Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)

Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)

Call for Development Sites 2015

Please ensure that you read the following notes before responding

What is a HELAA

South Somerset District Council is producing a Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA). This study will include an update of the Council’s Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) and Employment Land Review (ELR). The National Planning Policy Framework identifies the advantages of carrying out assessments for housing and economic development as part of the same exercise. The HELAA will be part of the evidence base used to identify additional sites for housing, employment and other uses to meet the District’s future requirements and to inform the five-year supply of deliverable housing land. Submissions may also be used to support Neighbourhood and Parish Plans.

To support the HELAA study the Council is:

·  Inviting new sites to be submitted for housing and economic development use;

·  Seeking confirmation that existing SHLAA / ELR sites are still available and requesting updated information on their potential; and

·  Reviewing the suitability of employment sites promoted for housing use;

Sites which already have planning permission; are the subject of a planning application or are a saved allocation will also be considered as part of this process.

What types of land uses are being assessed?

Housing: This includes sites suitable for general needs housing (i.e. for sale/rent in the open market). The council is also interested in sites suitable in whole or part for:

·  Affordable housing

·  Supported housing or accommodation for older people

·  Sites suitable for self-build plots.

·  Sites with potential for Gypsies, Travellers or Travelling Showpeople

·  Mixed use sites

Land for economic development: This includes sites suitable for offices or business premises/light industrial (use class B1), land for industrial sites (use class B2) or warehousing (use class B8) and other economic development uses including public and community uses, retail, built leisure and recreation facilities, arts, culture and tourism development.

Where and what sort of sites are we looking for?

This call for sites is not restricted to any particular locations but land should be suitable for development over the next 15 years.

The assessment will consider all sites and broad locations capable of delivering five or more dwellings or economic development on sites of 0.25 ha (or 500m2 of floorspace) and above.

What to do next?

For new sites – not previously identified to the Council

Please complete the form on the following pages providing as much information as you can in each entry. Please complete a separate form for each parcel of land in separate ownership and return to us either:

·  By post to: The Spatial Policy Team, The Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil, BA20 2HT; or

·  Via email to:

Forms should be returned by midday on Friday 29th January 2016 to be certain of their inclusion in the HELAA. Please provide enough information to enable us to assess the site. Section 5: Ownership details must be completed. A clear location map showing the precise boundaries of the site must accompany each form.

For existing sites - already promoted or in the 2013 SHLAA.

Check the site is identified in the SHLAA – details of sites and maps for site boundaries can be found in the documents section on the SHLAA page on the Council web site at: http://www.southsomerset.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/planning-policy/evidence-base/district-wide-documents/strategic-housing-land-availability-assessment-(shlaa)/

If nothing has changed please confirm via email to the Council that the site details have not changed quoting the SHLAA site reference number/s.

You can also submit a new form to the Council if you:

(a) want to take the opportunity to indicate other uses apart from open market housing which may be suitable for the promoted site.

(b) provide additional information if constraints on land identified in the current SHLAA can now be overcome.

(c) update information on site boundaries/owners, agents or other contact details

Please ensure that in all instances you quote the relevant SHLAA reference number.

For existing sites in the planning process:

There is no need to submit further information on sites if:

·  The site already has an extant planning permission

·  The site is subject to a current planning application

If you have sent the Council a request for inclusion in the assessment since November 2012, we will seek to include it however, in order to ensure that we have all the relevant details you are advised to complete the site information form and return it to us during this Call for Sites period.

What happens next?

Site information will be used to produce an HELAA Assessment which once finalised will be published on the Council website www.southsomerset.gov.uk .

Whilst the Council will consider land promoted, this does not guarantee that land will be assessed or confer any formal planning status on sites.

South Somerset Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment

Call for Sites – Information Form

1.  Contact Details
Name and company (if applicable)
Representing (if applicable)
Address
Phone Number
Email
2. I am (indicate as appropriate)…
Owner of the site / Land Agent
Parish Council / Developer
Planning Consultant / Registered Social Landlord
Other (please specify):
Data Protection and Freedom of Information
Data is collected by South Somerset District Council as data controller in accordance with the data principles in the Data Protection Act 1998.
I agree that South Somerset District Council can hold the contact details and related information enclosed. I understand that this data may be disclosed in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.
Signed / Date
Please note that forms that are not signed and dated will not be accepted
3. Site Information
Site location
(address including postcode)NB: This form must be accompanied by a site plan
How will the site be accessed? (indicate on the site plan. By completing and returning this pro forma you consent to officers of the Council visiting the site in order to make an assessment against the Site Assesment Methodology. Site vists will be unaccompanied where possible. If the site can be seen from public vantage points there may be no need for site access). / Please indicate if there are any issues which would prevent officers of the council undertaking a site visit unaccompanied.
Site area (in hectares)
Current Land Use
(e.g. employment, agricultural land/countryside, agricultural buildings, housing, residential garden, mixed use, vacant land in urban area).
Type of site(e.g. greenfield or previously developed land)
Has this site been promoted and assessed in previous SHLAAs? (reference number if known)
Planning History (if applicable)
Has this site been the subject of any discussion or consultation with a Town or Parish Council? (Please provide details)
4. Proposed Future Uses & Capacity
USE (if mixed use, please tick all that apply) / Yes / Basic Information – area/number of units/proposed Floorspace/number of pitches/Jobs
Housing
Affordable Housing only
Plots for self-build
Care Home/Older Persons Housing
Office, Research & Development, light industrial (B1)
General industrial (B2) / warehousing (B8)
Site for Gypsy and travellers or Showpeople
Other economic development uses, (please specify below)
5. Site Ownership (this section must be completed)
I (or my client)….
Is the sole owner of the site
Is a part owner of the site
Does not own (or hold any legal interest in) the site whatsoever
If you are not the owner, or own only part of the site, do you know who owns the remainder? (please provide details):
Does the owner (or other owners) support your proposal for the site? / Yes / No
Landowner name:
6. Market Interest
Please choose the most appropriate category below and indicate what level of market interest there is/has recently been in the site.
Yes / Comments
Site is owned by a developer
Site is under option to a developer
Enquiries received
Site is being marketed
None / Not Known
7. Utilities / Infrastructure
Please tell us which of the following utilities are available to the site
Yes / No / Unsure
Mains water supply
Mains sewerage
Electrical supply
Gas supply
Landline telephone/broadband internet
Public Transport
Other (please specify):
8. Viability
Yes / No / Unsure
Is development of the site for the use proposed viable
Please explain why you consider development of the site is currently viable or could be made viable
9. Development Constraints
To the best of your knowledge, are there any constraints that may prevent development on the site ?
Yes / No / Unsure
Local Plan 2006-2028 – not a location for development in the spatial strategy (Policies:SS2, SS3 and SS5)
Land in other ownership must be acquired to access or develop the site
Restrictive covenants exist
Current use needs to be relocated
Physical constraints (topography, trees, other)
Public rights of way cross or adjoin the site
Contamination/pollution
Conservation Area/Listed Buildings or Local Character
Environmental Designation (eg wildlife sites)
Flood Risk
Please provide any relevant information in section 11 of likely measures to address any of the above that you have answered “YES”
10. Timescale
Please indicate the approximate timescale for availability from 1 April 2015:
Comments – particularly if you have indicated that the site is not immediately available, please explain why:
Immediately
Up to 5 years
5 - 10 years
10 – 15 years
Beyond 15 years
11. Other Relevant Information – Please use the space below for additional information or further explanations on any of the topics covered in this form (any additional info should be limited to 3 sides of A4):

Please return this form by midday on Friday 29th January 2016