Mobile: 0794 120 1995
...the great lie of our times?
It is now apparent why this area of Wiltshire is still deemed to have an undersupply of available land.
'Wiltshire Council Western Area Planning Committee 23 November 2016 Question From: Mr Francis Morland
Can officers clarify the manner in which windfall residential development is calculated as part of the annualised housing land supply statement? Does it include an allowance for greenfield windfall sites as well as brownfield sites?
Response
The windfall calculation method is detailed in Appendix 5 of the Housing Land Supply Statement. It is based on past housing permissions on non-allocated, brownfield land in accordance with the NPPF. The average number of permissions granted in each Housing Market Area per annum during the period 2009 - 2016 is calculated and a standard delivery rate applied, to provide likely future delivery from windfall sites.
Although the NPPF does not dismiss greenfield land (other than residential gardens) as an appropriate source of supply in calculating a windfall allowance, Wiltshire’s method uses brownfield sites only. The NPPF promotes the use of brownfield land, and the majority of such sites are within settlement boundaries and therefore conform to local policy set out in the Wiltshire Core Strategy. The majority of greenfield sites are outside settlement boundaries and such sites that are not allocated in the Wiltshire Core Strategy or in a neighbourhood plan are thus contrary to local policy. As such it would be unusual to declare that we partially depend on sites that are contrary to policy to come forward in the future. However we acknowledge that greenfield sites have in the past made a contribution to delivery.'
Well spotted ex Wiltshire Councillor Morland. So, it would seem that developers get planning permission on a greenfield site because WC cannot prove the required land supply. Next year, those permitted houses do not get counted as 'windfall' housing supply because the houses are outside any allocated area but will be built regardless.
Madness, truly madness.
I have long said that spatial planning at County Hall needs a top-down overhaul. This only confirms my belief.