The Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)
is a document that will indicate how much land might potentially be
available for housing in the future across West Lancashire. It
will be an important part of the background information for
our Local Development Framework. We have worked
on this study with neighbouring
authorities (external link).
We have been following
government guidance on SHLAAs (external link) whilst
carrying out the study. During autumn 2007 and spring 2008, we
carried out a "Call for Sites" exercise. People were invited
to suggest pieces of land which they thought might be appropriate
housing sites in the future. We also identified possible sites
ourselves by studying maps, aerial photographs, previous
planning applications and records of enquiries by developers.
We received approximately 270 sites from the public, and
identified another 370 ourselves. We then carried out an
initial assessment of all these sites (it must be
stressed that not all sites are considered suitable for
development).
In April 2008, we appointed the consultants White Young
Green, to finish the work on the SHLAA. Their tasks
included independently checking the work done by the Councils,
completing the site assessments and estimating the supply of
housing land. We received a draft final report in spring 2009,
and consulted on it during June and July 2009. We sent the
comments people made to the consultants, to be taken account
of as they prepared the final SHLAA report.
We have been carrying out the SHLAA (and JELPS) jointly
with Sefton and Knowsley Borough Councils. To find out more
about the studies in these areas, please visit these
Councils' websites:
What happens if I missed the call for sites?
There will be other opportunities to suggest sites for
development as we prepare our Local Development Framework (LDF),
and as we update the SHLAA year by year. We recommend that you
join
our consultation database so that we can keep you in touch with
LDF matters.
Related information
In addition to the SHLAA, we have been working on another joint
study looking at land for business and industrial uses.