Issue - decisions

Matter for Decision:

a.    To agree the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Housing Land Supply Report (Appendix 1 of this decision) to be published on the Councils’ shared planning service website.

Monitoring delivery in Greater Cambridge (greatercambridgeplanning.org)

b.    To delegate any further minor editing changes to the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Housing Land Supply Report to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development where they are technical matters.

Why the Decision had to be made (and any alternative options):

The Greater Cambridge housing trajectory is used by the Councils to calculate their housing land supply and to show anticipated housing delivery against their housing requirement in the adopted Local Plans. The housing trajectory and housing land supply calculations are required to be updated annually. The new five year period starts on 1 April 2024, and therefore calculations for this period (2024-2029) need to be agreed and published.

An alternative option would be to not publish the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Housing Land Supply Report. However, national planning policy and guidance requires all local planning authorities with an adopted plan of more than five years old to identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to deliver a minimum of either four or five years’ worth of housing against their local housing need. A new housing trajectory is required to establish the Greater Cambridge housing land supply for the purposes of making planning decisions.

The Executive Councillor’s decision:

That the Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control and Infrastructure

a.      Agreed the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Housing Land Supply Report (Appendix 1 of this decision) to be published on the Councils’ shared planning service website.

Monitoring delivery in Greater Cambridge (greatercambridgeplanning.org)

b.      Delegated any further minor editing changes to the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Housing Land Supply Report to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development where they are technical matters.

Reason for the decision:

The Greater Cambridge housing trajectory is used by the Councils to calculate their housing land supply and to show anticipated housing delivery against their housing requirement in the adopted Local Plans. The housing trajectory and housing land supply calculations are required to be updated annually. The new five year period starts on 1 April 2024, and therefore calculations for this period (2024-2029) need to be agreed and published.

Scrutiny Consideration:

The Chair and Spokespersons of Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee were consulted prior to the action being authorised.

Report:

The Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Housing Land Supply Report (April 2024) is attached as Appendix 1 or can be viewed at the link below:

Monitoring delivery in Greater Cambridge (greatercambridgeplanning.org)

Conflict of interest:

None.

Comments:

No adverse comments were made.