A survey has revealed a bank of more than 1,700 Angus housing sites either under construction or ripe for development by 2020.
The Angus housing land audit is an annual scrutiny of district sites with the capacity for five homes or more, aimed at helping to inform housing land requirements for strategic planning purposes.
The draft audit is intended to provide a factual statement of land supply in Angus and is the result of a survey undertaken earlier this year with comments now being sought as part of a consultation which will run until the end of August.
A broad breakdown into four main areas shows west Angus (Forfar/Kirriemuir and landward) and east Angus (Arbroath and landward) to have 596 and 520 sites available respectively.
In north Angus the 2013-2020 figure comes in at 345, with south Angus having the lowest number of sites at 245.
In the audit report the capacity and location of specific sites are detailed, along with information relating to constrained supply locations which may be subject to issues such as ownership, land contamination or marketability that could affect development.
Among the large capacity sites in the Angus audit are Dubton Farm, Brechin (400 homes); Brechin Road, Montrose (two sites totalling 493 homes); Montrose Road, Arbroath (344); Victoria Street, Carnoustie (130); Shank of Omachie, Wellbank (160); Wester Restenneth, Forfar (209); Hillhead, Kirriemuir (113).
Work is already under way at a number of those locations.
The former Sunnyside hospital near Montrose is among the larger constrained locations, with the potential for some 320 homes on the 21-hectare site.
Also highlighted is the former Strathmartine Hospital site on the outskirts of Dundee. Having lain empty for a decade, the main hospital building and surrounding land are now the subject of an application to Angus Council for housing and associated facilities.
The audit is an important source of information for the monitoring of the TAYplan strategic development plan. It will also be used to inform the Angus local development proposed plan due to be published in 2014.
Officials have said that the potential yield figures indicated in the audit take into account past trends and completions, both on site or in the housing market area.
The document adds: “The effects of the continuing financial difficulties for the house-building industry have been considered and, where appropriate, a cautious approach has been adopted in predicting future yield from development sites.
“More generally, emphasis is made that the likely yield is indicative and will undoubtedly vary from the actual figure.”
An aggregate number of dwellings expected to come forward on small sites of less than five units is also included, but the council states that it does not consider that small-site completions will contribute towards meeting the TAYplan average annual build rates.
“These sites will, however, have a role to play in augmenting the supply of effective housing land,” the document continues.
Among the consultees are the Scottish Government, Homes for Scotland and agencies including Scottish Water, as well as housing developers and registered social landlords.