South Lakeland Stragic Housing Market Assessment 2011

South Lakeland District Council has adopted a new Strategic Housing Market Assessment.

Please find links to the following documents below

1) Executive summary

2) Main Strategic Housing Market Report (SHMA) report

3) Appendices

NB. The adoption of the Assessment does not change the Council’s current planning policies as contained in the South Lakeland Core Strategy. Recommendations for future policy in the Assessment may be taken forward, but these would be subject to full public and stakeholder engagement and consultation.

2011 South Lakeland SHMA

The 2011 South Lakeland SHMA has been produced by Housing consultants Arc⁴ who have worked closely with SLDC throughout. Arc4 carried out a District-wide Housing survey in South Lakeland in June 2011 with over 16,000 households receiving a postal questionnaire. The findings of the survey form a key piece of the SHMA report.

Background to SHMAs

The preparation of Strategic Housing Market Assessments ( SHMAs ) is a requirement of national Government planning advice contained in PPS3 – Housing. The first stage in the preparation of a SHMA is the identification of Housing Market Areas, ie geographical areas that have common factors in terms of housing demand and housing preferences. The SHMA presents data in relation to the 6 housing market areas identified in South Lakeland.

The District’s SHMA provides an important evidence base to support the future delivery of new housing and economic development across South Lakeland, including the parts of Lake District National Park and Yorkshire Dales National Park within the District..

The SHMA contains a wide range of information covering:

· demography and household types;

· national and regional economic policy;

· employment levels and structure;

· incomes and earnings;

· dwelling profiling;

· stock condition;

· cost of buying or renting property;

· overcrowding and under-occupation;

· vacant dwellings, second homes; and

· housing requirements of specific groups.

Updating

A Strategic Housing Market Assessment is intended to be a document that is regularly updated as new evidence becomes available.

SLDC works in partnership with the other authorities in Cumbria to ensure access to up to date information relevant to the SHMA. In particular updates of POPgroup modelling (a model which predicts future population, household and economic trends) will be placed upon this website as they become available.

For further information about the South Lakeland SHMA contact housingstrategy@southlakeland.gov.uk or phone 01539 797773