2.3 Calculating South Warwickshire’s Development Needs

y. 2.3 Calculating South Warwickshire’s Development Needs 2.3.1 The SWLP refers to meetings the development needs of South Warwickshire. This is planning speak for ensuring that our communities, both now and in 25 years’ time, have sufficient homes and jobs to meet their needs. As well as providing additional homes and employment land, the SWLP will ensure that infrastructure is provided to support this development. This includes physical items such as transport facilities and schools, as well as the environmental and social infrastructure that are necessary for healthy and happy communities. 2.3.2 The basis for calculating how much additional employment floorspace and how many additional jobs are likely to be needed across South Warwickshire by 2050 is set out in various employment land technical studies (see the Policy Justification for Policy DS.3 below) and summarised in Figure 7. Strategic sites refer to large scale employment sites typically over 25ha and located on the Strategic Road Network, whereas non-strategic need refers to offices and industrial (B2/B8 class) uses to meet a local need on sites generally smaller than 25 hectares in size. Figure 7: Employment Land Needs (Figures in Hectares) Stratford-on- Avon Warwick South Warwickshire Non-strategic (2021-2050) 199.9 121.2 321.1 Strategic (2022-2045) ~ ~ 225 2.3.3 Taking into account existing commitments as set out in the accompanying Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick District Authority Monitoring Reports (i.e. those sites that already have planning consent and/or are under construction), the residual or net need across the plan period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2050 is shown in Figure 8. Figure 8: To-find Employment Needs (Figures in Hectares) Stratford-on- Avon Warwick South Warwickshire Non-strategic 199.9 121.2 321.1 Supply (as @ 1st April 2025) 52.2 35.2 87.4 To-Find Figure 147.7 86.0 233.7 Strategic ~ ~ 225 Supply (as @ 1st April 2025) 100 (205.12) 100 To-Find Figure ~ ~ 125 2.3.4 The Government’s Standard Housing Method identifies the following housing needs for South Warwickshire as set out in Figure 9. The NPPF makes it clear that these figures should be treated as a minimum. Local planning authorities should use the standard method unless there are exceptional circumstances to utilise an alternative method. There are no exceptional circumstances. Figure 9: Standard Housing Needs May 2025 NPPF Standard Method Stratford-on- Avon Warwick South Warwickshire Total housing need (per annum) 1,112 1,085 2,197 Total housing need (25 year plan period) 27,800 27,125 54,925 2 This relates to the 125ha advanced manufacturing site at Coventry Airport (117ha of which lies in Warwick District). The site benefits from full planning permission (see WDC refs: W/21/1370 and W/25/0265) and is allocated through policy COV .2. It also includes 71.8ha of net employment land at Coventry Gateway South and 16.3ha at Whitley South, which benefit from Outline Planning Permission (see WDC refs: W/18/0522 and W/16/0239) 11.73ha. at Whitley South also benefits from full planning permission (see WDC ref: W/25/0816). These sites are separate to the need within WMSESS Road Opportunity Area 8 (A46/M40) for 225ha. 2.3.5 The Standard Method figures are updated annually. Whilst it is acknowledged that there will be some fluctuation in the figures, it is unlikely that they will change substantially. Given the requirement to review plans every five years, the plan review will be the opportunity to reconsider the housing figures for South Warwickshire to ensure that the SWLP remains up-to-date and an appropriate strategy for meeting our housing needs. Fundamental change in the numbers, for example, arising from a change in methodology, could warrant an earlier review. 2.3.6 Taking into account existing commitments (i.e. those sites that already have planning consent and/or are under construction), as set out in the accompanying AMR the residual or net need across the plan period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2050 is shown in Figure 10. Figure 10: To-find Housing Need Stratford-on- Avon Warwick South Warwickshire Total housing need (25 year plan period) 27,800 27,125 54,925 Existing Commitments (as @ 1st April 2025) 3,825 6,120 9,945 To-Find Figure 23,975 21,005 44,980 2.3.7 In addition to the above, the SWLP needs to plan for the accommodation needs of Gypsy & Travellers, Travelling Showpeople and Boat Dwellers. 2.3.8 There is an overall accommodation need in the South Warwickshire (Stratford- on-Avon District and Warwick District) local authority areas over the Plan period to 2025 (a 25-year period) of 129 Gypsy and Traveller pitches. There is also an identified need for 20 additional Travelling Showpeople plots. The need for permanent residential moorings has been met by the conversion of leisure moorings