Issue - meetings

A report on the key findings arising from the Strategic Housing Market Assessment Addendum report by Sarah Anderton, Principal Planning Officer, Spatial Policy.

Sarah Anderton, Principal Planning Officer presented her report on the key findings arising from the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) Addendum report.  The firm, G L Hearn, had been commissioned jointly by Ashford, Tonbridge and Malling and Maidstone Borough Councils to undertake separate SHMAs for each authority following a common methodology.

Ms Anderton explained the original SHMA carried out for Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) had reported an ‘objectively assessed housing need’ figure for the borough of 19,600 homes for the period 2011 to 2031.  Cabinet had agreed this figure at its meeting of 27 January 2014.

Ms Anderton went on to explain MBC commissioned a focused update of selective elements of the SHMA as an addendum to the main report.  The majority of the main SHMA was unchanged and would continue to be a key part of the evidence base for the emerging Local Plan.  Two specific pieces of information published since the main SHMA were:

1.  The publication of the Office of National Statistics’ 2012–based Sub-National Population Projections (SNPP) on 29 May 2014, and;

2.  The finalised National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) published in March 2014 – this indicated that Local Planning Authorities should assess and quantify future needs for elderly person’s accommodation, including residential care homes.

The 2012-based SNPP were significant because they were the first to be published taking full account of the 2011 census results and covered the period to 2037, the full Local Plan period.

The methodology used was the same as for the original SHMA.

The revised projection for future dwelling requirements (2011-31) (‘objectively assessed need’) was 18,600.  This showed a reduction in the total requirement of 1,000 dwellings compared to the main SHMA report.

Ms Anderton explained the importance of noting this figure (18,600) as this was the estimated housing need figure (the demand) for the period of the Local Plan.  This was different and separate from the supply of housing land available in the borough, the housing target figure for the borough, which would be set in the emerging Local Plan.

Ms Anderton continued to explain that the NPPG indicated local planning authorities needed an understanding of their residential care home needs for the future.  This was confirmed in March 2014 and was not in the guidance for the original SHMA.

The assessment of care home needs (residential care homes and nursing homes) had drawn on data from Kent County Council’s Adult Accommodation Strategy (July 2014) together with the ONS’ projections for the increase in the institutional population aged 75+.

The need identified for elderly care home spaces (2011-31) was 960.  This was in addition to the need for 18,600 new dwellings over the same period.

During lengthy discussion the Committee raised the following points:

·  Concerns regarding the reliability of the revised figure were raised after it being explained earlier in the year that the Committee had to accept the figure of 19,600.  It was explained it would not have been prudent to wait for the up to date figures to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43