The Government set housing targets through a Standard Methodology. That methodology applies to all council areas in the country and sets a target for local plans. The government uses a formulaic approach in the methodology which is calculated on a percentage increase of new homes on top of the number of existing homes, plus a calculation which takes into account the affordability of homes within any given area.

As the Government applies the same formula everywhere, in some areas achieving that target is simply not possible. In 2023 the Council published a Housing Needs Assessment which tested the Standard Methodology. It considered genuine housing need using demographic data, data about our housing register and the aspirational needs of local residents. It also looked at market data and the capacity of the market to accept growth. The conclusion was that a local requirement of 5,100 homes was needed. Our figure is based on updated local housing need assessments and extensive community feedback.

We are able to justify why the Borough cannot accommodate the Government’s housing numbers through a robust evidence base which we are happy to defend at Examination.