Planning for New Housing

Planning for New Housing Local Plan Objective 3 Aim: To meet housing needs for all the different groups in the community, including affordable housing, and to provide increased tenure choice throughout Buckinghamshire, prioritising the efficient use of land. a) Provide a range of housing to meet local needs for market, affordable, accessible and specialist needs (such as lifetime homes so people can stay in their homes for longer) while recognising the diversity in the character and context of our urban, suburban and rural areas. b) Enable the delivery of homes for key workers, people with local connections, and those seeking self- and custom-build opportunities. c) Ensure new housing is of high-quality design, low-carbon and digitally enabled and in keeping with its surroundings. 4.11 There is a national standard Local Housing Need method which local authorities are required to use to assess the number of new houses they should aim to deliver in the future. For Buckinghamshire, the standard methodology currently calculates a housing need of 4,344 new homes a year. Over the plan period, this equates to a need for approximately 91,230 homes. 4.12 In addition to the need for new homes, Buckinghamshire must meet the need for new pitches and plots from the Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople communities. A revision in the national Planning Policy for Traveller Sites (PPTS) in December 2024 amended the definitions of a Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople which altered how we address their needs. During the survey work for the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA), householders were considered if they met the planning definitions. Over the plan period, the identified need is 681 pitches for Gypsy and Travellers and 38 plots for Travelling Showpeople.