Issue - meetings

          The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Community and Resources, which provided a summary of conclusions on the Objectively Assessed Need (OAN) for Housing, as contained in the recently completed Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA).

          In 2015, Halton together with St Helens and Warrington Borough Councils jointly commissioned specialist consultants GL Hearn and JG Consulting to undertake a Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) to re-examine the appropriateness of the Mid-Mersey geography (covering the three authorities) as a Housing Market Area (HMA) and identify the OAN for the Mid-Mersey HMA and for each of the partner authorities. A copy of the Topic Briefing Paper that had been prepared for the website, setting out the various stages in the SHMA study leading to the suggested figure for OAN for housing had been previously circulated to Members.

          The conclusion from the study was that the Full Objectively Assessed Need for housing in Halton (assuming jobs growth of 4,952) in the period 2014-37 was 466 dwellings per annum.  In addition, the SHMA identified an annual shortfall of 119 affordable units per annum across Halton.

          Members were advised that the Liverpool City Region had commissioned a similar report.

          Arising from the discussion, it was noted that a report on the number of housing units per acre being achieved at current housing development sites in the Borough would be circulated to Board Members.

          RESOLVED: That the report be noted.