More than half of East Hampshire (57%) is in the South Downs National Park. National parks have very strong planning protections so it is very hard to get permission for large developments.
What’s more, decisions about planning are made by the South Downs National Park Authority, not EHDC, and it is under no obligation to allocate large housing sites.
That means 57% of East Hampshire is out-of-bounds for EHDC’s local plan. We cannot allocate any sites inside the national park for housing, so it is likely that the majority of the Government’s very high housing target must be allocated on sites outside the park.
The SDNPA’s Regulation 19 consultation will be held in May 2026 and you are encouraged to make your voice heard at that time.
Angela Glass, EHDC Portfolio Holder for Planning
We recently got another reminder of the tightrope that district councils are expected to walk as they create their Local Plan.
We face extremely high Government-set housing targets, campaigns from concerned residents and the constriction of developable land to areas outside the South Downs National Park. There are pressures on every side.
It feels like we are trying to play a game where the cards are stacked against us.
So, it is understandable that some campaigners have suggested we call the Government's bluff and refuse to play by their rules.
Why can’t we create a Local Plan that includes an acceptable level of development but falls short of the numbers set out for us? Can we not reach a comfortable compromise that everyone is happy with?
Or, better still, why create a local plan at all? Why should the turkeys vote for Christmas? Let’s fight every development on every site we want to protect.
As appealing as this strategy is at first glance, it does not stand up to scrutiny.
The Government has explicitly stated that it will step in and intervene if it feels councils are not doing everything they can to meet their local housing figures.
In February a district council in Hertfordshire was warned to stop work on its local plan while the Minister of State for Housing and Planning considered whether to take it over. Buckinghamshire Council has also received a strong letter from the minister. Both letters are on our website. (Go to Does the Government intervene in local plan preparation?)
It is true that we are faced with unprecedented housing demands that will have an impact on our local communities, but it is also true that we are much better off making these important decisions together, as a council in its community, rather than having them taken out of our hands altogether by the government.
That’s why we must make every effort to create a local plan that works for us and works for the Government.
Application window for developer contributions open until May
Money generated from new development is reinvested back into our communities through a process called developer contributions.
New developments, whether they are homes or commercial spaces, increase demand on local services. To ensure communities grow sustainably, developers are required to contribute towards the infrastructure that supports this growth.
Community groups, charities and organisations can now apply for funding raised through developer contributions to support infrastructure projects in their patch.
The application window for the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is open until 1 May.
CIL is designed to support strategic infrastructure, such as new schools, improved roads, leisure and community facilities or health services.
Pictured above is a new all-weather sports pitch delivered to Bohunt School through developer contributions.
|
