To shamelessly post here asking for Local Authority Planning expertise

[DynamoKev]

I know AIBU, btw.
Local Authorities apparently have a duty to determine a 5 year supply of building sites for new houses.
Ours keeps letting the amount fall below 5 years.
I cannot seem to find out who (if anyone) is responsible.
Is it just officers of the council?
Or do elected councillors have a role too?

Officers have to find and assess sites through the local development plan process. This is reliant on landowners coming forward with sites. As affordable housing is now prioritised, many landowners won’t come forward as they want full market price for their land. Hence, shortfall in potential development land...

Councillors set strategic direction and monitor performance - officers do the legwork. Councillors don't tend to be experts in anything much and rely on experienced officers to advise them on what is possible and/or appropriate. (Newly elected councillors sometimes promise the earth because they think they can do anything once in power - not so). Your council should have a corporate plan setting out its targets. Performance against the targets will be assessed periodically by a committee - it may even have a helpful name such as the "performance committee". The committee members will be councillors (plus maybe some lay members) and they scrutinise reports presented by officers. If you can't work it out from your council's website I suggest you write to your local councillors and ask them which committee, if any, is responsible for the target you're interested in. Then you can look at the committee meeting minutes, which should be online.

If you do contact your council, keep your tone neutral, not confrontational ... they can be very defensive if they think you're not on their side, but may well bend over backwards to help if they think there is any possibility you might vote for them. Good luck!

@LadyLinnaeus

Officers have to find and assess sites through the local development plan process. This is reliant on landowners coming forward with sites. As affordable housing is now prioritised, many landowners won’t come forward as they want full market price for their land. Hence, shortfall in potential development land...

Thanks, unfortunately the effect of the shortfall around here is that everything applied for (there are a lot of 200+ houses new estates being applied for) is passed, even with minimal affordable housing. It seems that at appeal the first thing inspectors consider is the 5 year supply - and if it’s less than 5 years they are 99% likely to get approved.

@EbboneeAndIvoree

Councillors set strategic direction and monitor performance - officers do the legwork. Councillors don't tend to be experts in anything much and rely on experienced officers to advise them on what is possible and/or appropriate. (Newly elected councillors sometimes promise the earth because they think they can do anything once in power - not so). Your council should have a corporate plan setting out its targets. Performance against the targets will be assessed periodically by a committee - it may even have a helpful name such as the "performance committee". The committee members will be councillors (plus maybe some lay members) and they scrutinise reports presented by officers. If you can't work it out from your council's website I suggest you write to your local councillors and ask them which committee, if any, is responsible for the target you're interested in. Then you can look at the committee meeting minutes, which should be online.

If you do contact your council, keep your tone neutral, not confrontational ... they can be very defensive if they think you're not on their side, but may well bend over backwards to help if they think there is any possibility you might vote for them. Good luck!

Thanks that is great information. Sadly my local councillor is about as much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle and she knows I’d never vote for her.