20th July 2010

Dear Sir/Madam

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STRATEGIC HOUSINGLAND AVAILABILITY ASSESSMENT –call for sites with development potential

In February 2009 the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (NNJPU) published the first Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) study for North Northamptonshire, which is the area covered by East Northamptonshire, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough Councils.

The purpose of this SHLAA study was to gather up-to-date information on the future housing potential ofNorth Northamptonshire throughidentifying the amount of land that is available (or likely to become available) for housing in the foreseeable future. It is now necessary to review the existing SHLAA in order to take account of changes which have occurred to housing supply since publication (for example, new permissions and dwelling completions), as well as to factor in new sites and factual updates brought to the NNJPU’s attention. The outputs of this work will be used by the NNJPU in its review of the Core Strategy, and bythe four Councils to inform their various Local Development Documents (LDDs).

To ensure this process is as robust as possible the NNJPU has invited updates and new submissions on an ongoing basis through our website . We now wish to draw this process to a close to enable the SHLAA to be updated. Therefore, this letter has been sent to you as an agent / landowner / developer to invite submission of additionalinformation on potential housing sites that have not been previously brought to the attention of the NNJPU or the four Councils since April 2008.

The adopted Core Spatial Strategy focuses new development at the Growth Towns of Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough, with regeneration and modest growth at the Smaller Towns of Burton Latimer, Desborough, Rothwell, Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Irthlingborough as well as the Rural Service Centres of Raunds, Thrapston and Oundle. Growth is to be limited to meeting local needs in the villages and restricted in the open countryside.

Reflecting this policy context, the original SHLAA focussed on development opportunities at the town and villages listed below as these have the best provision of community facilities and local services to support growth.

The SHLAA update will focus on these settlements and you are invited to submit details for any site that you consider capable of supporting housing development within/adjacent to any of these settlements (including the potential Sustainable Urban Extensions). You may also wish to alert the JPU to any other significant development opportunities that you feel should be considered.

Please note that there is a minimum site size threshold for this study of 0.25 hectares (0.62 acres) and the NNJPU will not be able to consider any sites that are smaller than this. The NNJPU does not need information on sites that already benefit from an unimplemented planning permission as we will receive these details from our partner planning authorities.

If you wish to participate, you should send details of any potential housing sites that satisfy the above criteria to the NNJPU using the enclosed pro-forma, together with any other material you may wish to include. Please note that you are requested to complete the pro-forma in as much detail as possible within the time period available. Substantial, detailed surveys are not required at this stage. Whilst we would prefer you to use the pro-forma, your submission should include the following as a minimum:

  • written description of the site’s location;
  • a detailed plan at 1:2500 or 1:1250 scale (preferably on an Ordnance Survey base map) clearly showing the site’s boundaries;
  • your reasons for believing the site to be suitable for housing development;
  • how the site is consistent with the strategy set out in the CSS (or why it could be justified as an exception);
  • your opinion of when the site could be developed for housing;
  • the number of dwelling units that you think the site is capable of accommodating, with reasons;
  • any constraints to development you are aware of, and what needs to be done to overcome such constraints; and
  • any other information that you feel is relevant.

To be able to consider each submission, the NNJPU will need to receive your response by Wednesday 11th August 2010. Late submissions will only be considered at the NNJPU’s discretion, so please notify the NNJPU well in advance if you anticipate any problems in meeting the submission date.

Please note that this exercise in identifying potential housing sites will not prejudice decisions by the local planning authority on any subsequent planning application or Development Plan Document.

If you have any points you wish to discuss, please call me on tel: 01536 274974 or contact me by email: .

Yours sincerely,

Paul Woods

Planning Officer