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Planning

Planning

Monitoring, Research and Evidence Base

We undertake and commission research and monitoring to help shape future planning decisions and prepare the Local Plan.

A full list of supporting documents for the Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 can be found on the Documents Library page.

Annual Monitoring Report

Housing Delivery Test

Following the most recent results of the Housing Delivery Test, published in December 2024, Huntingdonshire District Council achieved a pass rate of 164% against its target. This result means no further action is required.

Housing Needs of Specific Groups

The Cambridge Sub-region Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) (2013) has been superseded by the Housing Needs of Specific Groups (October 2021) [PDF, 3MB]. This includes commentary on the local housing market and provides guidance at district level on affordable housing needs and the preferred housing mix for new developments.

The 2013 SHMA was used in preparation of Huntingdonshire's Local Plan to 2036 and can still be viewed on the documents library page.

Housing Land Supply Statement for Development Management Purposes

NPPF paragraph 78 requires the council to identify and update annually a supply of specific deliverable sites sufficient to provide a minimum of five years’ worth of housing against our housing requirement.

A substantially revised methodology for calculating local housing need and the reimposition of this as a mandatory approach for establishing housing requirements was introduced on 12 December 2024 in the revised NPPF and associated NPPG (the standard method).

As Huntingdonshire’s Local Plan to 2036 is now over 5 years old, it is necessary to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply (5YHLS) based on the housing requirement set using the standard method. NPPF paragraph 78 also requires the provision of a buffer to ensure choice and competition in the market for land.

As Huntingdonshire has successfully exceeded the requirements of the Housing Delivery Test, a 5% buffer is required here. The 5 year housing land requirement, including a 5% buffer, is 5501 homes. The current 5YHLS is 4330 homes, equivalent to 3.94 years’ supply.

As a result of this, the presumption in favour of sustainable development is applied for decision-taking in accordance with paragraph 11 (d) and footnote 8 of the NPPF in relation to applications involving the provision of housing. This is generally referred to as ‘the titled balance’.

While no 5YHLS can be demonstrated the Local Plan policies concerned with the supply and location of housing as set out in the Development Strategy chapter (policies LP2, LP7, LP8, LP9 and LP10) of Huntingdonshire’s Local Plan to 2036 are considered to be out-of-date and can no longer be afforded full weight in the determination of planning applications. Where an application is situated within a parish with a made Neighbourhood Plan NPPF paragraph 14 should also be taken into account.