommendation.
Decision
The majority of decisions as to whether to
approve or refuse planning applications are
made by Planning Officers under the authority
delegated to the Head of Planning. A small
number of applications are called in to be
decided by the Council’s Development
Committee.
Decision
Notice
issued
The decision notice is then sent to the
applicant or agent and published on-line.
Town/Parish Councils and members of the
public who have made representations on the
application are notified of the decision.
Appeal
An applicant may choose to appeal to the
Secretary of State against a planning decision
or against non-determination of a planning
decision. More information can be found on
the Council’s planning appeals page.
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
Plans and details available to view at Council Offices;
Published online- Search & Comment on an Application
Yellow site notice/s erected on or near site for applications
the Council has to advertise;
Letters to adjoining neighbours for certain types of
applications;
Plans and details sent to Parish/Town Council;
Statutory consultees invited to comment;
Press advert in the local newspaper for certain types of
applications. For information on how we will publicise a
particular application, please see statutory publicity
requirements for planning and heritage applications
(Planning Practice Guidance).
Only representations that contain valid
material planning considerations can be taken
into account. Some examples of material and
non-material considerations can be found in
Appendix 3.
If the application is considered at Committee,
there is an opportunity for members of the
public and other interested bodies to speak.
Have your say on Planning Applications and
Tree Preservation Orders
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Specific Consultation Bodies
Government regulations requires that the following specific consultation bodies must be consulted when the Local
Planning Authority considers that they may have an interest in the subject of the Local Plan / other planning documents.
























Town and Parish Councils within and adjoining the North Norfolk administrative boundaries
Adjoining Local Authorities: Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Breckland Council, Broads
Authority, Broadland District Council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Norfolk County Council
The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (Historic England)
Natural England
The Environment Agency
Lead Local Flood Authority (Norfolk County Council)
Relevant sewage undertaker
Relevant water undertaker
Clinical Commissioning Groups in the East of England Region (CCGs) (or successor health care bodies)
Norfolk Constabulary
Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk
Relevant electronic communication companies
Relevant electricity companies
Relevant gas companies
The Homes and Communities Agency
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Network Rail
The Secretary of State for Transport
The Garden History Society
Sport England
The Ministry of Defence
The Marine Management Organisation
The Coal Authority
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive and may change overtime as legislation and regulations are updated.
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General Consultation Bodies
Government regulations require that the following general consultation bodies must be consulted when the Local
Planning Authority considers it appropriate.





Bodies which represent the following in the District:
o Different racial, ethnic or national groups
o Different religious groups
o Disabled persons
o Persons carrying on business
o Community groups
o Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople
o Older or younger people
o Health
o The environment
o The coast
o The economy
o Education
o The historic environment
o Tourism
o Regeneration
o Transport
o Sport and recreation
Voluntary bodies some or all of whose activities benefit any part of the District
Bodies which provide Public services in the District
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Interested individuals
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive and may change overtime as legislation and regulations are updated.
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Appendix 2- Duty to Cooperate
Part 2, Regulation 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2012, identifies Duty
to Cooperate stakeholders. The below are those bodies (not exhaustive) identified as stakeholders:












The Environment Agency
The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage)
Natural England
The Civil Aviation Authority
The Homes and Communities Agency
Relevant Clinical Commissioning Groups in the East of England Region (CCGs) (or successor health care bodies)
The Office of Rail Regulation
Integrated Transport Authorities
County Council Highways
The Marine Management Organisation
New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
Adjoining Local Planning Authorities: Norwich City Council, South Norfolk District Council, Broadland District
Council, Breckland District Council, Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Great Yarmouth Borough
Council, Broads Authority and Norfolk County Council (Norfolk Duty to Co-operate Member Forum).
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive and may change overtime as legislation and regulations are updated.
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Appendix 3- What are Material Planning Considerations?
Whilst not exhaustive, the following list gives some examples of some material and non-material planning considerations.
Only material planning considerations can be taken into account when reaching a decision.
Material Planning Considerations
 National and Local Policy

Planning history and previous appeal decisions
 Case Law
 Design, appearance, layout and density
 Impact on visual or residential amenity including potential loss of light or overshadowing, loss of privacy, noise
disturbance, smell or nuisance, overbearing impact;
 Impact on trees, listed buildings, conservation areas, public right(s) of way, highway safety and traffic
Non-material Planning Considerations
 Land/boundary disputes, including rights of access
 Construction noise
 Effect on property values

Loss of view

Restrictive covenants
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Appendix 4- Where can you get Further Advice?

NNDC Planning Department:
Webpage: Planning & Design
o
Planning Policy Team
Email: planningpolicy@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Tel: 01263 516318
o
Development Management Team
Email: planning@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Tel: 01263 516150
o
Major Developments Team
Email: planning@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Tel: 01263 516150
o
Conservation, Design and Landscape Team
Email: Conservation and Design- conservationanddesign@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Landscape- trees@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Tel: 01263 516165
o
Planning Duty Officer
Email: planning@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Tel: 01263 516158
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
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Planning Aid:
Planning Aid offers planning advice and support to individuals and communities who cannot afford to pay
professional fees. They help to provide the tools and knowledge to help engage people in local planning.
Website: Planning Aid (England)
Tel: 0330 123 9244
Email: advice@planningaid.rtpi.org.uk

Planning Portal
The Planning Portal in an online planning resource for England and Wales.
Planning Portal

GOV.UK
Provides information on Government service.
GOV.UK
In particular, information can be found on the National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice
Guidance page.
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Agenda item 8 .
PUBLIC BUSINESS – ITEM FOR DECISION
HOUSING LAND SUPPLY – PUBLICATION OF STATEMENT OF FIVE YEAR SUPPLY
OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT LAND
This report provides an overview of the amount of land available for housing development
in the District, identifies how much of this land might reasonably be expected to be
developed over the next five years and seeks authority to publish a statement of the
Council’s position.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Housing Land Supply Statement is produced annually and identifies the amount of
land which is likely to be available for housing development over the next five years. The
number of dwellings assessed as likely to be built is then compared with the housing target
for the District in the adopted Core Strategy. The statement for the period 2014/15 is
appended to this report at Appendix 4.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (paragraph 47) requires authorities to
‘identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide five
years’ worth of housing against their housing requirements with an additional buffer of 5%
… to ensure choice and competition in the market for land. Where there has been a record
of persistent under-delivery of housing, local planning authorities should increase the buffer
to 20% …’. The expectation is that through the preparation of Local Plans and the
processing of planning applications the Authority should take a proactive role to ensure that
an adequate supply of housing land is available at all times to meet all objectively assessed
housing needs (OAN).
In the absence of a five year supply the NPPF introduces a presumption in favour of
sustainable development (paragraphs 49 and 14). This means that planning permissions
should be granted for sustainable development proposals until such time as the land supply
position is recovered. This presumption in favour of sustainable development should be
applied even in those circumstances where development would otherwise be contrary to
adopted development plan policies, unless specific policies in the NPPF indicate
development should be restricted1.
2. REQUIREMENT - WHAT IS A FIVE YEAR REQUIREMENT FOR HOUSING
IN NORTH NORFOLK?
The baseline target for housing in North Norfolk is currently derived from the adopted Core
Strategy which requires a minimum of 8,000 dwellings to be built over a twenty year plan
period (2001-2021). This equates to an average of at least 400 dwellings per year.
To derive a five year requirement this annual average is multiplied by five years and is then
subject to two further modifications:
 firstly, it is necessary to make allowance for any under or over delivery in
preceeding years of the plan period, and;
 secondly the NPPF requires that a buffer of 5% (or 20% where there is persistent
under-delivery) is added to the target.
1
For example, those policies relating to sites protected under the Birds and Habitats Directive (see paragraph
119) and/or designated as SSIs; land designated as green belt, local green space, and AONB, Heritage Coast
or within a National Park (or the Broads Authority); designated heritage assets; locations at risk of flooding or
coastal erosion.
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Finally, the target to be provided is compared with likely future supply to derive a number of
years of available supply.
METHODOLOGY
Baseline target + shortfall + buffer (5% or 20%) = Total dwellings required to be provided
Total dwellings required to be provided compared to deliverable supply = Years Supply.
The ‘Statement of housing land supply & the housing trajectory’ is the Council’s statement
which sets out how many years of supply can be demonstrated, and the explanation of the
methodology used in determining that supply. As such it is a key consideration in the
Development Management process, as the absence of sufficient supply can result in the
approval of development that is contrary to policy provided such development is judged to
be sustainable.
In the first fourteen years of the plan period the rate of new dwelling completions fell behind
the annual average. This was mainly as a result of there being few larger development
sites available in the early years of the plan period and, more recently, the slowdown in the
national and local housing market. As of April 2015 a total of 671 fewer dwellings had been
built than were required to remain ‘on target’ at this point in the plan period. Consequently,
the Council should plan to make up this deficit in the next five year period to maximise the
likelihood that overall dwelling targets will be met2.
If this accumulated shortfall and a 5% buffer is added to the annual average target of 400
dwellings the current target for housing provision in the district is 561 dwellings per year or
2,805 over the next five year period.
3. SUPPLY - CURRENT HOUSING LAND SUPPLY IN NORTH NORFOLK
Guidance requires that to ‘count’ towards the five year land supply sites must comply with a
number of tests as set out in the NPPF (paragraph 47, footnote 11). The tests are designed
to ensure that there is a high degree of confidence that development will actually happen
and that sites which are unlikely to deliver dwellings in the next five years are excluded
from the five year supply calculation. To be included in the five year supply the following
tests must be met:



