Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five Year Housing Land Supply - Main Document

Main Document

Para 24: 157 questionnaire sent to developer/builders of sites which met the criteria. 105 competed questionnaires were returned giving a 67% response rate. It is stated that follow ups to the non-responders were carried out but as there are 52 of these, why was more effort not made to pursue these companies for information? Does this explain why the 2019-2024 five year land supply figure for Greater Cambridge is now 5.3 years whereas earlier this year it was 6 years? What other explanations are there?

Para 45: The 5 year rolling supply for 2019-2024 shows Cambridge having 5 years supply, Greater Cambridge having 5.3 years supply and South Cambridgeshire having 5.4 years supply. How is the overlap of sites in both areas dealt with?

Para 48: The reduction from 6 years supply for 2019-2024 is stated as delivery timetables being slower than anticipated. Apart from the reasons given for this delay -

* 'Market conditions, including static house price growth, low market confidence, products not being favoured by purchasers, reduced land value and aborted sale of land to a developer;
* Brexit and the uncertain political climate;
* Rising construction costs, including shortage of labour and materials;
* Site specific issues, such as carrying out habitat relocation at the correct time, archaeological investigations, relocation of the existing uses(s), securing site access and multiple landowners,
* Planning obligations and viability of the proposed development,
* Planning enforcement action being taken,
* Delays in determining planning applications and discharge of conditions applications and,
* Delays in the adoption of the Local Plans.'

What planning measures are being put in place to assist developers in keeping or making up the time loss? How will the new outsourcing of certain planning functions of the Greater Cambridge planning department help?

Para 53: Both councils have taken the 5 year housing supply from 2019-2024 to be 5.3 years. How can we be certain that this is accurate? Are there any figures to predict if this 5.3 will remain constant up to 2024 or could the 5 year housing supply drop below the critical 5 years thus opening up the whole of Greater Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in particular to speculative development again?

As a general point, does SCDC have the planning resources to ensure that the 5 year housing supply is met?

Main Document

Para 24: 157 questionnaire sent to developer/builders of sites which met the criteria. 105 competed questionnaires were returned giving a 67% response rate. It is stated that follow ups to the non-responders were carried out but as there are 52 of these, why was more effort not made to pursue these companies for information? Does this explain why the 2019-2024 five year land supply figure for Greater Cambridge is now 5.3 years whereas earlier this year it was 6 years? What other explanations are there?

Para 45: The 5 year rolling supply for 2019-2024 shows Cambridge having 5 years supply, Greater Cambridge having 5.3 years supply and South Cambridgeshire having 5.4 years supply. How is the overlap of sites in both areas dealt with?

Para 48: The reduction from 6 years supply for 2019-2024 is stated as delivery timetables being slower than anticipated. Apart from the reasons given for this delay -

* 'Market conditions, including static house price growth, low market confidence, products not being favoured by purchasers, reduced land value and aborted sale of land to a developer;
* Brexit and the uncertain political climate;
* Rising construction costs, including shortage of labour and materials;
* Site specific issues, such as carrying out habitat relocation at the correct time, archaeological investigations, relocation of the existing uses(s), securing site access and multiple landowners,
* Planning obligations and viability of the proposed development,
* Planning enforcement action being taken,
* Delays in determining planning applications and discharge of conditions applications and,
* Delays in the adoption of the Local Plans.'

What planning measures are being put in place to assist developers in keeping or making up the time loss? How will the new outsourcing of certain planning functions of the Greater Cambridge planning department help?

Para 53: Both councils have taken the 5 year housing supply from 2019-2024 to be 5.3 years. How can we be certain that this is accurate? Are there any figures to predict if this 5.3 will remain constant up to 2024 or could the 5 year housing supply drop below the critical 5 years thus opening up the whole of Greater Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in particular to speculative development again?

As a general point, does SCDC have the planning resources to ensure that the 5 year housing supply is met?

Main Document

Para 24: 157 questionnaire sent to developer/builders of sites which met the criteria. 105 competed questionnaires were returned giving a 67% response rate. It is stated that follow ups to the non-responders were carried out but as there are 52 of these, why was more effort not made to pursue these companies for information? Does this explain why the 2019-2024 five year land supply figure for Greater Cambridge is now 5.3 years whereas earlier this year it was 6 years? What other explanations are there?

Para 45: The 5 year rolling supply for 2019-2024 shows Cambridge having 5 years supply, Greater Cambridge having 5.3 years supply and South Cambridgeshire having 5.4 years supply. How is the overlap of sites in both areas dealt with?

