Local planning authorities are required to identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide a minimum of five years’ worth of housing against their housing requirements (The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraph 74).

The 5 Year Housing Land Supply sets out the five-year housing land supply position in East Hampshire District (not including the area within the South Downs National Park) at 1 April 2023.

It informs the council’s 'authority monitoring report' and future decisions on planning applications for housing development. 

Following the changes made to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in December 2023, the council has updated the five year land supply position.

The addendum updates the council's land supply position, taking into account the changes.

Mount Royal, 46 Lymington Bottom, Four Marks - appeal decision

On 10 April 2024, an appeal was allowed for up to 60 dwellings at Mount Royal, 46 Lymington Bottom, Four Marks (planning application ref: 56082/004).

As part of the decision, the Inspector concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to support the council’s published position of 4.74 years housing land supply and concluded that EHDC only have 3.59 years supply. This is due to a lack of evidence from housebuilders themselves about their anticipated build programme for individual sites.

This decision therefore has implications for the consideration of planning applications for housing as the Council is unable to demonstrate a 4-year housing land supply of deliverable housing, measured over a 5-year period, as is required by National Planning legislation.

This means that policies in the adopted Local Plan relating to housing supply cannot be considered up-to-date and the ‘planning balance’ has shifted whereby greater weight should be applied to the delivery of homes to address housing need. Consequently, proposals for residential development should only be refused where any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.

Next steps

Work is underway to update the housing land supply position to 1 April 2024 and the revised housing land supply position is anticipated to be published August 2024. The matters raised by the Inspector in relation to the level of evidence required will be fully addressed in the updated position statement.