NEW POL
Lots of you will have unfortunately become
aware of the dreaded acronym “POL”, Provisional Open Land, you will know it
means Open Season for Developers in Green Land. It comes about because we are “deemed”
not to have an adequate supply of housing land left as designated by the last
Development Plan.
The term has now been changed to “Safeguarded
Land”, an unfortunate term in my mind because it really means Land that will be
at risk at the end of the current planning period, as opposed to Greenbelt Land
that is Safeguarded.
However we do need to designate new “Safeguarded
Land” in the current plan. The Home Builders Federation want us to designate 15
years supply (Aprox land for 30,000 houses). The following is a note as to what
we intend to propose.
Briefing Note – Safeguarded Land (formerly known as POL –
Provisional Open Land)
National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF) requires Local Planning Authorities, when reviewing Green Belt
boundaries, to have regard to the intended permanence of Green Belt boundaries
in the long term and ensure that boundaries are capable of enduring beyond the
plan period. Local Planning Authorities are required, where necessary, to
“identify in their plans areas of ‘safeguarded land’ between the urban area
and the Green Belt, in order to meet longer-term development needs stretching
well beyond the plan period”.
No further guidance is given
on what period of time constitutes “well beyond the plan period”. In
addition, there has been little clarity from examination of development plans across
the country or in the neighbouring districts as to what an appropriate amount
of safeguarded land is. Comments received on the Draft Local Plan vary
from zero to 15 years’ worth of supply (Home Builders Federation). The recently
adopted Leeds City Council Core Strategy document outlined the need for upto
10% of their housing figure to be safeguarded land – this was found sound by
the Secretary of State but this decision will have taken into account other
assumptions in the Leeds Core Strategy which may not apply to the Kirklees
Local Plan.
Development plan reviews usually
start well before the 15 year end date as a result of changing circumstances.
Based on projecting forward the objectively assessed housing figure beyond 2031
it is likely that Kirklees would have at least 3-4 years’ worth of safeguarded
land for housing purposes if it was ever needed – this should be a sufficient
period for a revised plan to be in place, even if a review did not start before
the plan period finished. It will no doubt be debated at the Examination in
Public whether this represents sufficient safeguarded land “in order to meet longer-term development
needs stretching well beyond the plan period” (my emphasis).
The sites assessed for
potential safeguarded land options are housing options that have been rejected
for housing allocation. These sites are predominantly existing
safeguarded land (POL) sites or sites in the green belt. Existing housing
allocations have been considered for safeguarded land designation where they
are subject to constraints that would render them undeliverable over the plan
period. Sites were not accepted as Safeguarded Land allocations where
they were subject to major topographical constraints, may adversely impact
on statutory designations such as listed buildings or the Special Protection
Area; or are not in conformity with the Green Belt review.
