Housing land supply

Background

Up until 19 December 2023, all local authorities were required to identify and update annually a supply of specific and deliverable sites sufficient to provide a five years supply of housing against their housing requirement. This requirement changed following the the publication of a revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on 19 December 2023.

For a two-year period from 19 December 2023 until 19 December 2025, the revised NPPF now allows:

• local authorities with an emerging Local Plan which has either been consulted on (under Regulation 18 or Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012) or submitted for independent examination, to demonstrate a four year housing land supply
• local authorities with a Local Plan adopted within the last five years (and which identified at the time the independent examination concluded at least a five year supply of specific and deliverable sites) not to have to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply

Local authorities that do not meet the above criteria are still required to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. 

Because the West Berkshire Local Plan Review has been submitted for independent examination, the Council are required to demonstrate a minimum of four years' worth of housing land supply, instead of the usual five.

Housing land supply position

The Council published an updated housing land supply position on 18 January 2024. However, a revised version was published on 14 February 2024 to reflect changes made to the Planning Practice Guidance on housing supply and delivery.

The Council can demonstrate a six years' supply of deliverable housing sites, using a five-year housing land supply against a five-year housing land requirement. 

You can download the housing land supply statement and its appendices below:

• Housing Land Supply Statement (February 2024) [215KB]
• Appendix 1: Schedule of Sites [1MB]
• Appendix 2: Site Deliverability Forms [2MB]

Previous statements:

November 2022

• Five Year Housing Land Supply Statement (2022) [202KB]
• Appendix 1: Schedule of Sites [1MB]
• Appendix 2: Site Deliverability Forms [14MB]
• Appendix 3: Five Year Housing Land Supply to March 2028 [195KB]