What is SHLAA?
A SHLAA is a technical exercise to assess the amount and nature of land that could be made available for housing development. It is part of the evidence base that will inform the plan making process. A SHLAA must be prepared by local authorities with involvement of external interests, including house builders, in a “Partnership”. Government advice makes clear that areas of countryside and green belt should not be ruled out of the assessment.
The Leeds SHLAA Partnership is made up of representatives of the housing industry, the HCA, the Property Forum, CPRE, Renew, the community and council officers.
The process
Leeds undertook its initial SHLAA between summer 2008 and the end of 2009 and reached conclusions on over 750 sites. The final report was agreed by the Leeds SHLAA Partnership in January 2010 and published shortly afterwards. The sites considered included those already known to the Council through internal monitoring arrangements as well as new sites generated by the “call for sites” that was issued in September 2008. Most conclusions reached were by compromise and consensus, although the majority decisions were also reached with contrary opinions recorded.
The SHLAA Update 2011 was published in December 2011. This included a number of new sites and updated the delivery conclusions of existing sites up to a new base date of 31/3/2011 accounting for completions, commencements, new planning enquiries and applications and changes to regeneration programmes.
SHLAA and the planning process
It should be noted that inclusion of a site within the SHLAA does not imply support for development. It is the planning policies of Leeds City Council as well as national and regional planning policy which will determine suitability for development. Where sites are classified in the SHLAA as “LDF to determine” this means that the City Council’s LDF Core Strategy and Site Allocations DPD will determine the extent to which these sites will actually contribute in practice. Many sites within this category will not be needed or are likely to be inappropriate from a policy perspective.
Suggestions for New Sites
Any person can make a suggestion for a new SHLAA site, not just landowners and their agents. A guidance note and submission form can be downloaded from this webpage to help make site suggestions. A suggestion can be made at any time of year, but the site will not be added to the published SHLAA until the annual update takes place to the next 1st April base date.
SHLAA and Neighbourhood Planning
The SHLAA provides a source of information about potential housing land for those engaged in Neighbourhood Planning to draw upon for their local neighbourhood plans. However, if neighbourhood forums or Parish Councils consider that other pieces of land would be appropriate for housing development, such land can still be suggested and included through one of the SHLAA annual updates.
Implications of the economic downturn
The depressed economic and housing market conditions of 2009 had a significant impact on the conclusions reached. The first hand experience and knowledge of Leeds housing market held by Partnership Members ensured that initial thinking about housing mix, densities and types, particularly apartments in the city centre based on buoyant market conditions had to be recalibrated to reflect new realities. The result was the initial dwelling capacities and estimated delivery dates of sites (often with planning permission) were reduced and re-apportioned to later years.
The 2009 SHLAA conclusions were founded in depressed economic circumstances which had not changed when the 2011 update was undertaken. Future updates will take place annually to a new 31st March base date. This will enable forecasts to be checked against reality and recast, which is important given the changing economic climate.
Documents available
- SHLAA 2011 Update Main Report provides an account of the methodology, the overall dwelling totals by category and time period and the headline conclusions for each site. The location maps are provided separately
- SHLAA 2011 Update Full Report runs to over 2000 pages which provides detailed information about each site and commentary on the conclusions.
- SHLAA 2009 Final Report.
- SHLAA 2009 Final Report - Appendices
- SHLAA 2009 Full Report
- 58 maps provides the boundaries of each site: reference map and grouped location maps
- Site Submission Form
- Guidance Notes
Please also see the Call for Sites under the Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD)