Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) A Managers Guide (2026)

Scottish Government Planning Reform

NPF4 introduced a Minimum All Tenure Housing Land Requirement (MATHLR). The expectation is that planning authorities should go beyond and exceedthe MATHLR as they prepare Local Development Plans (LDP). The MATHLR is based, in part, on two outputs from the HNDA Tool (v4.0) i.e. household projections over ten years and existing housing need. More information about the MATHLR can be found on the following website Scottish Government National Planning Framework 4.

Advice on how the MATHLR and HNDA connect to LDPs is set out in Local Development Planning Guidance – see from page 62. It outlines that where more recent information than the HNDA is available, this should be used.

It remains the case that a full HNDA is a key part of the LHS process and is required to inform the development of the LHS. We expect local authority housing and planning functions to work closely in the development of the HNDA. HNDAs will be updated every five years. Local Authorities will want to consider the timing of the HNDA to ensure that it informs both the development of a LHS and the Evidence Report for a Local Development Plan (LDP).

The MATHLR, as reflected in NPF4, can be referred to in both the HNDA and LHS however the HNDA and LHS should not be constrained to the assumptions and outputs of the MATHLR.