Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) and the Brownfield Land Register
On 20th December 2016, we published the updated Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) for the South Downs National Park Authority. This updates and replaces the previous SHLAA which was published in January 2015.
What is a SHLAA?
The National Planning Policy Framework requires us to produce a SHLAA. A SHLAA is a piece of evidence which will be used in the preparation of the South Downs Local Plan. The SHLAA identifies land and assesses the availability, suitability and deliverability of that land as a potential housing site. This evidence will help the National Park Authority understand what sites are theoretically available for housing development. We will then use this information and other pieces of evidence to identify potential locations for housing to be allocated in the emerging South Downs Local Plan and Neighbourhood Development Plans.
Consultation on the Preferred Options Local Plan took place from 2nd September to 28th October 2015. More information on this consultation is available at www.southdowns.gov.uk/planning/national-park-local-plan/ At the same time as this consultation, we invited the submission of sites for the SHLAA.
Important information on the SHLAA
- The SHLAA does not allocate sites to be developed. The allocation of sites for future housing development will be determined through either the South Downs Local Plan or Neighbourhood Development Plans.
- Please note that the SHLAA is only one part of the evidence base used to determine potential housing sites to be allocated in the South Downs Local Plan. As it is a piece of evidence, it is not open to consultation. There will be opportunity to formally comment on the pre-submission version of the Local Plan when it is published in Autumn 2017.
- The identification of potential housing sites within the SHLAA does not imply that planning permission would be granted for residential development.
- The SHLAA is a high level assessment of potential housing opportunities. It does not determine planning applications. Determination of planning applications will require a greater level of detail and understanding of the site constraints. Communities and applicants cannot rely on the findings or conclusions in the SHLAA in isolation.
- The study findings are a ‘snap-shot’ of information held at the time it was being prepared. It assesses sites submitted to us on or before 28th October 2015.
The South Downs National Park SHLAA
- SHLAA Covering Report
- Appendix A Assessment Criteria
- Appendix B Settlement maps
- Appendix C Summaries by settlement
- Appendix D Sites with potential
- Appendix E Full Assessment Outcomes
In July 2017, an erratum was produced to correct a few minor inaccuracies in the SHLAA 2016.
Future Updates and Submitted Sites
The SHLAA and brownfield register will be updated regularly in future. We continue to invite site submissions for consideration in future assessments. Please use the downloadable proforma below to submit a new site, or to re-submit a site with updated information. Note there is no need to re-submit sites that are allocated in the Submission South Downs Local Plan.
Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) Proforma
Further Information
If you believe that there is an error or mistake in the SHLAA or brownfield register, please clearly set this out to us with the site reference and address and this can be considered as part of future updates. Please e-mail the team at planningpolicy@southdowns.gov.uk or contact us by telephone on 01730 814810 (ask for Planning Policy).
Brownfield Land Register
Information on the Brownfield Land Register can be found on the link below.