Strategic Housing Market Assessment calls for 10,000 more houses in Spelthorne
Spelthorne Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA)
The joint SHMA for Spelthorne and Runnymede has beed published for consultation. This is a vital component of the Local plan. It seeks to define the strategic housing "need" for both Boroughs in accordance with government guidelines. It is an incredibly dangerous document that could have a massive inpact on the local area.
According to this document Spelthorne needs more than 10,000 extra homes - an increase of 25% on the current number. The target level of increase in the SHMA is shown as between 543 and 725 per annum for Spelthorne. This is more than a 3-fold uplift on the current target of 166. This level of increase would fundamentally change the whole borough, and not for the better. This is not a natural level of increase arising from within the borough, but is catering for overspill from London.
The consultation closes on 3rd August 2015
In the same document Runnymede is allocated an increase of about 8,000 homes, despite having a land area 50% greater than Spelthorne and a much lower current population density. The SHMA was approved for consultation by Spelthorne's Conservative Cabinet without any apparent comment or concern.
The SHMA is critically important because, if it is accepted, the "predict and provide" mentality will mean that the rest of the plan is just an exercise in meeting the defined "need". The ground rules of the SHMA are incredibly dangerous for Spelthorne because of the total disregard of availability of land in the Borough, and this is a very special circumstance for this area. We can expect developers to use the SHMA to pressurise the Council to grant planning permissions and allow development on the Green Belt.
From the report, paragraph 10.40
"The SHMA draws the following rounded conclusions on the overall need for housing over the 2013-2033 period"
Spelthorne:543-725 homes pa
From paragraph 10.42
"In the absence of development constraints, the higher end of the range shown above could potentially be considered to represent the full 'objectively assessed need' (OAN) for housing"
Link to Spelthorne's consultation page
Link to the SHMA document Hosted on Spelthorne's website