the identified sites must be available for development now, and
they must be in a suitable location for development now, and
development must be achievable i.e. that there should be a realistic prospect
that the site will actually be delivered and is viable.
In the main sites should be specific identified sites although some allowance can be made
for ‘windfall’ developments (sites which are not identifiable until such time as planning
applications are made) - provided there is compelling evidence that such sites will actually
be developed within the period.
It is not sufficient to include sites merely because they have planning permission or are
allocated for development in a Development Plan. It is important to show that houses will
actually be provided within the five year period.
2
The Sedgefield methodology as advocated by the National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG)
(http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availabilityassessment/stage-5-final-evidence-base/ paragraph 35)
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The adopted Site Allocations Plan includes land for around 3,400 dwellings but not all of
these sites are immediately available or have a realistic prospect of being developed within
the next five years. For example, much of the large allocation at Fakenham is assessed as
being unlikely to deliver development in the next five years. Indeed, the Core Strategy and
Site Allocation Development Plans are 15 -20 year Plans which anticipate that some sites
will be slower to deliver housing than others. In addition, some sites with planning
permission in place, particularly larges schemes subject to phasing, may also not be
considered deliverable within the five year period.
The latest statement (attached at Appendix 4) covering the five year period commencing
April 2015 concludes that through a combination of sites with planning permission, sites
that are under construction, and those that are likely to provide dwellings over the next five
years, the District could provide 3,022 dwellings. This equates to 5.4 years supply inclusive
of a 5% buffer.
Table 1 – Five Year Land Requirement compared with Supply.
TOTAL 5 YEAR SUPPLY
TOTAL DWELLINGS
EXPECTED FROM ALL
SOURCES
(large sites with planning permission
(including allocations), allocations
(without planning permission), small
sites with planning permission (with a
10% lapse rate for non-delivery),
windfall and additional sources of
supply)
REQUIRED FIVE YEAR
SUPPLY
INCLUDING 5% BUFFER
CURRENT NUMBER OF
YEARS SUPPLY
Total number of dwellings expected to
be built within the next 5 years from all
sources.
3,022
Total number of dwellings required in
the next 5 years to ensure targets are
met including a 5% buffer.
Supply divided by the annual average
requirement (561).
2,805
5.4
4. Land Supply and the Housing Trajectory – What’s included in the
pipeline?
The pipeline of future housing supply is drawn from four main sources:




Permitted - Dwellings on sites which already have planning permission but
where development is yet to start but where there is a reasonable prospect of
completed units within the next 5 years. This category will include partly
finished sites.
Under Construction - Dwellings which are under construction but are not yet
complete. Dwellings where development has started but are not likely to be
finished (long term dormant) are not counted.
Allocated - Dwellings on identified sites (allocations) which do not yet have
planning permission but nevertheless are likely to provide completed houses
within five years.
Windfall – Allowance for dwellings on unidentified sites. A significant
proportion of new development in the district is derived from developments
which are not on allocated sites but nevertheless comply with policy. This
includes changes of use, barn conversion schemes, removal of holiday
occupancy conditions together with infill and redevelopment proposals.
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5. Alternative methodologies and areas of challenge
There is no definitive government advice in relation to the preparation of five year land
supply statements and given that the absence of an adequate supply is a key determining
consideration in the planning application determination process it is unsurprising that
supply statements are subject to challenge through planning appeals. The main areas of
debate are:

Is it right for a Council to rely on housing target figures which were set some years
ago or based on figures first derived from the Regional Spatial Strategy which has
subsequently been revoked?
The baseline housing target for North Norfolk is taken from the adopted Core
Strategy which in turn derived the housing target from the East of England Plan
which was revoked by Government in 2013. The Core Strategy was adopted in
2008 and is based on evidence which has been subject to examination. The NPPF
requirements in relation to housing targets are that they should meet all objectively
assessed need and demand. Needs and demands for housing are assessed
through the preparation of Strategic Housing Market Assessments (SHMAs). The
Council has commissioned a SHMA but this is unlikely to be published until the
autumn of this year.
The only other widely recognised source of housing need data are the household
projections which are periodically published by the DCLG. These are based on
census derived information from 2011 and are only intended to serve as a ‘starting
point’ for deriving housing targets. The latest published forecast suggests that the
starting point for North Norfolk during the current plan period to 2021 should be 387
dwellings per year.
Until such time as the SHMA has been published and considered it will not be
possible to derive a new housing target for North Norfolk. National guidance has
made it clear that the outcome of a SHMA is untested and should not automatically
be seen as a proxy for a final housing requirement in Local Plans. It does not
immediately in itself invalidate housing numbers in existing Local Plans. Once a
figure is known, the Council will need adequate time to consider whether there are
environmental and policy constraints which will impact on the final housing target.
The Council will also need to consider whether there are opportunities to cooperate
with neighbouring planning authorities to meet needs across the larger housing
market area. Only after these considerations are complete will the Council’s
approach be tested at examination by an Inspector.

In what circumstances should a 20% buffer be added to targets rather than a 5%
buffer?
In addition to providing a five year supply of land, the NPPF requires the addition of
a 5% buffer. The purpose of the buffer is to extend choice and competition in the
market and thereby maximise the likelihood of housing targets being met. It also
requires that where there has been a record of persistent under delivery of housing
(not defined) the buffer should be increased to 20%.
The NPPF is clear in terms of intent, namely that the absence of deliverable
housing sites should not be allowed in hinder housing delivery to the extent that
targets cannot be met. Equally, government has made clear that it does not expect
local authorities to address shortages of land if there is evidence that land is being
banked by developers. There is no evidence of land banking in North Norfolk where
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planning permissions have been granted, development has tended to commence
shortly thereafter. Neither is there a shortage of suitable development land.
Assessed on the basis of historical completion records it might be argued that the
Council has persistently under delivered against housing targets. For example, the
baseline target of 400 dwellings per year has only been provided in five of the
fourteen years since commencement of the current plan period in 2001, and the
size of the current shortfall is now 671 dwellings. However it is also notable that
most of this deficit has accrued since 2008 when house completions nationally fell
to historically low levels as a consequence of recession.
The National Planning Policy Framework is not concerned with the reasons for
historical deficits, it simply expects these to be addressed quickly irrespective of the
reason. Hence the expected response to a failure in the housing market is to make
more deliverable supply available. This deliverable supply should comprise sites
‘brought forward’ from later in the plan period. North Norfolk has recognised the
need to address housing shortages quickly and has introduced specific measures
which are designed to speed up the delivery of planned developments and the
provision of affordable dwellings and thereby add a buffer to housing supply and
extend the choice of deliverable sites. (Housing Incentive Scheme, Rural
Exceptions programme, more flexible approaches to planning policy in relation to
the conversion of rural buildings to dwellings, and the Empty Homes Strategy). The
Council has also resolved to produce a new Local Plan and make more
development sites available.

Are assessments of the rate of future housing delivery accurate and supported by
evidence?
There are many factors which influence rates of future development and it is not
possible, or necessary, to be definitive in relation to how many homes might be
provided in each of the five years. Land supply comprises those sites where there is a
realistic prospect of development taking place. The Council undertakes detailed
assessments in relation to delivery rates on all of the larger development sites in the
district and the conclusions of these assessments are published as part of the
statement (See Appendix 1 of the attached statement). These assessments include
considerations such as ownership, availability, site suitability, planning status, market
conditions, stage of development and the stated intentions of developers.
It is possible that some of the sites which are expected to deliver housing will not be
built and also likely that some new, as yet unidentified sites, will become available.
Whilst recognising that precise delivery rates are likely to vary from year to year and will
be influenced by a wide range of factors it is considered that the evidence included
within the statement is robust and over the five year period there is a reasonable
prospect of the predicted development being delivered.
Conclusion
The overall land supply position in North Norfolk has improved in the past year. This is as a
consequence of a number of factors:

Dwelling completions within the year have exceeded the annual target and this has
reduced the size of the historical shortfall in dwelling completions. This in turn
reduces future annual targets.
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


