Figures on failure to meet homes targets disputed

AN EXTRA 850 houses a year across Devon need to be built to meet the housing needs of the county.

The figures, revealed following an investigation by the BBC’s Shared Data Unit, show that only two councils – Plymouth and North Devon – hit targets over a 10-year period for new homes.

Only North Devon built enough homes in 2016-17.

The Government’s assessment of the annual housing need says 5,255 new homes need to be built across Devon each year. The Ministry of Housing states that only 4,400 were built in 2016-17, and the average between 2007-08 and 2016-17 was 4,040.

However, Plymouth, South Hams, West Devon and Teignbridge councils all dispute some of the figures.

In Teignbridge 756 new homes need to be built each year. The quoted data says 718 were built in 2016-17, with an average of 524 built in the last 10 years, meaning that only 69% of the target number of homes was met.

But Cllr Humphrey Clemens, Teignbridge District Council’s executive portfolio holder for planning and housing, said: “The housing numbers quoted do not entirely agree with Teignbridge’s thoroughly prepared housing completion data.”

added: “It is entirely inappropriate to try to measure housing numbers built as far back as the early 2000s against a housing need figure which was only calculated less than a year ago.

“We think this approach is highly misleading.

“It certainly ignores the major efforts Teignbridge has undertaken to increase the pace of new homes being built in our district, including increased numbers of affordable homes and, for the first time, require a proportion of self-build homes as part of the innovative Teignbridge Rule.

“During this 10-year period, different targets have applied to all of the Devon authorities referred to.

“In Teignbridge the figure of 756 marks a target increase while in other areas the latest government figures represent a reduction.

“This data has the potential to be misleading as a result,” Cllr Clemens said.

“The Teignbridge Local Plan was adopted in 2014 and included a housing target of 620 per year.

“This was robustly tested in public by an independent inspector based on the most appropriate data at the time.

“Since the plan was adopted, Teignbridge has proudly exceeded its housing target each year and is one of only around 10% of areas to do so across the country over that period.

“We are now reviewing our Local Plan, including through the GESP (Greater Exeter Strategic Plan).

“The result will be a strategy for responding to the latest housing target at the time of adoption.

“By then the target is likely to change again alongside changes to the various relevant data,” Cllr Clemens said.