Object

Representation ID: 65688

Received: 27/06/2014

Respondent: Lands Improvement Holdings (LIH) and Kenilworth Golf Club (KGC)

Agent: Indigo Planning Ltd

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

We have a number of concerns about the approach taken in the JSHMA in that it fails to assess the localised housing need of individual settlements within the District.

Based on housing need alone, the SHMA identifies that a base total of 12,564 dwellings (698 dwellings per annum) will be required in the District during the plan period 2011 to 2029. This includes 2,070 dwellings in Kenilworth equating to 16.5% of the District-wide requirement.

However the SHMA states that forecast employment growth in the District is for 11,860 jobs over the plan period to 2029, it goes on to stipulate that if an adequate number of new homes are to be provided to accomodate the additional employees within the District, then 12,870 new homes would be required to 2029.

The District currently has a high level of out-commuting, planning for a higher number of jobs/ employment opportunities in the Distirct, with a higher level of housing growth would go some way to reducing out commuting.

In summary, to meet the need identified in the SMHA, between 2,070 and 2,445 new homes should be provided in Kenilworth. This is based on Kenilworth accommodating between 16.5% and 19% of the District's housing need.

We consider that to provide a robust housing target, the Local Plan should adopt the higher housing requirement of 772 dwellings per annum in order to meet the objectively assessed need in the District. For the plan period 2011 - 2029 this equates to a housing requirement of 13,896 dwellings.

Kenilworth is the third largest town in the District.It is important that the housing need is met and the growth of Kenilworth is supported to ensure that the working age population is retained.

Due to the housing pressures in the district, and the additional pressures of housing growth in the wider area, particularly Coventry to the north, Kenilworth is a highly suitable location for additional housing growth.