Development has commenced on many more of the allocated development sites in
the Site Allocations Plan so as well as a reasonable number of dwelling completions
there is now more certainty in relation to continuous development.
Higher numbers of applications have been submitted and approved and this has
increased the deliverable pipeline of development over the next few years.
There has been a general improvement in market conditions leading to a general
increase in construction across the district.
In the past two years just over 880 dwellings are recorded as having been provided in the
District and for the first time since 2009 the number of dwellings built has exceeded
baseline targets. Given the high number of dwellings that are recorded as under
construction and that a growing proportion of future development is being delivered on the
larger allocated sites, many of which are under construction, the improving trend is
expected to continue.
RECOMMENDATION
1) That the Working Party recommends to Cabinet that the attached Land
Supply Statement is published, and
2) This report is presented to the Development Committee as an item for
information.
Contact Officer(s):
Mark Ashwell, Planning Policy Manager, ext. 6325
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APPENDIX 4
Statement
of housing
land supply
and housing
trajectory
April 2015
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Statement of Housing Land Supply and Housing Trajectory - April 2015
Contents
1.
Introduction
3
Part A: Five Year Land Supply
2.
Methodology
4
3.
Stage 1 - Identifying the five year period
4
4.
Stage 2 - Identifying the scale of housing provision to be delivered
4
5.
Stages 3 and 4 - Five Year Deliverable Housing Supply
5
6.
Stage 5 – Calculating the years of supply
7
7.
Monitoring the five year supply
8
Part B: Housing Trajectory
8.
Introduction
8
9.
Information Sources
8
10.
Need & Demand
9
11.
The Local Supply of Housing Development Land
9
12.
The Housing Trajectory 2001/02 – 2020/21
10
Appendices
Appendix 1: Schedule of sites and projected delivery of sites of 10 dwellings or more
13
Appendix 2: Windfall justification
19
Appendix 3: Housing Trajectory Table
26
Appendix 4: Housing Trajectory Graph
27
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1. Introduction
1.1
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) came into force in March 2012. One of
the Framework’s aims is to ensure that the planning system delivers a flexible and responsive
supply of housing development land. To deliver this, it requires that Local Planning Authorities
identify sufficient specific deliverable1 sites to provide the next five years of required housing
growth and that at least a five year supply, together with a 5% buffer, is maintained on a
continuous basis. Additionally, where there is evidence of persistent under-delivery of housing
this buffer should be increased to 20% in order to extend the choice of development sites that
are available.
1.2
This statement sets out North Norfolk District Council’s housing land supply and
identifies specific sites which the Council considers are likely to contribute to the delivery of the
five years provision. This includes sites already under construction but not yet complete, those
with planning permission but where building work has not yet commenced, and sites that have
potential under planning policies to come forward for development within the next five years
including those which are specifically allocated for development in the North Norfolk Site
Allocations Development Plan. In each case, only those sites where there is a realistic prospect
that additional dwellings will be provided within the five year period are included in the
supply. For example, whilst there is currently planning permission for around 1,900 dwellings
(including those which are already under construction), this statement concludes that a
significant proportion of these may not be built in the next five years. Equally, there are some
sites which do not yet have planning permission but are considered as having potential to
deliver housing in the near future.
1.3
This statement is presented in two parts: the first explains the Council’s methodology
for calculating housing supply and provides details of all of the sites where it is considered there
is a realistic prospect of development over the next five year period. The second part is a
Housing Trajectory illustrating development rates since 2001 and projecting delivery to 2021.
1.4
The statement concludes that the District currently has sufficient deliverable housing
supply for the next 5.4 years.
1
To be considered deliverable sites should be available now, they should offer a suitable location for
development now, and be achievable with a realistic prospect that housing will be delivered on the site within five
years and in particular that development of the site is viable.
3
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Part A – Five Year Land Supply
2. Methodology
2.1
The Council undertakes five stages in the process of determining supply:
•
•
•
•
•
STAGE 1 - Identifying the five year period;
STAGE 2 - Identify the scale of housing provision to be delivered including addressing
historical shortfalls and applying buffers to extend choice;
STAGE 3 - Identify sites with potential to deliver housing in the 5 year period;
STAGE 4 - Assessing the deliverability of the potential sites so that only those with a
reasonable prospect of being built are included within the supply.
STAGE 5 – Calculating the years of supply that is deliverable.
3. Stage 1 - Identifying the Five Year Period
3.1
The five year period covered by this statement is 1st April 2015 to the 31st March 2020.
4. Stage 2 - Identifying the scale of housing provision to be delivered
4.1
Councils are required to meet all objectively assessed need (OAN) for housing in their
areas. Currently, the number of dwellings which constitute a five year supply is derived from the
quantity of housing growth in the District proposed in the adopted North Norfolk Core Strategy.
This adopted Plan requires that at least 8,000 dwellings are provided in North Norfolk over the
period 2001- 2021. To meet this target, an average of 400 dwellings is required to be built in
each of the 20 years covered by the plan.
4.2
However, during the first fourteen years of the plan period to April 2015, dwelling
completion rates in North Norfolk have been below the average requirement. As a consequence
completion rates will need to increase in the next five years if the minimum 8,000 dwelling
target is to be met. In light of this the Council considers that it should currently be aiming to
deliver a minimum of 562 dwellings per year over the next five year period to make sure the
shortfall in housing provision in recent years is addressed quickly (the ‘Sedgefield’
methodology). In this way the current shortfall of housing will be addressed over the next five
years and there will only be 265 dwellings to provide in the sixth year which is the last year of
the current plan period.
4.3
As of the 1 April 2015, a total of 4,930 dwellings had been provided in the District since
2001. In order to meet the 8,000 dwelling requirement an additional 3,070 will need to be built
in the last six years of the plan period. In accordance with the NPPF and as a measure to extend
the choice of sites available, the Council has added an additional buffer equal to a further 5%
supply. This increases the target over the five year period to 2,805 (rounded up), or 561
dwellings per year.
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4.4
This target of 2,805 dwellings over a five year period is challenging but realistic. As of
March 2015 1,900 dwellings of this target already had planning permission and of these 436
were recorded as under construction. To maximise the likelihood of the target being met the
Council has introduced a temporary Housing Incentive Scheme aimed at improving the viability
of residential development and encouraging the commencement and delivery of residential
schemes. Details of the scheme are available on the Council’s website2. Nevertheless delivering
this number of dwellings on a consistent basis over the next five years will depend on continued
development on many of the larger site allocations and the continuation of improved market
conditions. The Council will keep the land supply position under regular review.
4.5
The Council has jointly commissioned a Strategic Housing Market Assessment with our
neighbouring Councils covering the central area of Norfolk3. This assessment will be completed
and published during 2015 and will provide new evidence in relation to the need and demand
for new homes in North Norfolk and will help to determine levels of housing growth in future
years. The Council will use this evidence to prepare a new Local Plan for the area to cover the
period 2016 -2036. Preparation of the new Local Plan is scheduled to commence in May 2015
with the aim to adopt the new Local Plan, including allocating new sites for development within
the next 3 years.
4.6
The most up to date information in relation to the need for new homes in the District is
the mid 2012 household projections published by DCLG in February 2015. These suggest that
the ‘starting point’ for determining the number of new homes in North Norfolk should be
around 387 dwellings per year in the period 2015-2021.
5. Stages 3 and 4 - Five Year Deliverable Housing Supply
5.1
There are many potential sources of future housing supply in the district, not all of
which will require planning permission. These sources include:
•
•
•
Sites which already have planning permission where development is either under
construction or is yet to commence.
Sites which are allocated for residential development in the North Norfolk Site
Allocations Development Plan (2011).
Sites which are not currently identified but are in locations where planning permission
would be granted or where planning permission is not required (windfall).
5.2
The schedule of housing sites in Appendix 1 provides details of all the above types of
sites and gives an assessment of whether they can be considered to contribute to the five year
supply of deliverable sites when considered against the tests of NPPF paragraph 47 footnote 11.
2
http://www.northnorfolk.org/planning/18904.asp
Breckland District Council, Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council and South Norfolk District Council, in
partnership with Norfolk County Council and the Broads Authority
3
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5.3
The NPPF tests of deliverability are as follows:
•
Available Now - the land owner has indicated the site is available, the site is for sale, or
is known to be owned by a developer/owner who is able to develop.
Suitable – the site has planning permission or is in a location where planning policies
would allow development and there is a realistic prospect of permission being granted.
Achievable – assessment of the prospects of the site being developed within the next
five years based on historical trends, discussions with owners/developers and
consultation with infrastructure/service providers.
Viable – The viability of development has been tested at either allocation or planning
application stage or there is no evidence that development is unviable.
•
•
•
5.4
The North Norfolk Core Strategy was adopted in September 2008 and identifies strategic
locations for housing growth in the District. It provides greater certainty, particularly with regard
to designations on the Proposals Map, and allows for the granting of planning permissions in
locations which are consistent with Core Strategy policies. In the absence of specific
development land allocations, which did not start to deliver development until 2013, all new
dwellings in the district were provided on unallocated sites throughout the period 2001 -2013.
5.5
The Council published a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (June 2009 and
2010 update) which identified sites in the District with potential to provide housing. These sites
could in theory accommodate in excess of 15,000 dwellings and in excess of 3,500 of these
dwellings could in theory be built within the next five years. However much of this capacity can
only be delivered if the site is allocated for development in a Development Plan document
and/or secures planning permission. Sites which are identified in the Strategic Housing Land
Availability Assessment are therefore only included as a potential source of deliverable housing
supply if they have been allocated for development or granted planning permission.
5.6
The rate of delivery of new development is subject to a wide range of variables in
addition to land supply. So whilst there is currently planning permission for more dwellings than
there has been for some years and the number of dwellings under construction is at one of the
highest recorded levels it is nevertheless necessary to take a cautious approach when predicting
future rates. Hence, notwithstanding the recent improvements in the housing market the
Council has discounted the number of dwellings which may occur during the next five years and
has not included some sources of likely supply. In particular a modest allowance of 135
dwellings per year has been included for dwellings in the windfall category notwithstanding that
this source has been delivering in excess of 330 dwellings per year since the start of the plan
period. A separate assessment of future windfall capacity and a justification for its inclusion is
included as Appendix 2.
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6. Stage 5 – Calculating the years of supply
6.1
The table below shows how the overall land supply position in the District is calculated.
In each year the table includes figures for the number of dwellings built, a revised annual
average requirement (the new target) and the accumulated shortfall. The land supply position
as at 1st April 2015 is 5.4 years calculated as follows:
North Norfolk District Council Five Year Housing requirement - (1 April 2015 - 31 March 2020)
Core Strategy requirement (2001-2021)
8,000
Number of
dwellings
behind overall
target
(Cumulative)
Year
st
1st April – 31 March
Recorded
Completions
Annual Average
Requirement
Over remaining
Plan Period
2001/02
367
400
-33
2002/03
428
402
-5
2003/04
230
400
-175
2004/05
250
410
-325
2005/06
446
420
-279
2006/07
341
419
-338
2007/08
551*
424
-187
2008/09
258
414
-329
2009/10
416*
427
-313
2010/11
178
428
-535
2011/12
337
454
-598
2012/13
242
467
-756
2013/14
383
495
-773
2014/15
503
512
-671
Total Completions since 2001
