Review of demographic assumptions for Ashford strategic housing market assessment

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November 2016

Cambridge Econometrics was commissioned by Ashford Borough Council (Kent) to test the robustness of the methodology used by another consultancy in their Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA).

The SHMA converted population and household projection data into a proposed housing requirement.

Our key tasks included:

  • reviewing the methodology employed by the consultancy when assessing demographic data in their original SHMA report for the Council in 2014
  • considering whether the methodology applied was consistent with government guidance on the preparation of housing and economic development assessment needs as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Planning Practice Guidance (PPG); and
  • reviewing the latest draft report to establish whether the interpretation and translation of the 2014-based population and household projection figures into a revised demographic based housing need was robust

For more information please contact 

Shyamoli Patel Principal Economist [email protected]