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 ***Correction - some of the links did not work on the original version of this bulletin. Please accept our apologies, they are working now.***
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EHDC Leader, Cllr Richard Millard, says Government rule changes to the planning system means our Local Plan will not be submitted by December 2026.
Cllr Millard believes confused and counter-productive Government changes to the planning system have made completing a new East Hampshire Local Plan by the December deadline ‘pointless and unjustifiable’.
A slew of sweeping changes to national planning rules and a shake-up of local government in Hampshire has sunk any chance of the council creating a new plan that benefits local communities.
Read all about this important shift in our Local Plan approach - click the button below
Cllr Angela Glass, Portfolio Holder for Regulation and Enforcement
Changing direction on our Local Plan is one of the biggest decisions we have faced in my time as Portfolio Holder for Planning.
The truth of the matter is that we have had to handle sweeping changes to planning rules from the Government over an extended period of time.
We have consistently worked to overcome or accommodate the obstacles put in our path. In 2024 we were on the brink of completing our Local Plan until the Government stepped in again and doubled our housing target, uprooting everything we had worked towards over the previous years.
This summer we can expect yet another raft of changes to planning rules, just months before the submission deadline of 31 December. We have no time to respond to this new guidance, which render policies relating to design and environmental performance obsolete.
What’s more, in two years a total restructure of local government in Hampshire will mean ‘East Hampshire’ will cease to exist as an administrative entity.
It is in the face of this tsunami of change that we have been forced to accept that creating a Local Plan based on old rules and outgoing geography is both pointless and financially unjustifiable.
While this decision marks the end of one chapter, it does not mean we will stop standing up for our communities and countryside. We will continue to resist inappropriate and poor-quality development wherever we can, while ensuring that future growth is shaped in a way that reflects the needs and character of our area.
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Using funds collected through developer contributions in the area, the council has supported a new scheme that will reduce the price of seven newly-built homes. Giving local people the opportunity to acquire housing that would otherwise be beyond their reach.
Working in partnership with Merlion Homes, the funding will allow each property to be sold at around 25 per cent below full market value. Priority will be given to East Hampshire residents, helping local people remain close to their families, friends and communities.
The scheme was reduced from 22 homes to seven as local Housing Associations chose not to buy the homes. Using developer contributions in this way ensures affordable homes are delivered to the area.
The funding also acts as an investment, which the council will be able to recover, plus any increase in value, when the homes are sold. This can then be used to re-invest in further affordable housing projects.
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Photo: Petersfield Heath and Pond. Credit: Ben Evans, courtesy of SDNPA
The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) could - and should - do more to encourage new development and sustainable growth in the park.
That’s the message we will deliver to the SDNPA as part of a consultation on its Local Plan. The consultation (Regulation 19) closes on 23 June 2026 and is open to all, including local communities, stakeholders and the development sector.
While some proposals identified in the South Downs Local Plan are welcome (policies on nature recovery, climate change and sustainable use of resources), these are overshadowed by the limited growth proposed in East Hampshire’s settlements.
We believe the proposed level of housing is ‘disproportionately low’ and that the SDNPA could - and should - do more to enable the delivery of new homes and support job creation and the local economy.
Our statement has been discussed by councillors and some amendments may be made to the proposed response below.
You can see the SDNPA Local Plan and take part in the consultation below
EHDC has invited an independent panel to review its Planning Committee operations as it looks to ensure decision-making is as effective and robust as possible.
The council called in the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) to compare decision-making at the planning committee with best practice from around the country.
Run by the Local Government Association, the PAS provides high quality help, advice, support and training on planning and service delivery to councils in England.
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Headley Pavilion has been improved using developer contributions
Developers are obliged to make a contribution to offset the impact of an increasing population on local infrastructure.
These 'developer contributions' can be earmarked for certain projects and are often spent on community projects in the same area as the development.
Current projects
Headley Pavilion was awarded almost £890,000 from Developer Contributions to modernise and extend the existing building and allow it to be used for community and sporting events.
The Allen Gallery in Alton was awarded £535,000 of Developer Contributions to fund an extension and internal reconfiguration. The Gallery will be able to display more unique ceramic exhibits and work more closely with schools through their volunteering programme. The gallery is expected to reopen in Early 2027.
Traffic-calming measures will be introduced outside Four Marks Primary School as part of a scheme aimed at improving safety for children and pedestrians. Developer contributions (Section 106) provided over £215,000 to the pot.
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