Five-year housing land supply
Whether the council can show five years of deliverable housing — tested site by site.
Councils in England must show enough deliverable sites to meet five years of housing need. Where they cannot, national planning policy weighs in favour of granting permission for sustainable housing schemes. We audit a council’s claimed supply site by site and give expert evidence at appeals and local plan examinations.
Landowners, promoters and housebuilders preparing an application or appeal, and the planning teams and barristers acting for them.
- 1.1An audit of the council’s claimed supply against the national definition of deliverable.
- 1.2Evidence on every contested site: who controls it, what consent it has, when homes will really arrive.
- 1.3Proofs of evidence for appeals and local plan examinations.
- 1.4Rebuttal of the council’s position, in plain figures.
- 3.1The council and the appeal or application in question
- 3.2The council’s latest supply statement, if you have it
- 3.3Your timetable for the inquiry or hearing
- 3.4One conversation to start
Timescale agreed at the first call.
“Mark Hewett’s evidence in the Picket Piece Inquiry in Test Valley was thorough and carefully researched. Presented with authority and credibility, it was central to setting out a realistic picture of the five-year housing land supply as opposed to that presented by the local planning authority. Mark’s experience from within the housebuilding industry allows him to present robust estimates of the likely housing numbers to be produced by particular sites year on year. This level of detail is important if numbers put forward by a local planning authority are to be successfully challenged, as they were in this case.”
What is a five-year housing land supply?
The number of homes a council can show will be delivered on deliverable sites over the next five years, measured against its housing need. Where the council falls short, national planning policy weighs in favour of granting permission for sustainable housing schemes.
How do you challenge a council’s housing land supply?
Site by site. For each site the council counts we check who controls it, what consent it has, and when homes will really arrive, against the national definition of deliverable. The evidence is presented as a proof of evidence at appeal or examination.
Have you given evidence at planning inquiries?
Yes. Mark’s housing land supply evidence at the Picket Piece and Redbridge Lane inquiries in Test Valley challenged the council’s figures; the barristers involved describe it below.
What is your land really worth?
A confidential conversation with a partner, not a sales call. If we don’t think we can add value, we’ll tell you straight away.
Thank you. We will read the site before we call.