Guildford Council's Update on the Five-Year Housing Land Supply

Important changes and implications for planning decisions

As of 1 April 2024, the Council’s most recent assessment reports a five-year land supply of 5.66 years, based on the Local Plan: Strategy and Sites (LPSS) adopted in April 2019, with an annual housing requirement of 562 dwellings.

Change is on the horizon.

Looking ahead, the next five-year housing land supply report will be published in summer 2025, reflecting the position as of 1 April 2025. By that point, the LPSS will have reached its fifth anniversary, meaning the supply must be measured against updated local housing need figures calculated according to the government’s standard method. This new calculation results in a striking 106% increase, raising the requirement to 1,155 dwellings per year, from 562 dwellings per year.

Given this substantial rise, it is anticipated that the Council will not be able to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing when the Land Availability Assessment (LAA) 2025 is released. Although the precise figure will not be confirmed until summer, the Council acknowledges that as of 1 April 2025, it cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites.

Consequences

Until the updated figures are published, decisions on planning applications and appeals will need to follow the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) paragraph 11(d), applying the presumption in favour of sustainable development—often referred to as the ‘tilted balance’. In summary, with the housing target now significantly increased, local planning decisions will be shaped by national policy until the Council can again demonstrate a sufficient land supply.

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