Object
Draft Local Plan
Representation ID: 15628
Received: 10/05/2016
Respondent: Basildon Borough Council
In relation to identified housing land supply, it would appear from the evidence base that Brentwood Borough Council has not carried out a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) since 2011. Basildon Borough Council made it clear in its response to Brentwood Borough Council regarding the Brentwood Borough's Local Plan Strategic Growth Options in early 2015 that it would expect the SHLAA to be updated before a Local Plan for Brentwood is progressed. Brentwood Borough Council should update its SHLAA by undertaking land availability assessments to help inform the emerging Local Plan, and review this on an annual basis. These assessments must review whether sites are suitable, available and achievable in both planning and viability terms, otherwise they cannot be relied upon to make up Brentwood's development land supply. It is not clear how any of the proposed housing sites included in the Draft Local Plan have been put forward and how the sites are justified as suitable without crucial supporting evidence which is missing including recent landscaping, ecology and open space evidence.
See attached.