Recommendation 16

In addition: • We broadly agree with the Government’s general approach of using workplace- based earnings. But for specific local authorities the Government should consider using residence-based earnings to ensure the housing targets accurately reflect local circumstances. The Government should also publish what the housing targets would be using each type of earning would use of each type of earnings would result in. • The Government should commission and use new household projections. These should take account of the criticisms of the current approach made by the Office for Statistics Regulation; and take account of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Calculations of housing need should also incorporate properties that could be converted and repaired. The Government should also take account of criticisms of the existing ‘standard method’ and directly incorporate availability of brownfield sites, environmental and other constraints on developable land, and the wish to level up into the standard method formula. • The Government should permit local authorities to undertake their own assessment of housing need for inclusion in the Local Plan, if they disagree with the nationally set figures for their local area (which would be accepted by the Planning Inspectorate). Local authority’s assessment could then be evaluated by the Planning Inspectorate.