Comment
Strategic Growth Options
Representation ID: 5428
Received: 16/02/2015
Respondent: Thurrock Borough Council
Some of Brentwood Borough Council's Technical Evidence will need to be updated. The current SHMA and Economic Futures reports are based on EPOA Phase 6 study, which in turn is based on 2010 Sub-National Population Projections and 2011 interim population and household projections.
The NPPF and the Planning Policy Guidance place great weight on using up to date population and household projections. The 2012 population and household projections will be more robust than existing projections.
The current OAN may be an under or overestimate when compared to scenarios based on 2012 projections. Thurrock does not consider that numbers based on the EPOA phase 6 study constitute OAN. It is noted that the OAN report says it must be updated.
Brentwood Council needs to make sure their OAN meets the requirements of the NPPF, Planning Practice Guidance and best practice guidance (recently written by PAS). Any Draft Plan by the Council must be based on new OAN figures. It is unclear how Brentwood council will take account of new dwellings provision for households identified by DCLG/ONS projections into the OAN.
The SHMA and Economic futures will also need to be updated to reflect the new OAN, especially if it is significantly different to the current OAN figure.
see attached