Supporting community-led housing
Leathermarket Community Benefit Society is a non-profit, community-led housing provider working within the Leathermarket JMB estates. Aegaea was appointed to provide Sequential Test and flood risk policy advice for two residential proposals: 26 Leathermarket Street and Elim Estate.
The team needed a clear approach to assessing the sites and presenting the evidence to Southwark Council. Our work focused on developing that approach with the people responsible for preparing and considering the applications.
Why the methodology mattered
A previous legal challenge concerning housing at Elim Estate formed part of the background to the appointment. Aegaea became involved after that decision and had not worked on the earlier application.
For the new work, the project team needed to explain how the Sequential Test would be applied to these proposals. Agreeing the approach at the outset provided a shared basis for preparing and reviewing the evidence.
Working with the council at the outset
Aegaea engaged with Southwark Council’s planning and legal officers to develop an agreed methodology. We prepared a Methodology Statement that considered the relevant policy framework and lessons arising from the earlier legal challenge.
The work involved discussing and agreeing the assessment parameters with the local planning authority before completing the formal assessment. The resulting framework could be applied across both projects while keeping their individual circumstances in view.
What the work provided
The agreed methodology gave the client and council a consistent framework for considering the Sequential Test evidence for Leathermarket Street and Elim Estate. It made the approach explicit and helped the project team explain the basis of its assessment.
This case describes Aegaea’s contribution to the methodology and supporting evidence. It does not record a final planning decision for either scheme or claim that an agreed methodology guarantees permission.
A useful lesson for other project teams
Where the application of a planning test needs careful consideration, it helps to discuss the proposed approach early, record what has been agreed and make the supporting evidence easy to follow. That gives everyone involved a clearer starting point for the assessment.
For current projects, the Sequential Test is explained in the government’s Flood risk and coastal change guidance. The appropriate approach depends on the proposal and the applicable policy. A methodology used for one project should not be assumed to fit another.
If you need help responding to a Sequential Test request, share the site boundary, proposal and the council’s correspondence. Speak with Aegaea about the evidence and scope needed for your project, or read about our flood risk assessment service.