4,930
Total plan requirement
8,000 (400dpa)
Requirement 2001/02 – 2014/15 (400 x 14)
5,600
Completions 2001/02 – 2014/15
4,930
Residual requirement over rest of plan period (6 years)
3,070 (512dpa)
Shortfall since plan period began (2001/02)
671
5 year requirement 2015/16 – 2019/20 (400 x 5)
2,000
Inclusion of identified shortfall (2,000 + 671)
2,671
Plus NPPF buffer (5%) (2,000 + 671 + 5%(134))
2,805 (561dpa)
residual requirement
Total deliverable supply over five years
(See Appendix 1)
3,022
Shortfall/excess in supply (2,805 – 3,022)
217 dwelling surplus
Supply in years (3,022/561)
5.4 years
Years marked with a ‘*’ included an unusual number of dwelling completions on former Airbases in the District.
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7. Monitoring the five year supply
7.1 The Council will monitor the five year supply of deliverable sites on an annual basis. This
statement will be updated regularly to take account of any significant changes. New planning
permissions and completions are recorded on a continuous basis. Dwelling completions are
recorded annually with the results published in the Housing Land Availability Statement
published in April/May each year.
Part B - Housing Trajectory
8. Introduction
8.1 Annual recording of dwelling commencements, dwellings under construction, dwelling
completions, new planning permissions granted, and assessment of what developments may
occur in the coming years is an essential part of the ‘plan, monitor, review’ approach to housing
delivery and plan making. A Housing Trajectory is produced annually by the Planning Authority
to illustrate past and likely future trends in housing provision having regard to land availability
and historical/future patterns of development.
8.2 This section outlines the methodology used in producing the trajectory and includes a
trajectory for North Norfolk covering the period 2001 to 2026. It identifies the quantity of
planned housing development over this period, how much of this has been built and what
remains to be provided. It draws together existing published sources of information on site
suitability, availability, achievability and viability, and makes an assessment of when
development may occur in the future.
8.3 It should be recognised at the outset that there are a wide range of influences on the
housing market and consequently assessments about the levels of future provision are
susceptible to change. Nevertheless, if a robust and cautious approach is taken and the
trajectory is subject to regular review, some broad conclusions can be reached about levels of
future housing supply in the District over the medium to long term.
9. Information Sources
9.1 Housing related data is monitored annually by the Planning Authority for the period
commencing the 1st of April and ending on the 31st of March each year. Data is published as
follows:
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments – first published in 2009 and updated in 2010,
these studies look at the capacity of the district to accommodate housing growth. Studies
identify all reasonable potential sources of dwelling completions in the district and make an
assessment of the suitability of sites, their availability, and when development could be
delivered in the event of such sites being released for housing. Whilst these studies identify a
large amount of theoretical capacity they are not policy documents and do not reach any
conclusions in relation to whether this capacity should be made available for development
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through allocation in a development plan document or by the grant of planning permission. An
updated study is likely to be published in late 2015/early 2016.
Five Year Housing Land Supply Statements (Part A of this document) – these have been
published by the Council every year since 2007 and relate the amount of housing that has been
provided and is expected to be provided over the next 5 years, with the minimum levels of
planned growth identified in the adopted Core Strategy. In addition to dwelling completions and
planning permissions these statements also include an assessment of when identified
development sites will be built. In the absence of a five year supply of development sites
intervention may be required via the allocation of new deliverable development sites in
development plan documents or the grant of additional planning permissions on unallocated
sites where development would be sustainable.
Housing Land Availability (HLA) – published by the Council each year since 1995 these provide a
summary of the number of dwellings completed in each Parish of the District. These statements
are available on the Councils web site.
9.2 Whilst the trajectory is prepared by the District Council it is the result of discussions with
landowners, developers, Housing Associations and others with an interest in housing
development in North Norfolk. The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment in particular
is primarily derived from information supplied by public and private sector housing providers.
10. Need and demand
10.1 The evidence4 indicates that there are high levels of both demand and need for additional
housing in the district. The need for additional affordable housing is particularly acute due in
large part to higher than national average house prices and lower than average incomes.
Previous studies have suggested that if existing and arising affordable housing needs are to be
addressed around 900 affordable dwellings per year would be required over a sustained period.
Similarly, over the medium to long term the demand locally for market housing has been strong,
fuelled in part by high levels of in-migration.
10.2 The recent slowdown in both the local and national economy has had a significant impact
on the local new build housing sector. Both dwelling completions and dwelling commencements
had declined and have only in the last two years shown signs of significant improvement.
11. The Local Supply of Housing Development Land
11.1 For a number of years the Council has applied land use policies that have constrained the
opportunities for new residential development. This approach arose as a result of relatively high
levels of new house building in the 1980s and early 1990s and a concern that if such trends were
4
Housing Market and Housing Needs surveys and updates – Fordham Research. New Strategic Housing Market
Assessment to be published during 2015
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allowed to continue dwelling completions in the district would exceed the requirement of the
then adopted Structure Plan. Consequently, the North Norfolk Local Plan, adopted in 1998,
made no new housing land allocations and included policies that constrained the opportunities
for new dwelling completions to locations within the boundaries (infill development) of
approximately 80 defined settlements. Despite this policy of development constraint an average
of 346 dwellings were built each year over this period. Most of this (in excess of 75%) occurred
within the 24 settlements which have now been selected for further growth in the current
adopted Core Strategy (2008).
11.2 Average annual dwelling completion rates in the District have declined in the last ten
years and have only recently shown signs of recovery. Large releases of dwellings at the former
airbases at Coltishall and West Raynham produced high ‘completion’ rates in 2008 and 2010.
Whilst the current economic climate has played a significant part in recent reductions, the
absence of larger scale housing land allocations until 2011 has undoubtedly limited
development opportunities in recent years. The Council considers that both land supply and
market factors have influenced the reduction in dwelling completion numbers in the district.
11.3 In 2011 the Council adopted a Site Allocations Development Plan which allocated land for
an additional 3,400 dwellings. These allocated sites represented a new source of housing land
supply that had not previously been available in the District. As outlined elsewhere in this
statement the Council has introduced a temporary Housing Incentive Scheme which includes a
range of measures designed to improve development viability and encourage the quicker
delivery of development. This scheme was introduced as a specific response to difficult
economic conditions and an acknowledgement by the Council that intervention was required to
deliver planned and approved development at a faster rate. New dwelling completions have
shown some improvement and are now above the levels predicted in last year’s statement, a
trend which looks set to continue given the higher number of dwellings under construction and
with new planning permissions.
12. The Housing Trajectory 2001/02 – 2020/21
12.1 The housing trajectory illustrates in graphical form the quantity of housing development in
the district since 2001, the predicted future levels up to 2021 and compares this to the planned
levels of housing growth over this period.
12.2
Four separate sources of dwellings are modeled:
Dwellings which have been built
Dwelling completion rates are recorded annually and published on the Housing Land Availability
(HLA) web page (http://www.northnorfolk.org/planning/3495.asp. Completions are monitored
via Building Regulation completion records and site visits. A dwelling is recorded as complete
when it is substantially completed and available for occupancy. Completions include new build
dwellings, sub-divisions, conversions, changes of use, and premises where restrictive planning
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conditions are removed to allow residential occupancy. These are expressed as net additions to
the housing stock (i.e. taking account of any housing loss).
Dwellings and other types of accommodation which are subject to holiday occupancy
restrictions are not counted as net additions. Only self-contained dwelling units in the C3 Use
Class are included notwithstanding that some other types of residential accommodation are the
sole and principle residence of the occupant (e.g. Care and nursing homes)
The permitted supply: sites with planning permission including allocations with permission
This comprises of sites which already have planning permission. Dwelling numbers in this
category will include dwellings with planning permission which have not been started and those
which are under construction but are not yet recorded as completions. The Authority calculates
that approximately 10% of all dwellings permitted on sites of 10 dwellings or less will never be
built and this is deducted from the figures.
There are a number of sites in the district that have enjoyed planning permission for many
years, where commencement of development has been recorded but where dwelling
completions have either stopped or the site only delivers a small number of dwellings each year.
The Five Year Land Supply Statement reaches conclusions about the likely dwelling delivery rates
on sites with planning permission. Overall it concludes that whilst there is already planning
permission for around 1,900 dwellings which have yet to be built (before lapse rate on small
sites is applied) it is likely that only a proportion of these will be built over the five year period
from 2015 to 2020.
The trajectory includes those dwellings in this category identified in the Five Year Land Supply as
likely to be built over this five year period. For the purposes of producing a trajectory the total
dwellings on small sites (less than 10) in this source are divided equally into five annual amounts
and shown as being built at an equal rate over the five year period (2015-2020). For larger sites
(more than 10), an assessment has been made as to when development is likely to occur
between the current year and 2021. In practice precise delivery rates will vary year on year.
Supply arising from the allocations in the Site Specific Proposals Development Plan (excluding
those with planning permission (included above))
Since April 2011 the allocated sites have been included in future housing supply. The rate at
which these will deliver dwellings is based on the evidence in the Strategic Housing Land
Availability Assessment and takes into account a wide range of information including site
ownership, registered interests from the development industry, stated intentions of developers,
time taken to secure planning permission, any specific site constraints that are likely to impact
on delivery times and the current economic climate. These sites did not start to deliver housing
completions until 2013 but development has now commenced on many and they are expected
to be an increasing large proportion of dwelling completions in future years.
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Supply arising from windfall sites
It is not practical or possible to identify all sources of future housing development on a site by
site basis. For example, the SHLAA and Site Allocations DPD focus on larger sites (mainly those
that can accommodate 10 or more dwellings in towns and three or more in villages). Future
housing supply in the District will comprise of developments on a mixture of both identified and
unidentified sites. In the past these unidentified sites have been the sole constituent of housing
development in the district and have yielded an average of 346 dwellings per year.
The adopted Core Strategy predicts that windfall sites will continue to contribute about 250
dwellings per year to the total housing supply. As this assumption was made on the basis of
looking backwards at historical trends over a relatively long period (10 years) it might be argued
that the figures attributed to this source in the Core Strategy are too high. This is because they
do not reflect the more recent significant downturn in dwelling completions. Post adoption of
the Core Strategy in 2008 this source of supply has continued to deliver in excess of 300
dwellings per year and there is no evidence that this is likely to slow. Nevertheless, to ensure
that the trajectory adopts a cautious approach to housing delivery the Council has further
reduced likely dwelling completions in this category. See windfall assessment in Appendix 2.
The four sources described above are shown in different colours on the graph in Appendix 4.
The table in Appendix 3 provides dwelling numbers for each constituent part of the supply.
Expected dwelling delivery rates on the proposed housing allocation sites are modelled in
Appendix 1.
12.3 In producing this trajectory the following assumptions have been made:

