Southern Planning

The Regional Assembly (SEERA) has submitted the South East Plan to Government and it is currently undergoing public examination until the end of March. The Panel's report is expected in Summer 2007 with a view to the Plan being adopted in early 2008. Once adopted it will be the Regional Spatial Strategy for the region and will replace RPG9. It will guide development in the region up to 2026.

 

The submitted strategy makes provision for the delivery of only 28,900 dwellings per year across the region. This is more or less a continuation of the level of provision in the existing regional planning guidance for the south east (RPG9) and fails to take into account more recent growth area designations in the region. The most recent Government household projections identify a household formation rate of 34,500 households per year indicating a significant shortfall in the regional assembly's proposals. This was noted by the panel who conducted the examination in public into the submitted plan and who recommended in their report that the target be increased to 32,000 dwellings per year. Unfortunately, this falls significantly short of the calls of HBF and other development industry representatives who were identified a need for an annual rate of around 40,000 dwellings per year in order to make up past under-provision and meet the backlog in affordable housing.