Housing targets for councils like East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) are calculated using the government’s Standard Method, which must be applied annually.
✅ Who Sets the Rules?
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) sets the rules through:
- The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
- The associated Planning Practice Guidance (PPG)
📈 What Gets Updated?
- Household growth projections
- Provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)
- Usually updated every few years (currently using 2018-based projections)
- Affordability ratios
- Published annually by DLUHC
- Based on median house prices and earnings in each local authority
- The council’s Local Plan status
- If the Local Plan is out of date (over 5 years or inconsistent with the NPPF), then no cap is applied to the housing need figure
🔄 When Do Councils Update Their Figure?
- The housing need number must be recalculated each year, usually as part of the council’s Annual Monitoring Report or Housing Land Supply Statement.
- Even if a Local Plan is in place, this calculation ensures that councils are using up-to-date demand data.