Further details about our 5-year housing land supply and the Housing Delivery Test, which assesses progress in delivering new homes within the Borough
The Government requires Councils to significantly boost the supply of new homes. This involves both looking forward for at least 5 years (supply) and back, for the previous 3 years (delivery); known respectively as the 5-year housing land supply position and Housing Delivery Test (HDT).
5-year housing land supply position
The National Planning Policy Framework (December 2024 version, paragraph 78) requires the Council to maintain a sufficient housing land supply, for at least the next 5-years.
The latest 5-year land supply position has been calculated for the 2025-26 monitoring period and shows that our position is as follows (against a minimum of 5 years’ worth), for the period 1 April 2026 - 31 March 2031:
- For plan-making (that is, preparation of the next Local Plan), the housing land supply is 6.9 years; or
- For decision making (that is, determining planning applications), the housing land supply is 6.2 years
The 5-year housing land supply data has been calculated with reference to the (latest) published housing trajectory, covering the remainder of the current Local Plan period (2026/27 – 2039/40). It will also be summarised in due course in our yearly Authority Monitoring Reports (AMRs), an updated version of which should be available by late 2026.
View our 2025-2026 housing trajectory
The latest housing trajectory is supported by our Online Housing Monitoring Map. This allows users to view details of current/ live planning permissions listed in the trajectory spreadsheet document.
For reference, the previous 2023-2024 trajectory (April 2024) is also available. This informed the Local Plan 2021-2040, adopted March 2025.
Housing Delivery Test (HDT)
In 2018, the Government introduced a new test for Local Planning Authorities known as the Housing Delivery Test (HDT).
The HDT looks back at how many new homes have been delivered over the previous three years, against how many new homes should have been delivered.). Results are published by Government each year, and expressed as a percentage of local housing need.
The results are usually fixed until the next results are published, and the percentage rate dictates the consequences.
HDT results
The most recent HDT Results for 2024 and 2025 were published by the Government on 17 August 2026, alongside publication of the new NPPF. The 2024 result identified a figure of 93%, which would entail preparation of an HDT Action Plan.
However, the subsequent 2025 result shows a result of 100%, meaning that, as things stand, we are meeting our housing delivery targets. It is therefore not currently necessary for us to review/update our 2024/ 2025 HDT action plans (see details below).
HDT action plan
A comprehensive HDT Action Plan was prepared in 2024 in response to the 2022 results. This:
- outlines the many proactive measures we're currently taking to enable new homes to be delivered;
- provides a detailed analysis of the latest housing trajectory schedule and other data sources; and
- sets out a series of appropriate actions necessary to enable the increase of both supply and delivery of new homes moving forward
The 2024 HDT Action Plan was approved in November 2024. The 2023 HDT Results (as confirmed, March 2025), require publication of a further Action Plan. Accordingly, an updated (2025) HDT Action Plan has been published in response to the 2023 results (see below).
View Housing Delivery Test Action Plan 2025
The 2025 HDT Action Plan was approved by the Council under delegated powers and confirmed on 18 June 2025. This should be read in conjunction with the comprehensive 2024 document. The 2025 Action Plan included an indicative 2024 HDT result (93%), which was confirmed in August 2026 and immediately superseded by the 2025 result (100%).
HDT Action plans were previously prepared in 2019 and 2020 and can be viewed below: