The publication aims to provide updated forecasts for housing delivery and clearer information on the requirements for development and infrastructure projects.

The Housing Land Audit 2020 is an assessment of the housing land supply available in the Highland Council area as at 1 June 2020. The audit sets out a programme of expected housing delivery over the initial five-year period and the following ten years and includes expectations for the delivery of new homes up to 2034.

The Period 2020 - 2025 includes the five complete years commencing in June 2019. The next Housing Land Audits will be based upon a snapshot date of 1st June each year with the next audit taking a base date of 1st June 2021.

Sites included in the audit are housing sites under construction, sites with planning consent, sites in the relevant adopted or finalised Local Plans/Development Plans and, as appropriate, other buildings and land with agreed potential for housing development. All new housing development, redevelopment, conversions and subdivisions are included.

In addition to sites allocated in the relevant Local Development Plans, there are a number of other sources of development that provide additional supply through windfall sites. Where such a site has planning permission on 1st June 2020 and will provide 4 or more housing units it has been included in the audit

Scottish Planning Policy (2014) indicates that planning authorities should ensure that sufficient land is available to meet the housing requirement for each housing market area in full. A supply of effective land for at least five years should be maintained at all times to ensure a continuing generous supply of land for house building.

The Housing Land Audit has multiple purposes:

• To monitor the availability of effective sites;
• To identify progress of sites through the planning process; and,
• Provide analysis on house completion.

The audit comprises data for all allocated housing sites and windfall housing sites with four or more units. The estimates of programmed completions in the draft audit were initially informed by Highland Council officials, along with additional advice and input from developers, landowners and housing associations.