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Dates within this article are accurate at the time of publishing: 21st November 2024.
Ben Luxton, development land specialist, highlights the three active and upcoming 'call for sites' in the West Country, being Dorset, Somerset and North Devon & Torridge.
A ‘call for sites’ is a request from a Local Planning Authority that invites landowners and developers to lodge details of any sites which they believe may be suitable for future development.
These short windows represent a key opportunity for landowners to put forward their land for consideration. A well-presented submission can be crucial in determining whether or not the local planning authority earmark a particular site for inclusion within the relevant adopted Local Plan. If included, subsequent planning applications for development should be received positively and supported.
In the south west of England, there are currently three ‘call for sites’ requests to be aware of:
Dorset Council have recently opened a ‘call for sites', and have invited landowners, developers and agents to propose sites which may have potential for new residential housing (including for the settled and traveller communities) and employment land.
The deadline for submission of sites for consideration is the 20th December 2024.
It is understood that Somerset Council will shortly open a ‘call for sites’, following the amalgamation of the four former districts to form one unitary authority (to be known as Somerset Council).
The North Devon and Torridge ‘call for sites’ opened in 2022. Although sites submitted before the end of 2023 are currently being assessed through the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) process, the authority may, at its discretion, consider further sites that are submitted.
The final closing date is the 31st March 2025.
The new Labour government has committed to delivering more housing across the country and has released a series of draft revisions to the existing National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which is the key planning document that guides local planning authorities. If approved, local councils will be required to deliver significantly more housing and, as a result, taking advantage of ‘call for sites’ opportunities will be increasingly important.
The Stags Development Land team have significant experience in preparing and submitting responses to 'calls for sites' on behalf of landowners across the south west.
If you are a landowner and would like to discuss whether your site is suitable, please contact the Stags Development Land team by calling 01392 439046 or by email at [email protected]
