Evidence base: homes

This document provides guidance on how the affordable housing policy should be applied to residential development proposals in Calderdale. This guidance builds on policy found in Calderdale's Publication Draft Local Plan 2018 and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

This policy overwrites the 'Advice to Applicants Residential Development and the Provision of Affordable Housing' that we published in 2007.

• Affordable Housing Guidance(PDF 405KB)

The Brownfield Land Register provides up-to-date information on brownfield land in Calderdale

This is for land that is considered suitable, available and achievable for residential development. Note: It does not grant planning permission for sites.

• 2024 Calderdale Brownfield Land Register.
• A map showing the sites included on the Register can be viewed at: Brownfield Land Register map.

The Government has published a document on what information should be included in a Register, along with guidance:

• For information on registers, visit: Brownfield land registers data standard (GOV.UK).
• For guidance, visit: Brownfield land registers (GOV.UK).

Note: There is no requirement to formally consult on the Brownfield Land Register.

If you have any comments on specific sites within the Register, please email: spatial.planning@calderdale.gov.uk.

The register will be reviewed at least annually.

Calderdale and Kirklees baseline census

Gypsy and Traveller Communities: Jan - Feb 2015

Leeds GATE (Gypsy and Traveller Exchange) carried out a baseline census for Calderdale and Kirklees Councils. It covered the number of Gypsy and Traveller people living in the two authorities. It includes data on their age and the types of accommodation they live in. For more on this, please read:

Calderdale and Kirklees baseline census: gypsies and travellers(PDF 1.3MB)

Calderdale Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Show person accommodation assessment: Aug 2015

This was carried out by Arc4 for Calderdale and Kirklees Councils. It was to find out the housing needs of Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling show people across within the authorities boundaries. This was to help inform the Local Plan policies and allocations. To see the report that covers Calderdale, please read:

Calderdale gypsy traveller and travelling show person accommodation assessment(PDF 1.3MB)

What was found through the Leeds GATE report was used to sensitivity test other household numbers.

Next steps

The Council has studied the evidence in the above reports and developed a methodology for assessing sites for suitability.

We have looked at over 1600 sites (as of July 2017), but have not been able to find a suitable site.

The Publication Version of this Local Plan will not include any more provision to meet their needs. A separate Development Plan Document (DPD) will be used, on adoption of the Local Plan, to address this issue. For further reading, please download the Technical Paper:

Technical Paper(PDF 637KB)

This gives a full overview of the housing evidence included in the Local Plan. It includes cross-references to specific studies undertaken to inform the housing elements of the Local Plan. This paper has been updated to provide the evidence for the Local Plan Publication Draft.

To see more on this, please read:

Housing Technical Paper(PDF 2.2MB)

The Housing Market Statement (January 2019) gives an account of Calderdale's housing needs, which include:

• Local Housing Need;
• affordable housing need;
• need for specialist housing;
• and a breakdown of the Housing Market Zones and their individual characteristics.

Housing Market Statement (January 2019)(PDF 1.7MB)

Since 1st April 2016, local authorities have been required to keep a register.

This is for individuals and associations seeking to acquire serviced plots of land in their area. For the building of homes for those individuals to occupy.

The Government wants to enable more people to build or commission their own homes. It also wants to make this form of housing a mainstream housing option.

Please complete a Self and custom build register form.

What are self build and custom build

Self-build and custom build describe situations where individuals or groups are involved in creating their own homes. The amount of personal involvement will vary. For example, some self-builders physically build all or part of a home themselves. At the other end of the scale, developers find sites, then seek self-build clients. They then build homes to the clients' specification, under contract.

• Self-build homes

  Self-build describes projects where the people involved play a very significant part in the process. They may help organise the project by commissioning architects and builders or do some construction or finishing work themselves. Self-building does not necessarily mean picking up bricks and physically doing the work. Most self-builders will be involved in the creative side of the process.

• Custom build homes

  Custom build describes a more 'hands-off' approach, where a specialist developer coordinates the whole process for the client.

• Affordable housing and rental schemes

  Affordable housing can also be self-built. In a rented custom build scheme, tenants can be involved in self-build or agreeing to 'self-finish' homes. This can be in return for reduced rents or other benefits.

How we will use information from the register

By registering, you help the Council find out about demand for self and custom build plots in the Borough. Such as, where people want plots and types of houses they want to build.

We use this information to explore possible ways to bring people and plots together. The Council is exploring opportunities to make land available for self-build and custom housebuilding.

Note: Registration does not guarantee a suitable plot will be found or become available.

We will not pass identifiable information from the Register to anyone outside the Council, without written consent of that person.

