brentwood.gov.uk

Object

Representation ID: 1217

Received: 02/10/2013

Respondent: Wiggins Gee Homes Ltd

Agent: David Russell Associates

The Council's own "objective assessment" of housing need, carried out by PBA, estimated that around 350 new dwellings would be required each year, a total of 5,250 over the 15 year Plan period. The Plan makes provision for 3,500 new dwellings, some 2,250 short of this OAN. This shortfall in provision is justified by a lack of capacity, as identified in a number of studies, including the Housing Growth Scenarios Study carried out by Brentwood with its neighbouring Essex authorities. If we assume that the OAN for Brentwood report is correct, a considerable amount of the need it identified should be catered for by the Preferred Options Document. This must result in one or more of the following consequences:
*the need not catered for by the Plan is diverted to, and met by, provision in neighbouring areas
*the identified needs may be diminished by as yet unforeseen changes in local social and demographic characteristics
*the need remains as predicted, increasing pressure on the Borough's housing stock, generating additional increases in prices and rents in the private sector, and
*a continuing lengthening of the waiting list for socially provided housing.

Either the need identified by Peter Brett Associates is real and properly constituted or it is not. Assuming that it is, then the Preferred Options Document is choosing to export or defer to a later period a substantial part of this need. It will be left to the next Plan to decide how much irrevocable damage to other interests will be needed to accommodate what by then will be even greater pressures on housing provision. The Plan's proposals apparently do not meet the area's OAN. This is a very risky strategy, given the increasing evidence and concern about the
crisis in housing provision, and simply delays tough decisions, that need making now, to a time when it will be even more difficult to provide the housing needed without the "irrevocable harm" that the Plan fears will happen.