The recent improvement in the housing market will be sustained over the next few
years.

On the larger development sites (allocations) a period of two/three years from the date
of a planning application to dwelling completions should be expected unless there are
specific circumstances to suggest otherwise. A shorter time period may be adopted
where a site is subject to the provisions of the Housing Incentive Scheme.

That allocated development sites cannot be developed until specifically identified
constraints have been addressed.

That around 10% of planning permissions on sites of 10 dwellings or less will never be
built.

That larger development sites are unlikely to deliver more than 30 dwellings per year if
developed by a single developer unless there is evidence that would suggest otherwise.
For example, some national house builders will build at higher rates (depending on
market conditions) and the ‘block’ release of Housing Association properties will
produce higher completion numbers in some years.
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Allocation
With permission
Small Site
Additional Sources of Supply
Windfall projections
Appendix 1: Schedule of sites and projected delivery of sites of 10 dwellings or more
Data correct as at 01.05.2015
The table below provides details of all those sites where the Council considers there is a reasonable prospect of development being delivered in the next five years.
It includes the three main sources of supply identified in the land supply statement, namely, large sites which are either allocated or have planning permission for development, sites of less than 10 dwellings which already have planning permission
and an allowance for windfall developments in accordance with Appendix
2.
The site reference numbers are either those given to the site in the North Norfolk Site Allocations Plan or are the planning application reference. Both the Allocations Plan and details of each planning application, including location plans,
are available on the Council’s web site.
Many of the sites included within this schedule are already under construction and some of the approved dwellings have been completed. Precise delivery rates of development will vary year on year and will be kept under review via production of annual
statements of land supply.
Garage site / Pipits Meadow
Aldborough
8
BACT03
Land adjacent to Beach Road,
Bacton
20
BRI02
Land to rear of Duke of
Edinburgh Public House, Bacton
Land West of Astley Primary
School, Briston
BRI24
15/0352
Land at rear of Holly House,
Briston
10
BRI27 (13/0529)
Land at Church Street, Briston
10
CAT01
Land off Lea Road, Catfield
15
BACT05
14
24
30
12
12
17
0
20
24
0
24
24
15
0
30
0
5
0
12
12
17
0
17
7
0
15
17
17
Beyond
20
2020/21
0
2019/20
4
2018/19
8
2017/18
0
2016/17
8
2015/16
0
Total dwellings in 5yr supply
4
Under Construction
Full planning permission
Outline planning permission
Current pending application
20
Left to be built (inc under construction)
ALD01
Assessment of delivery and comments
Completed before April 2015
Location
Build Information
Affordable Housing contribution
Site reference
Pre-application discussion
Allocation target
Planning Status
Comments:
- Available Now
- Suitable location for development now
- Achievable and realistic
- Viable
24
30
6
6
17
0
15
Site in multiple ownerships, development would require relocation of existing businesses.
Site is not considered to be available now so development unlikely in next five years.
Pre-application discussions with land owner who intends to secure a developer and make
an application under the Housing Incentive Scheme. Whilst the site is currently on the
market there insufficient evidence of delivery at this stage to include within five year
supply.
Allocated site in suitable location for development which has recently been acquired by
Housing Association. There has been detailed pre application discussions with LPA for a
scheme of 24 units. Provider confirms that the scheme is viable and funded and would be
delivered immediately following grant of planning permission. Full application expected
mid 2015 with commencement shortly after if approved.
Although allocated this site is currently unavailable and is considered unlikely to deliver
development before 2021. Not included in 5yr supply.
The site is allocated and is available for development now . A full planning application by a
house builder (prospective purchaser) for 12 units is pending decision. Draft tender
document submitted with application confirms quick delivery if approved.
Development commenced by Housing Association in early 2015 with expected completion
of all units in 2016.
Small site in private ownership with no current developer interest. No exceptional
development costs or infrastructure constraints but owner indicates not likely to come to
market before 2020.
13
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
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15 June 2015
Land between Norwich Road &
Adams Lane, Corpusty
Land adjacent to East Coast
Motors, Beach Road, Cromer
COR01
C01
18
18
40
C04
15/0572
Land at rear of Sutherland
House, Overstrand Road,
Cromer
60
C07
13/0451
Land at Jubilee Lane / Cromer
High Station, Cromer
40
60
68
8
9
0
18
18
18
0
40
0
27
68
18
40
9
68
8
8
22
40
Pre-application discussion with house builder. Agents preparing full application for
approx. 18 units with view to early commencement under Housing Incentive Scheme.
Owner indicates existing use to be retained in the short term but site likely to become
available towards end of plan period.
32
Site is owned by local development company, is allocated for development, development
is viable and subject to grant of planning permission the developer confirms it would be
delivered within three years. Pre-application discussions have taken place in relation to a
full application which has been submitted for 68 sheltered housing apartments. Likely
commencement of development shortly after permission granted.
8 units under construction and due for delivery imminently. Insufficient certainty to
include delivery of remainder within current five year period. It is therefore assumed that
this site is currently unlikely to deliver completed development until after 2021.
9
22
24
8
C14
13/0247
Land West of Roughton Road,
Cromer
160
ED2
Cromer Football Club, Mill Road,
Cromer
10
022.002
Cromwell Road, Cromer
20
10
10
1
2
19901666
Highview, Cromer
41
21
20
2
0
20
19941720
19961424
Central Road, Cromer
106
80
26
0
26
20050527
09/0826
13/0111
13/1222
F01 (part)
F01 (part)
14/1212
F01 (part)
F05 (remaining
part without
permission)
19892604
20001459
145
4
Fletcher Hospital, Cromer
25
Burnt Hills, Cromer
Former Police Station and
Magistrates Court, Holt Road,
Cromer
Land North of Rudham Stile
Lane, Fakenham
Land North of Rudham Stile
Lane, Fakenham
10
0
135
0
13
13
1
7
35
35
35
35
78
60
36
16
Smiths Lane, Fakenham
81
20081342
107-109 Holt Road, Fakenham
14
20070477
Newman’s Yard, Norwich Road,
Fakenham
20
51
30
30
30
25
20
10
0
1
320
60
30
25
710
Land North of Rudham Stile
Lane, Fakenham
Land between Holt Road &
Greenway Lane, Fakenham
145
10
1
1
8
25
7
6
Site has full planning permission and is under construction, a substantial number of units
have been started but as of April 2015 none are recorded as complete. Developer (Norfolk
Homes) indicates that dependent on sales rates the site is likely to be nearing completion
within five years.
On-going discussions regarding possible relocation of football club and partial
development of site to provide a doctors surgery. The site is unlikely to deliver any
dwellings in next five years.
Building single plots at intervals. Due to slow build rates it is assumed that only 2 of the
remaining plots will be completed within 5 years although the site could be completed
over this period.
No sign of recent activity. Although some or all of these dwellings could be built no
allowance has been made for dwellings within next five years as it is not clear when
development will recommence.
26 remaining units as part of base consent for 106 dwellings. Delivery would require
relocation of existing commercial use .No sign of recent activity so not included with five
year supply.
Although some or all of these dwellings could be built no allowance has been made for
dwellings within next five years. Some discussions regarding possible works but as this site
has been dormant for some years it is not included in the current five year land supply.
Owner indicates small number of completions over five year period dependent on market
conditions
710
0
78
60
30
30
60
60
30
30
36
0
36
30
0
30
0
14
Site is under construction for a single block of 35 units of elderly persons flats. Developer
anticipates completion in 2016.
The site is allocated for development and is subject to an approved Development Brief. It
is mainly owned by Trinity College with a small number of private land owners. An outline
planning application is pending for 78 dwellings and a full application for a 60 dwelling
sheltered scheme is expected during 2015. Once delivery commences this site is
anticipated to deliver between 40-100 units per year dependent on the number of
developers but given that none of the site yet enjoys full planning permission delivery is
assumed to be limited in the next five years
Part of the site completed (24 units). Development of remainder will require relocation of
existing uses and land assembly, therefore development considered unlikely in next five
years.
Very slow build rates in recent years, no sign of recent activity. Unlikely to be completed
in 5 years so no allowance made at this stage.
Whilst site has full planning permission there is insufficient evidence of delivery to include
at this stage.
20
The 2007 permission has been implemented but no further works on the site. Site
recently sold to a new developer who has had pre-aplication discussions about a scheme
of 22 units but no progression to an application. No delivery assumed within 5 years.
14
20
1
35
710
0
18
14
