Test Valley Borough Council - Update on Plan Progress for JAP

Status of Current Local Plan

The current Test Valley Borough Local Plan was adopted in April 1996.

Programme

In May 2000 the Council produced six pre-deposit consultation documents (the "Beyond 2000" series) to start the Plan review process.

The Council approved an Initial Deposit Draft of the Borough Local Plan Review for public consultation in July 2002 and the Plan is currently being prepared for publication in November. It will be produced as a document, as a CD-ROM and on the Council's website.

A Revised Deposit Draft is anticipated in summer 2003 and it is likely that the public inquiry will follow in 2004.

Major Development Areas (MDAs) and Reserve Sites

Policy H2 of the Structure Plan requires that provision is made for 6,160 net additional dwellings in Test Valley North between April 1996 and March 2011. Policy H3 also indicates that 3,000 of these dwellings will be in the form of a MDA at Andover.

2,730 dwellings are required in Southern Test Valley (STV) under Policy H2. Policy H4 also indicates that land for a further 1,000 dwellings should be identified as a reserve site (or sites).

Development Progress

Since 1996 nearly 1,700 dwellings have been built in Test Valley North, mostly in Andover. Taking account of completions, outstanding consents and likely infilling / windfall development, it is estimated that about 3,700 dwellings will be built from these sources during the Plan period. In the light of these figures an MDA of sufficient size to accommodate 2,400 dwellings is all that is required for the period up to 2011.

Since 1996 nearly 1,900 dwellings have been built in STV, about 1,300 of which have been constructed at Valley Park, Chandler's Ford. Taking account of completions, outstanding consents and likely infilling / windfall development, the requirement of Structure Plan Policy H2 can be met without the need to allocate further greenfield sites. Given the amount of development that has occurred since 1996, the "brownfield" potential that remains within settlements, and the considerable uncertainty about the need to release further housing land, the Council is not intending to identify any greenfield sites in STV to meet the "reserve site" requirement of Structure Plan Policy H4 at present.

Local Issues

For Andover the challenge is to enable the town to grow in a way which maintains its prosperity and improves the environment and facilities for local people. Andover is also relatively self-contained with a high proportion of residents working locally. Future proposals for the town should help to retain this high degree of self-containment.

In Southern Test Valley maintaining the separate physical identity and character of settlements is a key consideration. Meeting development needs, particularly those for housing and employment, whilst also maintaining an attractive local environment is the main challenge facing the area.

Maintaining the viability and vitality of communities is a key consideration in rural areas. Important issues include the provision of affordable housing for local people and key countryside workers, the rural economy and the future of farming.