Bristol will scrap the government’s housing target of 67,000 homes in the next 15 years, saying the city does not have the delivery or land capacity to meet it.
The city’s councillors plan to adjust the housing need figure based on more up-to-date evidence and and will launch an evidence-led housing target for Bristol’s local plan that is based on figures to be derived by expert consultants rather than “a top-down target imposed by central government”.
The government’s has created a city target of 4,467 homes per year over the next 15 years, far above any single delivery year in Bristol’s recent history.
The council has, however, confirmed its support for Project 1000, which will deliver 1,000 affordable homes per year, at least 70% of which should be for long-term affordable rent.
The council plans to continue working with neighbouring councils North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset to establish mutually agreed principles for development and the need for cross-boundary cooperation to protect biodiversity, address flood risk and tackle the climate and ecological emergencies, as well as addressing locally assessed housing need.
Councillors resolved to request the mayor and party group leaders to write to central government requesting it revoke the 35% uplift target as being incompatible with the principles of a locally developed plan designed to meet the needs of the area.
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