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
79
15 June 2015
HAP07
Land West of Whimpwell Street,
Happisburgh
14
H01
11/0978
Land West of Woodfield Road,
Holt
100
H09
PO/13/1306
Land at Heath Farm /
Hempstead Road, Holt
200
H12
Land off Hempstead Road
70
HOR06
11/1505
20060770
12/0721
MUN07
Land East of Abbot Road,
Horning
Former site of Langham Glass,
North Street, Langham
Land at junction of Holt Road &
Kettlestone Road, Little Snoring
Land adjacent to Little Snoring
Primary School, Kettlestone
Road, Little Snoring
Land South of School Road,
Ludham
Land at Eastern end of Grange
Close, Ludham
Melton Constable Hall, Melton
Constable
Land off Grove Road, Melton
Constable
Land at Grange Cottage / Water
Lane, Mundesley
Land South of Trunch Road,
Mundesley
NW01 (part of
site)
PF/13/0866
Land at Norwich Road / Nursery
Drive, North Walsham
SN01
SN05
LUD01
LUD06
069.047
20080329
MUN06
NW01 (Toft
Land)
NW01
(remainder of
allocation
NW25
NW28a
20070751
26
14
0
85
38
85
60
30
30
25
215
90
215
60
30
30
30
125
32
70
30
30
30
10
13
26
0
26
23
20
20
21
2
2
2
14
26
2
10
20
20
10
5
10
0
15
7
15
15
10
5
10
0
10
0
25
38
0
38
33
8
38
25
3
40
8
40
40
10
2
10
10
85
176
165
176
Land at Norwich Road / Nursery
Drive, North Walsham
100
Land at Norwich Road / Nursery
Drive, North Walsham
150
Land off Laundry Loke, North
Walsham
10
North Walsham Football Club,
North Walsham
Hall Lane Garage, Hall Lane,
North Walsham
7
176
100
30
60
18
100
100
150
0
30
30
30
27
60
0
2
2
16
10
10
Outline planning permission granted. Site is available and suitable for development.
20
This site is allocated and is suitable for development but there has been insufficient
recent interest to include within five year supply.
Pre-application advice offered. Full application under Housing Incentive Scheme expected
during 2015.
No current developer interest. No exceptional development costs or infrastructure
constraints but no evidence of likely delivery within five year period.
Extant planning permission but no recent progress. No units included within five year
supply.
Reserved Matters planning application awaiting decision. No known developer interest so
not included within five year provision at this stage.
Pre-application discussions with owner who wishes to make full planning application
under Housing Incentive Scheme in 2015.
30
Site is under construction.
Development has started. Developer (Hopkins Homes) confirms delivery of between 25 40 units per year depending on release of affordable units and sales rates of market units.
Site is programmed for completion in 2019/20 but may take slightly longer to complete
depending on market conditions.
10
10
20
25
5
5
40
40
30
30
40
Small site in private (mixed) ownership which may delay delivery, no current developer
interest. No exceptional development costs or infrastructure constraints but no evidence
of likely delivery within five year period.
Has outline permission and is owned by local house builder. Reserved Matters application
likely during 2015 with commencement shortly thereafter. Developer confirms delivery
within five years
Site has outline planning permission and is being marketed. Pre application discussions
with prospective developers. Site could deliver dwellings during 2016 but given current
lack of reserved matters consent is likely to deliver at a later date than previously
anticipated.
Site owned by regional house builder and included within construction program in later
years of current plan period. Developer indicates may be delivered at earlier date.
Outline planning application awaiting decision pending upgrades to local sewage
treatment works. Upgrades have been completed and effectiveness is being monitored.
Delivery within five years is possible but insufficient evidence at this stage to include
within five year supply.
Condition on earlier permission for holiday cottages now lifted to permit residential
occupation. Cottages are under construction and will be completed in 2015/16.
5
11
Site is allocated for development and Persimmon Homes made a full application during
2014. This scheme was withdrawn at the request of the LPA. A revised application fpr
approximately 100 units under the Housing Incentive Scheme is expected by mid 2015
and has been subject to pre application discussion with the Planning Authority.
Persimmon Homes confirm viability and quick commencement with delivery thereafter at
a rate of 30-40 units per annum.
30
150
30
60
2
Remainder of NW01 allocation not subject to any current planning applications so not
included within current five year land supply period.
Site recently acquired by Housing Association. Fully funded scheme for 30 dwellings to be
subject of full application by mid 2015 with delivery programmed to commence
immediately thereafter.
Dependent upon relocation of football club (relocation costs), with possible highways
issues. Some development on this site within the next five years is possible but considered
unlikely given the need to relocate the football club to an alternative site.
Site predominantly complete but with 2 units remaining to be converted.
15
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
80
15 June 2015
10/0682
13-21 Bacton Road, North
Walsham
14/1559
Former Cherryridge Poultry Site,
Church Street, Northrepps
OVS03
OVS04
PO/14/0451
Land at rear of 36 Bracken
Avenue, Overstrand
Land South of Mundesley Road,
Overstrand
PM/14/0854
(075.001)
Hillingdon Park, Overstrand
ROU03/10
14/0986
21
40
SH04
PF/14/0644
SH05
98/1637
Land at Seaview Crescent,
Sheringham
Land adjoining Morley Hill,
Sheringham
10
SH06
Land rear of Sheringham House,
Sheringham
70
SH14
15/0114
Land at Holway Road, opposite
Hazel Avenue, Sheringham
50
19770968
19950722
12/1082
The Esplanade, Sheringham
Land off Cremer Street,
Sheringham
15/0001
SOU02
SOU07
092.001
092.019
ST01
12/1427
20071919
WAL01
W01
13/0007
10/0295
WEY03
Former Hilbre School,
Sheringham
Land West of Long Lane,
Southrepps
Land North of Thorpe Road,
Southrepps
Beechlands Park, Southrepps
Clipped Hedge Lane, Southrepps
Land adjacent to Church Farm,
Ingham Road, Stalham
Old Baker’s Yard, High Street,
Stalham
Land East of Wells Road,
Walsingham
Land at Market Lane, Wellsnext-the-Sea
39-52 Renwick Park, West
Runton
Land at The Street, opposite The
Maltings Hotel, Weybourne
6
0
17
42
42
10
10
6
30
0
30
20
45
0
45
11
11
3
8
8
8
31
70
60
22
52
52
0
45
52
32
25
55
24
31
13
12
13
40
10
5
12
6
32
26
160
150
68
15
24
123
55
10
4
7
0
1
1
16
22
6
30
5
12
5
3
8
30
26
30
10
26
31
1
32
32
6
20
6
10
0
10
12
7
8
25
18
12
7
8
3
5
0
0
0
27
123
30
123
4
11
0
11
24
0
24
12
120
14
3
30
8
7
38
42
30
21
38
35
Land at Back Lane, Roughton
Land adjoining Seaview
Crescent, Sheringham
7
7
6
35
21
30
93
20
93
10
1
4
4
30
30
30
30
30
30
33
3
4
4
4
2
4
Development commenced on conversion element of approved scheme with new build to
follow thereafter. Completion expected by 2017/18.
Site is owned by regional house building company. Issue of Full Planning Permission for 40
units (net 38) awaiting completion of section 106 but Committee Resolution to approve
granted on 26.03.2015. Delivery programmed within five years as part of Housing
Incentive Scheme.
Small site in private ownership with no current developer interest. No exceptional
development costs or infrastructure constraints but given lack of interest not included
within land supply for next five years
Site has outline planning permission, is being marketed and is available. Resreved Matters
application anticipated under Housing Incentive Scheme
RESERVED MATTERS FOR REMAINING 10 PLOTS APPROVED and development due to
commence shortly.
Outline application awaiting decision. Insufficient certainty to include site within five year
supply at this stage.
Greenfield site owned by local developer, but no recent interest shown so not currently
included within five year supply..
Full planning permission for a net gain of 3 units. Site had planning permission for 8
dwellings before grant of latest permission for 11. 8 dwellings included in small sites.
Applicant intends to complete revised scheme over next 3-5 years.
Full Planning permission grant. Developer will build out when adjacent development
(15/0001) brought forward during 2016/17 .
Site is owned by local development company, is allocated for development, development
is viable and owner confirms that subject to grant of planning permission would be
delivered within three years. Pre-application discussions with site owner, full application
likely during 2015 with commencement of development shortly thereafter.
Pre application advice offered in relation to full application for 52 dwellings delivered
under the Housing Incentive Scheme. Local house builder confirms immediate start
following grant of planning permission.
Implemented permission with no evidence of recent activity. Although some or all of
these dwellings could be built no allowance has been made for dwellings within next five
years.
Development has been largely completed. Revisions to two plot designs also completed.
Remaining unit to build.
Outline permission for 40 dwellings extant. Full planning application pending supported
by application to Housing Incentive Schemes for 32 dwellings. Proposing immediate start
upon grant of permission. Included as outline permission for 40 dwellings is extant and
could be built out.
Small site in private ownership with no current developer interest. No exceptional
development costs or infrastructure constraints
Small site in private ownership with no current developer interest. No exceptional
development costs or infrastructure constraints
Site developing slowly, may be completed within 5 years
Site developing slowly, may be completed within 5 years
Development has started and house builder confirms completion within five year period
at a rate of 25-40 per year dependent upon release of affordable units.
Development has started with completion of road frontage units but no recent activity on
remainder of site so not currently included within five year supply.
Small site in private ownership with no current developer interest. No exceptional
