Local Plan Viability Case Study 1

DSP were instructed by Guildford Borough Council in 2020 to conduct a viability assessment in connection with the development of the Council’s Local Plan Part 2 dealing with development management policies. This followed the adoption of the Local Plan Part 1 in 2019 which focused on overall strategy and sites. The viability assessment provided robust testing of the Council’s development management policies including detailed consideration of the requirement for 20% Biodiversity Net Gain, going beyond the national 10% minimum requirement. Following completion of our main report in 2021, we also supported the Council in responding to representations from the development industry and others at Regulation 19 stage alongside extending the scope of our commission to provide a viability update report in the lead up to Examination in 2022. This viability update sought to respond to concerns raised via representations through extended sensitivity testing, particularly in relation to BNG, and included liaising with other expert environmental consultants. Ultimately our detailed viability evidence and support at the Examination Hearing held in November 2022 resulted in the Inspector finding the Local Plan Part 2 ‘sound’, subject to modifications. At the time of writing, we believe this is the first BNG policy successfully through Examination achieving a standard beyond the national minimum of 10%.