Archived decisions

PLANNING AND COMPULSORY PURCHASE BILL : IMPLICATIONS FOR HAMPSHIRE

1. The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill was introduced in Parliament on 4 December 2002 and proposed radical changes to the planning system including a diminution in the role of County Councils. In summary, the Bill proposes to replace the current system of Regional Planning Guidance (prepared by regional assemblies/ government offices), structure plans (prepared by strategic planning authorities such as the County Council), and local plans (prepared by district councils) by a new two tier system of plans as follows:-

(i) Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) prepared by regional assemblies and


(ii) Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) prepared by district councils.


At the discretion of the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) and district councils, the County Council's role would be to assist in the preparation of these plans. The County Council will continue to be responsible for minerals and waste planning and local transportation plans.

2. The commencement date for the new arrangements is expected to be April 2004 at the earliest, but in order to maintain continuity in the planning system, transitional arrangements for strategic planning are proposed. These include structure plans adopted at commencement date remaining in force for three years or until replaced by a RSS if that is earlier, and any draft new/revised structure plan which reaches deposit stage before commencement date being able to proceed to adoption under current procedures.

3. The Cabinet regrets greatly the demise of structure plans, and the resultant reduction in the County Council's ability to influence the content of plans prepared by district councils and is supporting the lobby to get the Planning Bill amended. In parallel, it is also exploring with other councils in the region, SEERA and the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) what non-statutory role it might play in the future in the preparation of RSS and LDFs. In the meantime, work will continue with all speed on the preparation of sub-regional strategies for the Blackwater Valley/Basingstoke area and for South Hampshire which might be adapted to become part of a new Structure Plan (if the Bill were delayed) or the new Regional Spatial Strategy.

5nR85103