The primary purpose of the SHELAA which local planning authorities are required to prepare is to:
- identify sites with the potential for housing or employment
- assess how many homes or floorspace they could provide
- assess when they could be developed.
It is a technical document and an important evidence source to inform decision making on future housing and employment development, but does not determine whether a site will be allocated. It includes a high level strategic overview assessment of the deliverability/developability of each identified site in terms of its suitability, availability and achievability.
The most recent version of the SHELAA can be viewed here. It was published in December 2019.