Para 48: The reduction from 6 years supply for 2019-2024 is stated as delivery timetables being slower than anticipated. Apart from the reasons given for this delay -

* 'Market conditions, including static house price growth, low market confidence, products not being favoured by purchasers, reduced land value and aborted sale of land to a developer;
* Brexit and the uncertain political climate;
* Rising construction costs, including shortage of labour and materials;
* Site specific issues, such as carrying out habitat relocation at the correct time, archaeological investigations, relocation of the existing uses(s), securing site access and multiple landowners,
* Planning obligations and viability of the proposed development,
* Planning enforcement action being taken,
* Delays in determining planning applications and discharge of conditions applications and,
* Delays in the adoption of the Local Plans.'

What planning measures are being put in place to assist developers in keeping or making up the time loss? How will the new outsourcing of certain planning functions of the Greater Cambridge planning department help?

Para 53: Both councils have taken the 5 year housing supply from 2019-2024 to be 5.3 years. How can we be certain that this is accurate? Are there any figures to predict if this 5.3 will remain constant up to 2024 or could the 5 year housing supply drop below the critical 5 years thus opening up the whole of Greater Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in particular to speculative development again?

As a general point, does SCDC have the planning resources to ensure that the 5 year housing supply is met?

Main Document

Para 24: 157 questionnaire sent to developer/builders of sites which met the criteria. 105 competed questionnaires were returned giving a 67% response rate. It is stated that follow ups to the non-responders were carried out but as there are 52 of these, why was more effort not made to pursue these companies for information? Does this explain why the 2019-2024 five year land supply figure for Greater Cambridge is now 5.3 years whereas earlier this year it was 6 years? What other explanations are there?

Para 45: The 5 year rolling supply for 2019-2024 shows Cambridge having 5 years supply, Greater Cambridge having 5.3 years supply and South Cambridgeshire having 5.4 years supply. How is the overlap of sites in both areas dealt with?

Para 48: The reduction from 6 years supply for 2019-2024 is stated as delivery timetables being slower than anticipated. Apart from the reasons given for this delay -

* 'Market conditions, including static house price growth, low market confidence, products not being favoured by purchasers, reduced land value and aborted sale of land to a developer;
* Brexit and the uncertain political climate;
* Rising construction costs, including shortage of labour and materials;
* Site specific issues, such as carrying out habitat relocation at the correct time, archaeological investigations, relocation of the existing uses(s), securing site access and multiple landowners,
* Planning obligations and viability of the proposed development,
* Planning enforcement action being taken,
* Delays in determining planning applications and discharge of conditions applications and,
* Delays in the adoption of the Local Plans.'

What planning measures are being put in place to assist developers in keeping or making up the time loss? How will the new outsourcing of certain planning functions of the Greater Cambridge planning department help?

Para 53: Both councils have taken the 5 year housing supply from 2019-2024 to be 5.3 years. How can we be certain that this is accurate? Are there any figures to predict if this 5.3 will remain constant up to 2024 or could the 5 year housing supply drop below the critical 5 years thus opening up the whole of Greater Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in particular to speculative development again?

As a general point, does SCDC have the planning resources to ensure that the 5 year housing supply is met?

Main Document

Para 24: 157 questionnaire sent to developer/builders of sites which met the criteria. 105 competed questionnaires were returned giving a 67% response rate. It is stated that follow ups to the non-responders were carried out but as there are 52 of these, why was more effort not made to pursue these companies for information? Does this explain why the 2019-2024 five year land supply figure for Greater Cambridge is now 5.3 years whereas earlier this year it was 6 years? What other explanations are there?

Para 45: The 5 year rolling supply for 2019-2024 shows Cambridge having 5 years supply, Greater Cambridge having 5.3 years supply and South Cambridgeshire having 5.4 years supply. How is the overlap of sites in both areas dealt with?

Para 48: The reduction from 6 years supply for 2019-2024 is stated as delivery timetables being slower than anticipated. Apart from the reasons given for this delay -

* 'Market conditions, including static house price growth, low market confidence, products not being favoured by purchasers, reduced land value and aborted sale of land to a developer;
* Brexit and the uncertain political climate;
* Rising construction costs, including shortage of labour and materials;
* Site specific issues, such as carrying out habitat relocation at the correct time, archaeological investigations, relocation of the existing uses(s), securing site access and multiple landowners,
* Planning obligations and viability of the proposed development,
* Planning enforcement action being taken,
* Delays in determining planning applications and discharge of conditions applications and,
* Delays in the adoption of the Local Plans.'

What planning measures are being put in place to assist developers in keeping or making up the time loss? How will the new outsourcing of certain planning functions of the Greater Cambridge planning department help?

Para 53: Both councils have taken the 5 year housing supply from 2019-2024 to be 5.3 years. How can we be certain that this is accurate? Are there any figures to predict if this 5.3 will remain constant up to 2024 or could the 5 year housing supply drop below the critical 5 years thus opening up the whole of Greater Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire in particular to speculative development again?

As a general point, does SCDC have the planning resources to ensure that the 5 year housing supply is met?