Agenda item

The Cabinet is asked to approve the publication of Oldham Council’s Housing Delivery Test Action Plan (2025 update).

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place/Deputy Chief Executive that was seeking approval for the publication of Oldham Council’s Housing Delivery Test Action Plan (2025 update)

The Cabinet was advised that this report provided an update on the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) position in respect of Oldham. It also sets out an updated position to the previous Housing Delivery Test Action Plan published in July 2024.

The HDT was introduced by the Government as a monitoring tool to demonstrate whether local areas are building enough homes to meet their housing need. The HDT measures net additional dwellings provided over the past three years against the homes required over the same period. The thresholds for consequences for under-delivery remain as per the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The latest HDT results (and which will be reported in the HDT Action Plan 2025)  were published 19 December 2024.

Oldham Council had delivered 91% of its housing need over the past three years (2021/22 to 2022/23). This was the same as the 2021 and 2022 measurement result (91%) and an improvement from the 2020 result of 80%.

The pass rate for the HDT was now 95%. There were consequences of not achieving 95% in the HDT that require some form of action, as set out in the NPPF.

As Oldham had delivered 91% of the housing required, we are required to prepare an Action Plan to address housing delivery. Oldham’s previous Action Plan was published inJuly 2024, as such it is proposed to update the Action Plan as required. Action Plans should be published within six months from the measurement publication date.

This is Oldham Council’s fifth Action Plan, drawn up in response to the Housing Delivery Test: 2023 Measurement, published December 2024.

The Cabinet was informed that the report had been considered by the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board, held on 12^th June 2025, where the recommendations were supported and endorsed.

Options/alternatives considered:

Option 1 – To approve the Housing Delivery Action Plan 2025 for publication in line with the requirements of the Housing Delivery Test: 2023 Measurement results (published December 2024). 

Option 2 – To not approve the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan 2025 for publication. This would not comply with the requirements of the Housing Delivery Test Rule Book and the Housing Delivery Test: 2023 Measurement results (published December 2024).

Option 1 was the preferred Option.

Resolved:

1.    That the Cabinet notes the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board endorsement and support for the recommendations, detailed in the submitted report, on this item, from their meeting held on 12^th June 2025.

2.    To note that this item will be exempt from call-in, under Rule 14 of the Constitution, as the report has already been considered by the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board.

3.    To approve the Housing Delivery Action Plan 2025 (Part One and Part Two) for publication in line with the requirements of the Housing Delivery Test: 2023 Measurement results.