The Specialist Housing Report compiles evidence on the current housing market in Calderdale and its future housing need.

Specialist Housing Report by Arc4(PDF 1.8MB)

The evidence has been collated from:

• Calderdale MBCs 2015 Strategic Housing Market Assessment;
• Census and other national demographic datasets;
• trends based on Rightmove and Zoopla data;
• primary research of Local Authority stakeholders;
• and a review of the market through local agents.

The SHLAA 2014 review provides an unconstrained first look at the potential for housing in Calderdale. It meets the requirements of the National planning policy framework and Planning Practice Guidance. These are issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

New sites from a range of sources, including those from the ongoing Site Submissions (Call for Sites), have been considered. Some existing sites were reassessed to reflect additional information received during the review year.

Note: Sites included in the SHLAA do not have any official planning status. The document does not overwrite the statutory development plan, nor form proposals for the allocation of land as part of the Local plan.

To help understand the context for preparing the SHLAA and its status, read:

SHLAA briefing note(PDF 344KB)

SHLAA 2014 report and appendices

• Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment sites (map)
• SHLAA report 2014(PDF 1.9MB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 1a: schedule of sites with planning permission(PDF 180KB)
• HLAA report, appendix 1b: schedule of sites under construction(PDF 202KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 1c: schedule of sites with outline planning permission(PDF 38KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 2a: locational maps of other sites(PDF 1.4MB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 2b: schedule of other sites(PDF 511KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 3: sites held in abeyance(PDF 261KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 4: filtered sites(PDF 468KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 5: organisations consulted on draft methodology(PDF 10KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 6: comments on draft methodology(PDF 342KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 7: membership of working group(PDF 83KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 8: call for sites pro forma(PDF 248KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 9: field survey form(PDF 135KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 10: planning permission questionnaire(PDF 400KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 11: land ownership questionnaire(PDF 198KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 12: summary of data collected and definitions(PDF 544KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 13: working group assessment(PDF 256KB)
• SHLAA report, appendix 14: list of references(PDF 124KB)

A version of the SHLAA, against which technical comments can be made during the review year, is available, visit: Local plan consultations.

After the Local Plan was adopted (2023), a partial review of the 2018 Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) was undertaken. This does not reconsider the overall number of homes needed in Calderdale.

Scrutiny of this matter took place during the Examination of the Local Plan. The Inspector agreed that there is a need for 997 dwellings each year between 2018 and 2033. This agreement was the basis for more modelling to take account of the most recent data. It establishes size, type and tenure of housing needed as part of the overall provision set in the Local Plan. Also, it will inform the implementation of its policies.

The report covers:

• Size of housing needed in Calderdale.
• Types of housing needed in Calderdale.
• Need for affordable housing.
• Role of different affordable housing products.
• Housing needs of older people.
• Housing needs of people with disabilities and support needs.
• Need for self and custom-build housing.

For details, visit: Partial Review of Housing Need in Calderdale 2024.

Parts of the 2015 SHMA were updated in 2018, where the focus was to review the housing need in Calderdale. It is based on the most current information and evidence at the time (April 2018), which included:

• the Employment Land Study (ELS);
• and the latest views of Local Plan Inspectors and the Courts.

Please note: The 2018 SHMA was prepared before:

• the 2016-based population projections (published May 2018);
• and the revised NPPF (published July 2018).

For details, visit: Updated Review of Objectively Assessed Housing Needs in Calderdale 2018

The 2015 SHMA looked at how the housing market operates in Calderdale and replaced the 2011 SHMA.

It defined the level of need for open-market housing and affordable housing. It also assessed the key drivers for housing growth, which included future demographic and employment trends.

The research took account of market signals and identified the housing needs of specific groups, such as older people.

For details, visit: Calderdale Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2015.

The Economic viability assessment (2011), assesses the implications of affordable housing on the viability of housing development sites.

We have commissioned a strategic master planning exercise for part of southeast Calderdale. This is to see what development can take place on land at Brighouse. It covers the required infrastructure that would be needed for the potential creation of these sustainable urban extensions.

How the ideas within the Strategic Vision could go forward will be built into the draft Local Plan.

Two garden suburbs are noted at Brighouse, based on the Strategic Vision, which are:

• numbered LP1451 (Woodhouse, Rastrick);
• and LP1463 (Highmoor Lane, Thornhills Lane).

These are part of the Regulation 18 consultation released in August 2017.

For more on this, please read:

Strategic vision for Southeast Calderdale(PDF 4.3MB)

A Technical Paper setting to support the designation of the Garden Suburbs has also been prepared:

Justification for the Garden Suburbs(PDF 1MB)