Archived decisions

Contact: Kim Catt, ext 6748/Lionel Newman, ext 6051

1. Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That East Hampshire District Council be advised that a statement will be supplied under Section 46 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 stating that the East Hampshire District Local Plan Second Review: Second Deposit Draft is in general conformity with the Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review).

(ii) That the Transport chapter be approved for publication.

(iii) That the County Planning Officer and County Surveyor, in consultation with the Executive Member as necessary, be authorised to make appropriate officer representations and/or objections on the Local Plan once it has been formally placed on deposit in the New Year.

2. Reason

2.1 The Local Plan makes provision for future development and conservation in accordance with the Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review).

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Not to issue a Statement of Conformity.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer Consulted - Not applicable.

5. Dispensation Granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

7. Introduction

7.1 The East Hampshire District Local Plan: Second Review has now reached the Second Draft Deposit stage. The Local Plan will be placed on deposit for a six week period of public consultation in the New Year. Before the Local Plan can be formally placed on deposit, a Statement of Conformity is sought from the County Council.

7.2 In September 1999 the County Council, through its former Planning and Transportation Committee, resolved to issue a Statement of Conformity on the First Deposit Draft of the East Hampshire District Local Plan: Second Review under Section 46 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The resolution is set out in the attached appendix.

7.3 This report comments upon those issues of strategic conformity and specific transport proposals. Any detailed comments and/or objections on new or significant policies altered will be made to East Hampshire District Council once the Local Plan is formally placed on deposit. Objections at this stage should be on changes which have been made to the draft plan since the first deposit stage.

8. The Main Changes

Housing

8.1 The Second Deposit Draft Local Plan makes provision for a baseline figure of 5,500 and 1,500 reserve sites should monitoring show that this is necessary. The main changes that are proposed in the Second Deposit Draft arise from:

(i) the explanation of housing land supply and the proposed housing allocations in the light of PPG3 Housing; and

(ii) the Hampshire County Structure Plan Review: Implementing Policy H4;

both of which were adopted after the First Deposit Draft of the Local Plan was published.

8.2 There is more detail in the Second Deposit Draft Local Plan about how housing requirements are made up, including new Policies HSG5, HSG6 and HSG7 which identify the settlements and sites where reserve housing provision has been identified. This complies with the views expressed by the County Council when consulted by the District Council on the First Deposit Draft that more detail should be set out in the Local Plan.

8.3 The reserve housing sites contained in Policy HSG7 also include The Causeway at Petersfield and Walldown Triangle at Whitehill. The County Council objected to the inclusion of these two sites in the First Deposit Draft of the Local Plan on the grounds of concerns that the County Council's mineral safeguarding policy did not appear to have been taken into account as part of the site selection process. The District Council was asked to carry out a reassessment of the proposed housing sites, taking into account mineral resources and Policy 4 of the Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Minerals and Waste Local Plan on mineral safeguarding. In the event that this process concluded these two sites should remain in the Local Plan, the District Council was informed the County Council would withdraw its objection.

Economy

8.4 There are two new allocations for business uses at Keydell Nursery, Horndean (Policy ECY1) for 2,500 square metres of B1 and B2 uses. The Depot in London Road, Holybourne has been identified for 2,800 square metres for small business units.

8.5 There is a new Policy ECY2 relating to the retention of employment land for employment uses. Where an unavoidable loss of an employment site occurs there may be certain cases where compensation is provided to offset the loss. The District Council is also proposing a new site specific policy (ECY3) at Portsmouth Road (east of the A3M), Horndean to redevelop this site.

Retail

8.6 There are two new policies relating to planning obligations on developers to provide town centre improvements - such as environmental enhancements, shop mobility, town centre management - or other related improvements.

Ministry of Defence

8.7 The District Council has introduced Policy G3 which deals with Ministry of Defence land and/or buildings which become surplus to requirement.

8.8 The District Council has introduced a new Policy ECY8 relating to RAF Oakhanger. This policy has been prepared in the light of the Secretary of State for Defence issuing a safeguarding map for the site. The policy sets out that the Local Planning Authority will consult the Ministry of Defence on any planning application within the outer safeguarding boundary to ensure compliance with this policy.

Developer Contributions

8.9 The Second Deposit Draft of the Local Plan introduces several new policies relating to developer contributions and impact on infrastructure Policies G5 to G9. The District Council has adopted supplementary planning guidance in a `Guide of Developers' Contributions' which contains details on infrastructure requirements.

