Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)

It is not a decision‑making document: it does not allocate sites, grant planning permission, confirm suitability, or give any site planning status. The findings are indicative only and based on limited data available at the time (mainly GIS mapping and site promoter submissions). Important factors such as detailed highways, accessibility, and landscape impacts are not fully assessed at this stage, so conclusions may change as more detailed work is carried out.

HELAA

The report also includes interactive mapping, but there are limitations. Not all constraints can be shown due to licensing restrictions, and datasets reflect a snapshot from mid‑2025, meaning they may now be out of date. SC does not accept liability for errors or omissions. Boundaries used are those supplied by site promoters, and the maps should not be reproduced outside permitted licensing.

The HELAA acts as the first step in a wider site selection process. It uses a largely automated method (supported by officer checks) to filter sites by assessing suitability, availability, and achievability. Sites that fail at any stage do not progress further. Even those identified as “potentially suitable” are not confirmed for development; they simply move forward for more detailed assessment. The process is intentionally “policy‑off”, meaning it does not apply existing planning policies at this stage, in order to explore a wider range of site options.

Overall, the study provides an evidence base to help SC understand possible development capacity and choices for housing, employment, and renewable energy. However, all results are heavily caveated: estimates of site capacity are broad and may include sites that later prove unsuitable. Final decisions about which sites are allocated will be made later through the Local Plan process, following more detailed analysis and consultation.