5 Year Housing Land Supply Report 2025

Approach to Oversupply

  1. There is nothing in the revised NPPF or Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) to suggest that the surplus of completions in previous years of the plan period cannot be offset against the five-year requirement. 
  2. The previous NPPF text (para. 77) included text in relation to the approach to oversupply – it no longer features in the updated NPPF: 
    77.…National planning guidance provides further information on calculating the housing land supply, including the circumstances in which past shortfalls or over-supply can be addressed
  3. In the Government’s response to issues raised to Question 8 of the NPPF consultation in relation to oversupply, the following is referred to:
    The government has considered the range of responses to this question and has concluded that the wording should be removed. This change is intended to simplify the wording of the National Planning Policy Framework and has no bearing on local authorities’ ability to account for oversupply – this can continue to be taken into account as it is currently. The government will continue to keep the matter of oversupply under review.
  4. The associated PPG in relation to oversupply (ID ref 68-032-201907227) was not revised as part of the December 2024 updates. Therefore, in line with the above, oversupply is taken into account within the HLS calculation.

Housing Land Availability