Archived decisions

Contact: Jonathan Crabb, ext 6047

1. Summary

1.1 The Borough and District Councils within the New Forest Transportation (NFTS) area are progressing their respective Local Plan Reviews. The following summarises their current position.

2. New Forest Local Plan Review

2.1 In July 2001, following a targeted consultation process as previously reported to the Panel, New Forest District Council placed on deposit the First Alteration to its District Local Plan.

2.2 The First Alteration aims to bring the Local Plan into line with the County Structure Plan Review (March 2000) and take on board appropriate elements of the Hampshire Local Transport Plan and Government planning policy guidance. It will enable the Plan, which provides for development needs broadly to 2001, to extend its horizon to 2011.

2.3 The First Alteration proposes no significant new development allocations outside the existing built-up areas. It does, however, propose:

(i) new `reserve' sites to be safeguarded for future housing and employment development if required (including land for about 109 dwellings and employment at Ringwood);

(ii) safeguarding of a route for a south-eastern distributor road at Ringwood in conjunction with the `reserve' development land;

(iii) redevelopment for employment purposes in Ringwood and at Efford near Lymington;

(iv) continued development on suitable sites in the main settlements and previously-allocated urban extension sites (totalling about 370 dwellings per annum over the district as a whole - including that part outside the NFTS/Coastal Towns Transport Strategy(CTTS) area);

(v) removal of the formal safeguarding for a new loop road linking the A326 and A35 at Colbury in the light of new proposals for a signal-controlled junction;

(vi) local access improvements at Ashurst;

(vii) new or improved pedestrian and cycle routes in Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Fordingbridge, Lymington and Calshot;

(viii) changes in relation to parking provision on development sites, strengthening control over the provision of additional car parking space but also addressing the safety and environmental implications of not always meeting car parking demand on site;

(ix) a requirement for new rural health, social service and community facilities to be located so as to maximise opportunities for access by non-car transport modes;

(x) a new section of the Plan dealing with Ringwood, Fordingbridge, Lymington, New Milton and other town centres in the district, defining the extent of each town centre, identifying primary shopping areas, and increasing the scope for appropriate non-retail town centre uses (especially entertainment and social activity) in the parts of the town centre outside those primary shopping areas;

(xi) junction improvements (traffic signals and roundabouts) at various in locations in and around New Milton as part of a strategy to reduce traffic levels in the town centre; and

(xii) investigation of ways to reduce the environmental impact of traffic in Fordingbridge and Lymington high streets.

(Proposed changes affecting only parts of the district outside the NFTS/CTTS area are not listed.)

2.4 More than 1,500 objections and other representations have been received. Issues raised include:

(i) the effect of wildlife and landscape protection designations in constraining infrastructure proposals in the Forest;

(ii) the revised policy for parking provision on development sites;

(iii) the adequacy of proposals for public car parking in Fordingbridge and Lymington;

(iv) local issues regarding new footpaths and cycle routes; and

(v) various matters relating to the housing `reserve' sites.

2.5 Analysis of these representations has been delayed by the need to prepare a supplementary deposit document proposing alterations to housing policies in response to new Government guidance. A comprehensive analysis, together with recommendations for any further changes to be made and incorporated in a revised deposit document, will be considered by the District Council in the spring. Following the revised deposit period, it is expected that a public local inquiry into unresolved objections will start in the autumn.

3. Test Valley Local Plan Review

3.1 Test Valley Borough Council produced a series of six `planning briefs' (the Beyond 2000 series) in May 2000 as part of the pre-deposit consultation on the Borough Local Plan Review. Responses to public comments were considered by the Borough Council's Executive Committee on 6 February 2002 with the intention of proceeding to full Council later in the month. Subject to Members' agreement, a draft revised Local Plan will be published in the autumn. In taking the production of the Local Plan forward, the Borough Council has also had regard to revised Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9), which reduces the overall requirement for housing in the county up until 2011. The Borough Council also recognises that longer term needs for development, to at least 2016, will need to be considered with the impending further review of the Structure Plan.

3.2 In southern Test Valley the preferred option for housing is at Nursling. It is intended to include a criteria-based policy in the revised Plan to assess the merits of proposals for housing in the Borough's villages, with a strong emphasis on meeting the needs of local communities.

Recommendation

That the current status of the Local Plan Reviews be noted.

7046/JC