Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report of the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Development.

The Head of Planning, Regeneration and Development presented the report on DDC’s Housing Delivery Action Plan 2020.

Members were advised that the Council had registered 92% performance as measured against the Government’s housing delivery test and therefore it needed to apply a 5% buffer to its annual 5 years housing land supply calculation. As part of this it needed to produce an action plan that assessed the causes of under delivery, explored ways to reduce the risk of further under-delivery and identified actions to increase delivery. The Council’s Housing Delivery Action Plan 2020 had been produced in line with national planning practice guidance and provided a set of initiatives to help increase the supply of new dwellings within the Dover district.

The Action Plan would not impact on the housing allocation supply as green and amber sites would still need to be demonstrated as sustainable.

In response to concerns raised by Members that delays to development caused by a issues with infrastructure delivery had not been mentioned, the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Development advised that work was on-going attempting to deal with this issue.

Members also discussed the impact of the council declaring a climate emergency on the report and were advised that this would be delivered through building regulations and that a promised change to the building regulations had been delayed by the Covid-19 crisis. The issue of using brownfield sites before greenfield sites for development was discussed and it was stated that viability considerations were key to the development of brownfield sites and they often took longer to develop.

RESOLVED:       That it be recommended to Cabinet that the Housing Delivery Action Plan 2020, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

To consider the attached report of the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Development.

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regulatory Services

It was agreed that the Housing Delivery Action Plan 2020, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.