10.1 The 2021 NPPF (paragraphs 60-67) requires local authorities to meet locally established needs. This should be informed by a local housing needs assessment, (LHNA) conducted using the standard method in national guidance unless exceptional circumstances justify an alternative approach. It also requires local authorities to take into account any needs that cannot be met from surrounding local authorities.

10.2 It is therefore necessary, as the NPPF indicates, to establish the appropriate scale of development for the next plan period 2023 - 2043. A key piece of evidence in this determination has been the "Maldon District Local Housing Needs Assessment" published in July 2021, this document is available on the Councils website at www.maldon.gov.uk  This study was independently conducted on behalf of the Council by ICENI utilising the methodology requirements described by the NPPF and the accompanying Planning Practice Guidance. The report looks at the anticipated requirements for both economic development and housing. The technical details of the data below are fully described within the report. One of the conclusions in the document is that Maldon District lies within a Housing Market Area with Chelmsford and Braintree. National guidance requires us to take account of any unmet housing need of neighbouring authorities within Housing Market Areas. At present there is no evidence of any unmet housing need in these neighbouring local authority areas which would potentially need to be considered as to how it might be addressed.

10.3 The Government`s current standard method for assessing housing need takes the 2014 - based Household Projections and applies an upward adjustment based on the median house price to earnings ratio. Applying the standard method in Maldon District results in a minimum local housing need of 308 homes per annum. A review of the recent demographic data, including up-to-date projections and a range of data about past trends does not suggest that there is a strong case for the Council to move away from the standard method figure (in either an upward or downward direction).

10.4 Since the start of the current plan period in 2014 to 2021, the District has delivered 1,909 homes. The target for the same period was 2,170 homes, leaving a shortfall of 261 homes. Any housing shortfall should be carried over into the next plan period. It is also important to include a contingency figure or buffer on top of minimum amount of housing growth. This is to ensure that there is a range of different types of sites, large, medium and small and that there is a continuous supply of housing over the plan period and beyond. Using the 308 homes annual target from the standard method as set out in paragraph 8.3 above the District will need to ensure that there is the potential for housing growth as a minimum for a further 4,492 homes from 2023 to 2043. This figure can fluctuate depending on the number of housing completions and permissions granted up to the moment of the submission of the Plan to the Secretary of State for its examination. It is also important to include a contingency figure or buffer on top of minimum amount of housing growth. This is ensure that there is a range of different types of sites, large, medium and small and that there is a continuous supply of housing over the plan period and beyond.

Table 1 - Proposed Housing Figure for the Period 2023 - 2043

Issues and Options Consultation Questionnaire