development costs or infrastructure constraints but site is not currently available.
Development has started. Developer confirms completion rates of between 30-40 per
year depending on sales rates and release of affordable housing.
Very slow delivery rates with plots built at intervals.
Full application submitted during 2014 for 7 units was withdrawn. Revised application for
7 units expected May/June 2015. Only allocation number included at present time.
16
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
81
15 June 2015
Land South of Beck Close,
Weybourne
WEY09
4
2
Total from small sites (under 10 dwellings which
already have planning permission)
14/1603
14/0274,
14/0283,
14/0284
Land south of Lodge Close, Holt
20080506
Land South of Cromer Road and
North/East of Grove Lane, Holt
The Broads Hotel, Station Road,
Hoveton
RAF West Raynham,
Massingham Road, West
Raynham
N/a
RAF West Raynham
N/a
PD Rights: Office to residential
N/a
PD Rights: Storage to residential
12/0350
68
Windfall
4
696
170
764
63
153
0
261
170
15
688
90
17
17
0
58
58
58
22
4
36
4
138
137
138
137
7
170
30
30
30
30
36
10
10
4
2
2
675
135
3022
435
Outline planning application refused and subject to pending appeal. No evidence of
delivery within 5yr supply.
Committee resolution to grant planning permission in November 2014 but S106 pending.
Developer stated they are committed to a quick delivery rate.
Committee resolution to grant planning permission. No evidence that delivery will occurr
in the 5yr supply period.
Committee resolution to grant planning permission. Owner indicates likely completion
over next five years
28
Ex-RAF housing stock slowly being released (note – this is separate from the above
planning permission).
MUST BE IMPLEMENTED BY MAY 2016 SO ALL ASSUMED TO DELIVER BY NO LATER THAN
2016/17.
MUST BE IMPLEMENTED BY APRIL 2018 SO ALL ASSUMED TO DELIVER BY NO LATER THAN
2017/18.
10
6
135
135
135
135
135
485
612
821
669
301
0
N/a
33
17
30
Small site in private ownership with no current developer interest. No exceptional
development costs or infrastructure constraints
764 dwellings have planning permission and are yet to be completed. The figure of 688
represents 764 dwellings minus a 10% lapse rate.
138
0
153
58
4
Based on the delivery of a 135 units per year as windfall development. See Appendix B for
detailed justification.
17
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
82
15 June 2015
Appendix 2 – Windfall Justification
Definition of windfall
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states: ‘Local planning authorities may make
allowance for windfall sites in the five-year supply if they have compelling evidence that such sites
have consistently become available in the local area and will continue to provide a reliable source of
supply’ (NPPF, paragraph 48). Windfall is defined in the NPPF as ‘sites which have not been
specifically identified in the local plan process. They normally comprise previously-developed sites
that have unexpectedly become available’ (NPPF, Annex 2: Glossary).
Windfall calculations should:
•
Be realistic – having regard to the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA);
•
Have regard to historic windfall delivery rates;
•
Not include gardens as potential sites.
Justification
Windfall development has been a consistent and substantial contributor towards housing supply in
North Norfolk for many years. In fact, before 2013 all development in the District took place on
unidentified sites and of the 4,930 dwellings provided since 2001 around 4,600 are on windfall sites
(Table 1 – Windfall Delivery). Whilst there is no evidence that this trend will stop, and it remains the
case that adopted policies continue to encourage many types of windfall development, the Council
recognises that relying on historical trends alone is not sufficient to comply with the ‘compelling
evidence’ test required in paragraph 48 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Previous delivery
rates of windfall development do not, in themselves, provide compelling evidence that this source
will continue to provide homes in future years. A wide range of factors will influence actual rates of
future delivery including prevailing local and national planning policies, market conditions, developer
confidence, availability of suitable sites, and so on. Nevertheless, the Council considers that windfall
will continue to be a reliable source of a substantial number of dwellings in the next five years and
for the remaining plan period.
The rest of this statement provides detailed information both in relation to historical rates of
windfall development and the contributions that future sources are expected to make. Because the
methodology used excludes many sources of future housing, in addition to the exclusion of garden
land, the Council considers that an allowance of 135 dwellings, as is suggested, would represent a
significant under estimate of capacity.
18
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
83
15 June 2015
Table 1: Windfall Delivery 2001-2015
Sites adopted
No adopted site allocations
Year of
delivery
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
TOTAL
Total
Delivered as
completions Windfall
in year
(including
garden
development)
367
367
428
428
230
230
250
250
446
446
341
341
551
551
258
258
416
416
178
178
337
337
242
242
383
276
503
363
4930
4683
Delivered as
windfall
(excluding
Garden
Development)
257
315
572
Delivered Delivered
on
on
Garden
Allocation
Land
19
48
67
0
0
107
140
247
% Windfall
(including
Garden
Development)
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
72%
72%
%
%
Windfall
allocations
(excluding
Garden
Development)
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
67%
28%
63%
28%
19
Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party
84
15 June 2015
Methodology and Evidence
The methodology used in this statement is not a projection of historical trend. The historical trend is
cited as evidence that windfall has contributed substantial growth over a sustained period. Instead,
the Councils approach is to identify the main sources of windfall in North Norfolk and answer the
question – is there compelling evidence that these sources are likely to continue in the future and if
so how much development are they likely to yield?
In accordance with the NPPF, the estimates for windfall development contained in this appendix do
not include garden land.
Typical sources of windfall development in the district might comprise:
•
Infill development and redevelopment opportunities within designated settlements
(excluding gardens).
•
The conversion and change of use of existing buildings, including the removal of restrictive
conditions to allow residential use.
•
The pipeline of rural exceptions developments delivered by Housing Associations.
•
Conversion of agricultural buildings to residential which no longer requires planning
permission under the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO).
There are other sources of potential windfall developments in the District but they have been
excluded from the projected windfall allowance for the following reasons:
•
One off large scale windfall sites – Occasionally there are examples of large scale windfall
proposals. Examples in North Norfolk would include the large numbers of dwellings released
to the general housing market on former airbases, or the recent grant of permission for 153
dwellings at Gresham School to facilitate investment in school improvements. The Council
takes the view that whilst such schemes may well occur in future years this is uncertain and
they are therefore excluded from this assessment.
•
Long term empty properties brought back into use – In setting housing targets it is typical
to make an allowance for empty properties and those in use as second homes. Housing
targets are adjusted upwards on the basis that a proportion of new housing stock will not be
used as a main residence (around 10%).The Council has an Empty Homes Strategy and this
has been successful in bringing long term empty homes back into use. Between October
2013 and September 2014 the number of long-term empty homes was reduced by 105. This
Five Year Land Supply Statement does not treat these as a net addition to the housing stock
and no allowance is made for these in the windfall calculation.
•
Care and nursing homes and students accommodation – there are small numbers of such
proposals in the District and these are unlikely to make a significant contribution towards
housing supply. Specialist housing for the elderly which is provided in the form of dwelling
houses (Use Class C3) are included within future supply once planning permission has been
granted. Other types of residential institution are not recorded by the Authority as
contributing towards housing supply, notwithstanding that national guidance allows for the
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inclusion of such accommodation. Similarly, given the uncertainty around delivery of this
source, no allowance is made in the windfall calculation.
•
All sites which already have planning permission – the inclusion of such sites would result in
double counting as such sites are already included in the large and small site figures included
in Appendix 1 of this statement.
Future Rates of Windfall
There is no agreed methodology for estimating future rates of windfall development. Historical
trends, particularly from more recent years are a good indication that windfall developments will
continue to deliver dwellings, but it is widely assumed that windfall represents a diminishing source
of supply and therefore historical rates should be treated with caution. In previous land supply
statements the Council has assumed that windfall developments will make less contribution to
housing supply in the future than they have in the past. The lowest delivery figure (178 dwellings in
2010) was taken as a starting point, lowered to remove development on garden land, and a further
