It is vital that future growth in Southend-on-Sea is infrastructure led.
Housing has become less affordable in recent years compared to the national average.
Southend-on-Sea is a densely populated urban area with limited supply of brownfield and greenfield land for new development.
Growth needs to be sustainably managed across the city, respecting the character and appearance of its different areas.
Housing Needs in Southend
- Safeguard and increase delivery of three-bed (and larger) homes for families, and provide suitable housing for older people.
- Deliver more affordable housing, while ensuring development remains viable.
Past Delivery and Supply
Between 2001-2023, c.7,550 new homes were built (340 per annum). This is significantly below the national Standard Methodology for calculating housing need of 1,405 homes per annum.
The Local Plan makes provision for 9,500 additional homes to 2040, within the existing urban area of Southend-on-Sea and at Fossetts Farm.
The Local Plan seeks to:
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Provide for affordable homes (Policy DM5.1)
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Promote a diverse housing mix (Policy DM5.2).
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Safeguard existing housing from unnecessary loss (Policy DM5.3)
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Manage conversions to smaller units to protect family housing, character, and amenity (Policy DM5.4)
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Ensure residential standards for quality living (Policy DM5.5)
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Balance HMO demand with the need to protect neighbourhood character (Policy DM5.6)
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Support appropriate housing for older people and supported accommodation (Policies DM5.7 & DM5.8)