How and why are we setting Hullavington’s housing target?

Hullavington is likely to see further housing development over the coming years.

The important question for our village is therefore not simply whether development happens, but how much we should plan for, where it should go and what it should deliver for our community.

Why are we expecting more development?

The amount of housing Wiltshire is expected to accommodate has increased significantly.

On 25 June 2026, the Leader of Wiltshire Council set out the scale of the challenge:

“However, we must be clear – because of the Government’s approach to how housing need is calculated, this new Local Plan will need to plan for around 3,500 homes per year, an increase from just under 2,000 homes per year. This is a significant number, and it will be challenging, but by working with our communities, I am confident we can deliver these new homes for residents.”

Wiltshire Council is now preparing a new Local Plan for the period 2026–2041. That Plan will ultimately determine how the county’s housing requirement is distributed and will confirm Hullavington’s strategic housing requirement.

But the new Local Plan is not yet in place.

We therefore have an important choice: wait until decisions are made elsewhere, or use the best evidence available now to plan positively for Hullavington’s future.

So how have we arrived at a figure for Hullavington?

Because Wiltshire’s final housing requirement for Hullavington has not yet been confirmed, the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group commissioned an independent planning consultancy to assess the level of housing that Hullavington could reasonably be expected to accommodate during the updated Plan period.

The assessment considered evidence including local demographics, housing affordability, household size, school rolls, housing need and the changing age profile of the parish.

On the evidence currently available, the best estimate is that Hullavington should plan for around:

120 net new homes between 2026 and 2041

This is not simply a number chosen by the Steering Group, and it is not yet the final figure that Wiltshire Council may ultimately establish.

It is the best evidence-based estimate currently available, giving Hullavington a basis on which to plan rather than waiting until the strategic position is settled.

The figure could increase or decrease as Wiltshire Council develops its new Local Plan. The treatment of homes that already have planning permission but have not yet been built also needs to be taken into account.

Why don’t we simply choose a lower number?

It is an understandable question.

If residents are concerned about development, why not put a much lower housing figure into the Neighbourhood Plan?

Because a lower number on paper would not necessarily mean fewer houses in reality.

Any housing figure used by the Neighbourhood Plan needs to be realistic, evidence-based and capable of standing up to independent examination.

Deliberately planning for substantially fewer homes than the evidence suggests Hullavington may reasonably be expected to accommodate could weaken the Plan rather than strengthen it.

And it would not make the additional housing pressure disappear.

Put simply:

Under-planning does not necessarily mean fewer new homes.

It could mean fewer homes planned positively by the community — leaving more decisions about additional development to be made through planning applications and appeals.

That is exactly the position we are trying to avoid.

Why does planning for the likely requirement give us more influence?

If development is likely to happen, having an up-to-date Neighbourhood Plan allows Hullavington to focus on the things that we can influence.

That means using evidence to consider:

· where new housing should be located

· which sites are most appropriate

· what scale and design of development suits the village

· what types of homes our community needs

· what infrastructure and facilities should accompany growth

· what environmental improvements should be secured

· what lasting community benefits development should provide

A Neighbourhood Plan cannot stop all development and it cannot override national planning policy or Wiltshire’s strategic planning policies.

But it can give Hullavington a clear, evidence-based and community-backed position when future development proposals are considered.

Why act now rather than wait for Wiltshire’s Local Plan?

Waiting does not mean development pressure goes away.

Without an up-to-date Neighbourhood Plan, Hullavington risks having less influence over which sites come forward and what development delivers for the village.

By planning now, we can assess potential sites against consistent criteria, identify the locations that work best for Hullavington and establish the policies and infrastructure requirements that future development should meet.

If the eventual housing requirement changes, the Plan and its evidence can respond accordingly.

The purpose of using a working housing figure now is therefore not to encourage development.

It is to make sure Hullavington is prepared for the development pressures it is likely to face.

The choice is not simply between development and no development

It is between:

planning positively, using evidence and having a stronger community voice

or

leaving more of the decisions about Hullavington’s future to others.

The proposed figure of around 120 net new homes between 2026 and 2041 gives us a realistic basis from which to plan.

We may not like the number. But planning properly for the likely level of growth puts Hullavington in a much stronger position to influence where development happens, what it looks like and what it gives back to our community.

That is why we are setting a realistic, evidence-based target now — and why updating Hullavington’s Neighbourhood Development Plan matters.