Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY STRUCTURE PLAN: POLICY H4 MONITORING AND IMPLEMENTATION

1. The policies of the adopted Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 (Review) provide a baseline provision for new homes and a reserve provision which would be released if and when the strategic and local planning authorities decide it is needed.

2. Policy H4 of the Plan deals with the reserve provision, the purpose of which is to ensure that sufficient housing land is provided for house-building throughout the Structure Plan area whilst avoiding the unnecessary use of greenfield land. It also broadly identifies the locations of the reserve provision and describes, in general terms, how decisions will be made on releasing the reserve provision if necessary.

3. The implementation of Policy H4 was set out in detail in Supplementary Planning Guidance entitled "Implementing Policy H4" which was published by the three strategic planning authorities, Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council in June 2001. There are three key stages to the implementation process:-

(i) preparation and publication of a Monitoring Paper;


(ii) consultation on that Paper; and


(iii) recommendation by the Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Panel on whether any of the reserve provision should be released.


The sequence of publication, consultation and decision will be repeated on an annual basis.

4. The first comprehensive joint Monitoring Paper was published in April 2002 and sent to a number of organisations including the Government Office for the South East and the Housebuilders' Federation. The publication of such a Paper was welcomed by many of the respondents. A particularly positive response was received from the South East England Regional Assembly in respect of the quality of the monitoring work that had been carried out. It will take some time before the full effects of the policies contained in this year's Paper can be accurately measured and the outcome of urban capacity studies are still uncertain.

5. The Monitoring Paper concludes that it is not necessary for any of the reserve provision to be released this year. However, the situation will need to be considered again when more detailed information is available in next year's edition of the Paper, which it is anticipated will be published in March. The Paper was considered recently by the Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Panel and it recommended endorsement of the conclusions by the three strategic planning authorities. Furthermore, it recommended that the Hampshire district councils progress the preparation of their local plans in accordance with the Structure Plan requirements. At the next meeting of the Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Panel in November, a presentation will be given by the Hampshire district councils detailing

the progress being made on their local plans, including work emerging from urban capacity studies. In the meantime the recommendations from the Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Panel have been endorsed.

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