Object

Representation ID: 7318

Received: 02/09/2021

Respondent: Miss Emma Pegler

It is challenging to understand how Dennybrook would greatly contribute to BBC’s housing need when homebuyers will more likely be attracted from the St Neots area.

But also, BBC has not said how 12,500 homes are deliverable within the plan period and I am concerned that there has not been sufficient regard to the time taken for new developments to get through planning and construction phases. I refer to the Lichfields ‘From Start to Finish’ Review Second Edition (2020) and the Letwin Review (2018) which highlight the delays with delivery of large development proposals. For large 2000 plus sites, the Lichfields Review outlines an average of 8.4 years for the average time from validation of the first planning application to the first dwelling completed (based on an average build-out rate of 160 dwellings per annum). On this basis for Dennybrook – it would take 15.6 years to deliver the 2500 dwellings set out in the Draft Local Plan. If one adds the average lead time to this 15.6 years, this would equate to 24 years from the validation of the first planning application.

Delivery will also rely on cooperation with the adjoining authorities. Any slight delay will add to the assumed delivery rates being achievable.

The preparation of a potential housing trajectory is urgently needed rather than relying on estimates with basic assumptions as is the current case with the Draft Local Plan.