A report by the Acting Director of Regeneration, Housing and Planning informed the Cabinet of the future programme for the preparation of the Council’s Local Development Framework; the findings of the latest study of the Borough’s housing land supply; and reports on progress on the remaining technical evidence base studies.  The report recommended that the Local Development Scheme appended to the report was approved for formal adoption by Council and that the findings of the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) Update be made available for consultation before being included in the Proposed Submission Draft Core Strategy.

The Acting Director of Regeneration, Housing and Planning indicated that figures had now been provided by Peel for Wirral Waters and stated that up to 1,100 dwellings could be delivered in the first five years (2011-2016), 2,800 in years 6 to 10 (2016-2021) and 2,700 in years 11 to 15 (2021-2026).  This meant that a five year supply could be demonstrated under the RSS requirement, when taking into account Wirral Waters and an even longer term supply when based upon the DCLG Household Projection figures.   This would also help the supply over the 10 and 15 year periods to 2026.

RESOLVED: That

(1)   it be recommended to Council that the Local Development Scheme appended to the report be approved and that Council resolves to bring the Scheme into legal effect on the Monday following the date the resolution of Council is passed;

(2)   findings of the SHLAA Update be published for consultation, prior to their inclusion in the Proposed Submission Draft Core Strategy Development Plan Document and their approval as a material consideration for use by Planning Committee in the determination of planning applications; and

(3)   the 2008-based household projections be used as the basis for calculating the Borough’s five-year housing land supply in the period between the abolition of the Regional Spatial Strategy and the adoption of the Core Strategy.

The Deputy Chief Executive / Director of Corporate Services reported that following the resolution of Cabinet on 23 July 2009 (minute 63 refers) that a revised Local Development Scheme for Wirral should be submitted for the approval of the Secretary of State, the revised Scheme had now been approved by the Secretary of State by letter on 23 November 2009. A resolution of Council was now required to bring the final Scheme into legal effect.

The report also recommended the distribution of the annual award of Housing and Planning Delivery Grant (HPDG) for 2009/10.

Resolved – That Cabinet recommends to Council that,

(1) the Local Development Scheme attached to the Director’s report, as approved by the Secretary of State, be approved; and

(2) it resolves to bring the approved Local Development Scheme into legal effect on the Monday following the date the resolution of Council is passed;

(3) the HPDG be distributed with £9,915 allocated to the Department of Regeneration for the publication of a Strategic Housing Market Assessment; £27,000 allocated to the preparation of the Joint Waste DPD; and the remainder allocated to support the continued preparation of the Core Strategy DPD;

(4) in the event that the provisional allocation of HPDG is altered, that the final award of grant is distributed on a similar basis.