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Housing land audit (2023) planning - open data

A Housing Land Audit (HLA) is a key document in the planning process that assesses the supply of land available for housing development within a local authority area. It provides a detailed account of the housing sites that are expected to contribute to the supply of new homes over a specific period, typically 5 to 10 years.

Purpose of a Housing Land Audit
  • Monitoring Housing Supply: It tracks the progress of housing developments and ensures that there is a sufficient pipeline of land to meet housing demand.
  • Planning Policy Compliance: Helps local authorities and stakeholders assess whether housing targets set in local development plans are being met.
  • Assessing Deliverability: Identifies sites that are immediately available for development and those that may require further planning, infrastructure, or land assembly before they can be built on.
  • Supporting Decision-Making: Provides evidence for planning decisions, appeals, and policy reviews.
Key Components of a Housing Land Audit
  • Effective Housing Land Supply: Sites that are expected to be developed within a set period (usually five years) and are free of significant constraints.
  • Constrained Housing Land Supply: Sites with constraints such as legal issues, lack of infrastructure, or landownership problems, making them unlikely to be developed in the short term.
  • Completed Housing Developments: Records the number of houses built within the audit period.
  • Future Housing Land Supply: Includes sites allocated in development plans for housing but not yet in the planning system.
Who Uses a Housing Land Audit?
  • Local Authorities – To guide planning policies and ensure sufficient land is available for housing.
  • Developers & Housebuilders – To understand the availability of land and plan future housing developments.
  • Government & Planning Inspectors – To assess whether councils are meeting housing targets.
  • Communities & Stakeholders – To understand where new housing developments may be proposed in their area.

Resources

Additional Info