Housing Land Supply

3.9 The main role of the Local Plan in respect of housing is to secure the controlled release of land for development, maintaining a minimum five year supply of land and supporting the policies set out in the Structure Plan. The latter document identifies a requirement for some 4000 new dwellings in Eden District outside of the Lake District National Park for the period 1991 - 2006. In commenting on the reasoning which should underlie local plan allocations reference is made to meeting the economic and social aspirations of residents; securing a high quality environment; striking a balance between the environment and the impact of development; and, making land available in locations attractive to investors.

3.10 The Structure Plan concludes that these developments "should continue to be concentrated in the towns and in villages well related to them by public transport" in order to reduce car dependence and engender more sustainable and efficient modes of transport related housing development. The Council wishes to pursue the principles of sustainable development and those concerned with planning for less travel by private vehicle, as set out in the Government advice, Planning Policy Guidance Note 13. However, the scattered and very rural character of much of the District, where a small population has been unable to maintain support of a viable public transport system, means that some compromise is necessary. The strategy adopted in the Eden Local Plan has been to focus a majority of development (approximately 56% of housing allocations) in the main settlements of Alston, Appleby, Kirkby Stephen and Penrith but, at the same time, to make more modest allocations in a number of smaller rural settlements where services and facilities are available and where modest growth will contribute to the continued vitality of the community. In some instances these housing allocations relate also to employment allocations. Providing support for the established service infrastructure and providing for housing and employment opportunities within rural communities is a strategy which will contribute to minimising the need to travel while maintaining community viability.

3.11 As at April 1994, sites in the Local Plan area with planning permission, including those sites already under construction and dwellings already completed, could accommodate 2799 new dwellings, leaving a shortfall of 1201 dwellings to meet the Structure Plan requirement. That requirement was based on annual completion rates over the last decade during parts of which migration into the area, and new house building, took place at an unusually high rate. Whilst the continuation of this rate may therefore be considered somewhat unlikely, the attractions of the Eden area are such in terms of life style and development possibilities that the assumption made within the Structure Plan is considered an appropriate framework for planning housing land provision.

3.12 Table 1 illustrates how the overall land supply is made up, comprising land with planning permission, newly allocated sites and an allowance for the number of dwellings deriving from sites of less than five dwellings. This latter figure is based upon an assumption that 30% of the housing requirement will be met from such sites. This is lower than has historically been the case but is considered a reasonable basis for calculation, since past completions and new local plan allocations and policies will act to reduce the scope for windfall proposals.

3.13 The breakdown of the Local Plan housing land supply at April, 1994 is set out below:

Table 1: Local Plan Housing Supply

3.14 The progress of housing land development is continually monitored. Allocations and sites in development are more than sufficient to meet the required minimum 5 year supply. However, should under-provision (meaning that a genuinely available and developable five year supply of land cannot be maintained), be identified as a result of Land for Housing studies undertaken with the House Builders Federation or through similar authoritative research during the Local Plan period, modifications may be justified. It is not anticipated that this will be necessary in the short to medium term given the allocations made. Appendix Five to the Local Plan provides a schedule of housing land commitments and allocations, indicating the location, area and estimated capacity of each site.