Brighton and Hove City Council announced last week that they are updating their Strategic Land Housing Availability Assessment (SHLAA).
They are undertaking a “Call for Sites”, seeking to identify land which has the potential for housing development. They are specifically looking for sites which are capable of accommodating 6 or more residential units, for either solely residential development or as part of a mixed use scheme.
The deadline to submit your site for consideration is 30th September 2015.
What stage is the Brighton and Hove local plan at?
The Brighton and Hove Local Plan was adopted in July 2005 and their request to ‘save’ the majority of their Local Plan policies was approved in 2008. These saved policies will be replaced by emerging development plan documents (DPDs). Key to this is the City Plan, which will provide the overall strategic vision for the future of Brighton and Hove to 2030.
This Plan remains under examination by an Inspector who has flagged concerns over housing need and figures. In response the council is undertaking further public consultations.
How does this affect you?
If you are a land owner within the jurisdiction of Brighton and Hove City Council and have a site which you think may have the potential to meet their requirements then this represents a prime opportunity to become involved in the consultation process and promote your land to be included as a future development site.
If your land is included as a site allocation for a particular use, it increases the likelihood for a successful planning application, as the principle of development will have already been secured. Whilst this process can be lengthy and sometimes complex, there is merit in pursuing as the financial rewards can be great.
Process:
A number of the key development plan stages to be aware of include:
Call for Sites – This is where the council invites landowners, developers and the general public to identify land that may have development potential;
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) – This document assesses all the sites that the Council is aware of, including those identified under a ‘call for sites’, to consider their suitability for inclusion as a site allocation;
Local Plan or Site Allocations DPD – These are the documents in which site allocations are identified. Once adopted by a council the allocations will become part of planning policy and will carry significant weight in future planning decisions. Prior to adoption, these documents will be subject to various consultation stages, often referred to as ‘Preferred Options’ and ‘Proposed Submission’.
There will be opportunities to put sites forward as site allocations through each of these consultation stages and it is always better to become involved in this process as early as possible. Following the consultation stages, these documents will then be independently examined to ensure they are robust.
When promoting sites for potential inclusion as a site allocation, the key to success will be to demonstrate that the site constitutes sustainable development and supports the development needs of an area.
How do Plainview Planning add value?
Plainview Planning specialise in promoting land into Local Plans. We add value by:
- coordinating your promotion efforts to make sure that the Council is provided with persuasive documentation about your site;
- ensure that the right groups are lobbied at the right time to maximise chances of inclusion;
- we monitor the status of Local Development Frameworks throughout the country and are well placed to guide you through the administrative and political process;
- we can provide professional expertise and funding to effectively promote your land and our services can be provided on a joint-venture basis.
Our experience with land promotion projects is wide ranging and we have worked on many schemes including large sites in Mid Sussex, South Somerset, Dover and Maldon.
A selection of the schemes we have been or are currently involved in:
North Fambridge: Promotion of up to 1200 homes;
Northlands Farm: 400,000ft² Distribution Centre;
Leigh Industrial Estate: Regeneration of an industrial estate.
If you are interested in any of the points raised in this article or have a site you think may have development potential then please feel free to make contact to see how we may best assist: enquiries@plainview.co.uk