reduction applied year on year throughout the rest of the plan to derive a windfall allowance. This
produced an overly conservative windfall prediction of just 70 dwellings per year, compared to the
average of 346 dwellings per year (inclusive of garden developments) which were actually delivered
over the last decade or so.
In this statement a different methodology is used. Rather than relying on discounted historical rates
this statement identifies specific sources of windfall supply that will continue to be available and
assesses the likelihood of each contributing towards future totals. This approach avoids the
potentially distorting impacts of ‘one off’ categories of historical supply such as the 500 dwellings
previously provided on Airbases in the District and focuses on those sources of windfall which are
predictable supply. The specific sources of future supply of windfall are limited to:
1.
Infill developments and redevelopment within selected settlements which currently
accounts for around 60% of all development in the district (excluding garden land);
2.
Conversion of rural buildings to dwellings and removal of holiday occupancy only conditions
on holiday lets;
3.
Rural exceptions sites where sites have not already been identified in appendix 1.
4.
New sources of dwellings including those that do not require planning permission such as
the conversion of agricultural buildings to residential.
Infill and redevelopment opportunities.
In 2008 the Council adopted the North Norfolk Core Strategy. This identified those settlements in
the District where infill development would be permitted. Whilst it reduced the number of such
settlements from 77 settlements (as identified in the Local Plan 1998) to 26, these 26 retained
settlements included all of the larger villages and all 7 of the market towns in the District which had
collectively been delivering around 80% of new housing supply. In essence the ‘removed’
settlements had been making very little contribution to windfall totals. Since this date infill and
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redevelopment has continued to provide a significant source of new homes in the District and
accounts for the bulk of new development which takes place on unallocated sites (around 60%).
There is no evidence that this source of supply is likely to diminish, at least in the short term.
However, it is also the case that there is no absolute certainty that this source will continue. Whilst
the Council considers that it would be wrong to exclude this source entirely from the windfall
calculation it has nevertheless reduced the likely contribution from the source to 100 dwellings per
year. This equates to around 50% of the recent rate of delivery and reflects the possibility that this is
a diminishing source of supply.
Conversion of buildings and removal of holiday occupancy controls.
The conversion of rural buildings to alternative uses has been a consistent feature of adopted
planning policies for many years. The adopted Core Strategy includes a permissive approach to
residential conversion in some parts of the District, with a presumption in favour of commercial uses
including holiday accommodation in the remainder. Following publication of the NPPF the Council
amended this adopted approach to allow for residential conversion throughout the District
irrespective of location and to allow for the removal of holiday only restrictions in some
circumstances. This has resulted in permissions for 122 new conversions and the removal of holiday
only conditions on a further 94 properties over past four years (Table 2 below).
Table 2: New Dwellings in Rural Building Conversions
Year of
delivery
2011/12
New Building
Conversions
permitted
21
Removal of
Holiday conditions
permitted
54
Total Potential
New Dwellings
Provided.
75
2012/13
10
3
13
2013/14
25
21
46
2014/15
66
16
82
TOTALS
122
94
216
To acknowledge that this is a diminishing source of supply and that not all barns will be converted
nor all holiday occupancy conditions removed the Council has only included a modest allowance
from this source. Research undertaken as part of the preparation of the Core Strategy suggested
that at that time there were in excess of 500 converted units of holiday accommodation and as
many as 1,500 -2,000 suitable buildings which had not been converted. A conservative future
estimate of just 10 dwellings per annum has been included.
Rural exceptions developments
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NNDC is committed to delivering affordable housing on rural exception sites. Policy HO3 of the Core
Strategy supports such development subject to meeting the criterion outlined. Through the
application of this policy a total of 248 dwellings have been provided since 2001/02 (Table 3 below).
Table 3. Delivery of rural exceptions development.
Year of delivery
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
TOTAL
Rural exceptions sites – total built
0
0
0
0
15
39
10
30
20
44
22
12
48
8
248
In cooperation with local registered providers of affordable housing the Council is committed to
developing a further 82 dwellings over the coming 5 years and is providing substantial loan funding
to facilitate this. The majority of these schemes are on identified sites, pre-application discussions
are underway, and funding is in place. In addition, a further 37 dwellings are being discussed for
various sites throughout the district which may also deliver within the remainder of the plan period,
although these are in the very early stages of development and funding is not secured. None of the
sites are sufficiently advanced to be included in Appendix 1 of this statement. Accepting that these
sites do not have planning permission and therefore there is no guarantee that they will be
developed a very conservative estimate of 10 dwellings per annum for future delivery has been
made.
New types of development including permitted development
There have been a number of changes to permitted development rights (PD rights) in the last 2-3
years as part of the Government’s drive to simplify and speed up the planning system and in order to
deliver more housing growth. The three main PD rights changes which affect the district are the
relaxation of the requirements for changes of use applications for:
•
Office to residential conversion to dwellinghouses (Part 3, Class O);
•
Storage or distribution to dwellinghouses (Part 3, Class P), and;
•
Agricultural buildings to dwellinghouses (maximum 3 dwellings) (Part 3, Class Q).
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Not all of these form windfall development. Classes O and P are both time limited and therefore no
assumption for delivery from these sources is made in the windfall projections. The changes to
national policy for agricultural conversions have only been in place since April 2014 so the numbers
of applications for prior approval of these types of development are low at present with only 10
dwellings having been given prior approval through Class Q. In addition to this though, full planning
applications for conversions to more than 3 dwellings continue to come in and have resulted in
approvals for an additional 25 dwellings in the same period. It is expected that permitted
development rights for agricultural buildings will deliver more homes in the future. On the basis of
this, a conservative assumption of 15 dwellings per annum is assumed for future projections, based
on historic delivery of this source of supply.
Calculating a final allowance
In order to provide a cautious approach to estimating future supply the following allowances for
each source of windfall have been made:
1.
Infill and redevelopment = 100 dwellings per annum
2.
Conversion of buildings and removal of restrictive conditions = 10 dwellings per annum
3.
Rural exceptions developments (where sites are not yet identified) = 10 dwellings per annum
4.
Permitted development (where not time constrained) = 15 dwellings per annum.
This equates to a total of 135 dwellings per annum (675 over 5 years) through windfall development.
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Appendix 3 - Housing Trajectory Table (April 2015)
Expected
PD and
Deliverable development on
additional
planning
unidentified
sources of
Built permissions
sites
supply
2001/02 367
2002/03 428
2003/04 230
2004/05 250
2005/06 446
2006/07 341
2007/08 551
2008/09 258
2009/10 416
2010/11 178
2011/12 337
2012/13 242
2013/14 383
2014/15 503
2015/16
288
135
12
2016/17
338
135
12
2017/18
428
135
10
2018/19
483
135
6
2019/20
389
135
0
2020/21
126
135
0
Deliverable
allocations Total
367
428
230
250
446
341
551
258
416
178
337
242
383
503
0
435
0
485
39
612
197
821
145
669
40
301
Original
annual
average
requirement
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
400
Original
Difference
cumulative
(average Cumulative Cumulative
requirement completions)
shortfall
total
400
-33
-33
367
800
28
-5
795
1200
-170
-175
1025
1600
-150
-325
1275
2000
46
-279
1721
2400
-59
-338
2062
2800
151
-187
2613
3200
-142
-329
2871
3600
16
-313
3287
4000
-222
-535
3465
4400
-63
-598
3802
4800
-158
-756
4044
5200
-17
-773
4427
5600
103
-670
4930
6000
35
-635
5365
6400
85
-550
5850
6800
212
-338
6462
7200
421
83
7283
7600
269
352
7952
8000
-99
253
8253
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Appendix 4 - Housing Trajectory 2015
Number of dwellings projected to be completed each year (1st April - 31st March)
900
PD and additional sources
6
Deliverable allocations
800
Expected development on unidentified sites
Deliverable planning permissions
197
Dwellings completed in year
700
0
Original annual average target
Annual average requirement
569
135
549
0
503
504
135
12
135
412
120
427
135
467
454
428
427
414
424
419
420
410
400
402
400
536
511
493
500
400
No. of dwellings
584
575
145
Annual requirement with 5% buffer and shortfall
10 39
600
400
400
135
0 40
269
483
503
135
389
428
338
242
258
230
250
288
337
341
383
416
446
428
178
100
367
200
551
300
49
126
0
Years
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