Wiltshire Council cuts county housing target by 8,000

The council needs to build fewer homes than initially thought

The number of homes a county needs is far fewer than was originally thought two years ago, the county council says.

A new housing plan created by Wiltshire Council says 36,740 new homes will be needed in the county over the next 15 years.

That means eight thousand fewer homes than the 45,630 the council planned for in 2021.

A cabinet meeting will consider the review of the Wiltshire Local Plan on 11 July.

Of the overall final target, 21,900 homes have or are being built, the council said.

Most of the new homes proposed will be in Chippenham, Trowbridge and Salisbury, which have been identified as "principal settlements."

The council says it will not build more houses than necessary

"It's been possible to create a draft plan which has fewer new homes over the coming period than we've been delivering in the last few years," said Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning.

"That's a reduction of 35 per cent in terms of what we will see as growth coming for the next seven years.

"This is all evidence-led - we're not putting any uplifts in either. In the past there were views we needed to have more than the minimum, we're [now] saying we'll build what we need and no more."

There is a new requirement that 40 percent of all new housing developments of 10 homes or more are affordable.

The Wiltshire Local Plan also has a focus on sustainability, with all new homes required to meet zero carbon standards.

"This local plan is about providing for a choice of high-quality designed housing, including affordable homes, in the most sustainable locations, maximising development on brownfield sites, supporting town centres, and providing high quality new public open spaces," Cllr Botterill continued.

If the local plan is passed, all planning actions will be judged against it.