Policies for future planning of an area must be based on robust
evidence. A SHMA forms an important part of that evidence; it is a
study of the way the housing market works in a particular area and
includes an assessment of what interventions may be needed to more
effectively plan for future housing provision.
A SHMA has been prepared for the Taunton and South Somerset
housing market areas. Housing market areas are geographical areas
defined by where people want to live, where they move to and from
and the links between where people live and work. Previous work by
the South West Regional Assembly identified housing market areas in
the South West. One of these, the Taunton housing market area, is
centred on Taunton and includes the districts of Sedgemoor, Taunton
Deane and West Somerset. Another, the South Somerset housing market
area, is centred on Yeovil and includes the district of South
Somerset.
The Taunton and South Somerset SHMA covers these two housing
market areas.
How the work was done and who did it
The SHMA was commissioned by the Somerset Strategic Housing
Officers Group in December 2007. The work has been taken forward
and managed by a Project Team of housing and planning officers from
the four districts, who appointed Fordham Research to undertake the
study.
The work done and the reports that have been
produced
Information on housing need was obtained from a housing needs
survey (HNS) in all four districts. The analysis of the survey
is contained in a separate report for each district - the 'Analysis
of Household Survey Data'.
South Somerset District Council HNS Report
(February 2009)
Sedgemoor District Council HNS
Report (February 2009)
Taunton Deane Borough Council HNS Report (February
2009)
West Somerset Council HNS Report (February
2009)
These four reports include information on the extent of housing
need in each district and the type and tenure of housing needed in
the future.
A parallel study, the Taunton and South Somerset Strategic Housing Land
Viability Assessment (February 2009) considers the constraints
on delivering the amount and type of housing that is needed and
will assist the local planning authorities and private sector
partners in future negotiations about building programmes.
The Affordable Housing Threshold Viability
Study (May 2010) provides the results of a
supplementary study of affordable housing viability for small sites
in South Somerset. The study was commissioned by South Somerset
District Council to provide guidance on the scope for setting a
size threshold below the national guidance figure of 15
dwellings.
The Full SHMA Report (February
2009) includes the main findings of these reports together
with more extensive assessment of housing need and future supply
requirements.
A SHMA Executive Summary (February
2009) has also been produced.