Transport, Energy and Pollution

8.10 The Transport chapter has been updated since the First Deposit Plan and takes into account the recent changes in Government policy and guidance. The Plan links with the Hampshire Local Transport Plan 2001-2006 and reflects the integration between land use and transport plans required by the Government The Local Plan includes reference to the policies and proposals contained in the integrated transport strategies affecting the East Hampshire District, namely the Central Hampshire Rural Transport Strategy, the Petersfield Area Transport Strategy and the South East Hampshire Transport Strategy.

9. County Planning Officer's Comments

9.1 There have been some changes made to the Local Plan since the First Deposit Draft was published. These changes do not raise any issues about general conformity with the Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review).

Housing

9.2 The District Council has carried out an Urban Capacity Study looking at the overall potential for developing and redeveloping land and buildings within the built-up areas. This is consistent with the `plan, monitor and manage' approach. This will contribute towards the assessment of housing supply by the County and District Councils and any release of reserve housing sites should they be required during the plan period.

9.3 The inclusion of the sites at Petersfield and Walldown Triangle in policy HSG7 are not significant enough to place the East Hampshire District Local Plan: Second Deposit Draft out of general conformity with the Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review). The extent to which mineral safeguarding policy has been taken into account in the housing site selection process is being discussed with the District Council. If that process concludes that these sites should be identified in the Local Plan, then the County Council's objections should be withdrawn.

Retail

9.4 The County Council expressed strong reservations about the inclusion of the Bordon Motors/Masonic Hall redevelopment site under Policy S1 of the First Deposit Draft on the grounds that the inclusion of the site could affect the vitality and viability of the local district shopping centre at Whitehill/Bordon. In the spring of 1998 a planning application for a 2,500 square metres superstore was made. This proposal was a departure from the adopted Development Plan and was referred to the Secretary of State for his determination. On 19 October 2001 a decision letter was received from the Secretary of State which grants permission for the development to proceed, thereby nullifying the County Council's concerns in this matter.

Other Policies

9.5 The policies on general strategy, employment, retail, countryside and heritage, Ministry of Defence, developer contributions, and health and community are all in general conformity with the Structure Plan.

10. County Surveyor's Comments

10.1 Consultations have been undertaken with the District Council during the preparation of the transport policies and proposals contained in the Transport, Energy and Pollution chapter of the Local Plan. The transport policies and proposals are consistent with current Government guidance, the Hampshire County Structure Plan (Review) and the Hampshire Local Transport Plan 2001-2006. The Second Deposit Draft has been updated to take account of the policies and proposals contained in the Central Hampshire Rural Transport Strategy and Petersfield Area Transport Strategy published in October 2000.

11. Conclusions

11.1 At the time of preparing this report the final agreed text of the Second Deposit Local Plan was not available. Once the Second Deposit Draft of the Local Plan is placed on deposit in the New Year the County Council will make a formal response in respect of new policies and those policies which have been amended since the First Deposit Draft Local Plan was published. The Statement of Conformity is required to enable the District Council to place the Second Deposit Draft of the Local Plan on deposit for public consultation.

11.2 The Second Deposit Local Plan is in general conformity to the policies of the Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review). A Statement of Conformity can therefore be issued.

6836/KC/LIN

APPENDIX

RESOLUTION OF FORMER PLANNING

AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

6 SEPTEMBER 1999

(i) That, at such time as a copy of the published First Deposit Local Plan is served on the County Council under Section 46 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, a statement be supplied to East Hampshire District Council stating that the East Hampshire District Local Plan: Second Review is in general conformity with the Hampshire County Structure Plan (Review) Proposed Modifications published in May 1999.

(ii) That East Hampshire District Council be advised that the County Council approves the transport chapter of the First Deposit Local Plan for publication, but advises that amendments may be necessary following progress on the emerging Central Hampshire Rural Transport Strategy.

(iii) That, notwithstanding that the County Council is prepared to provide a statement of conformity under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in accordance with the permitted assumption, East Hampshire District Council be advised not to proceed to the Second Deposit stage of the Local Plan procedures before the Hampshire County Structure Plan (Review) is adopted, in order to avoid creating uncertainty in the run up to the Local Plan Inquiry.

(iv) That East Hampshire District Council be advised that the County Council is concerned that the allocation of general retail uses at the Bordon Motors/Masonic Hall site could be to the detriment of the Forest Centre, which is identified as the main district shopping centre for the wider area of Whitehill/Bordon.

(v) That the County Planning Officer be authorised to make appropriate officer representations on the First Deposit Plan when it is published formally.