Date: 19 November 2003 Item 8 Report by: The Hampshire Director of Environment Portsmouth City Planning Officer and Southampton Executive Director of Development ARRANGEMENTS FOR REGIONAL AND SUB-REGIONAL PLANNING IN HAMPSHIRE, PORTSMOUTH AND SOUTHAMPTON
Written by: Stuart Roberts, tel 01962 846782 Purpose and Summary: This report explains developments at national and regional level since the previous meeting of the Panel. It sets out transitional arrangements for implementing and monitoring the Hampshire Structure Plan and for undertaking regional and sub-regional work relating to Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton. The report also proposes arrangements for developing a vision/perspective for Hampshire, in order to influence the shape of the Regional Spatial Strategy. These include a role for this Panel in steering the vision preparation, subject to some changes to the Panel's constitution. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) That, subject to the final content of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill, this Panel should continue to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the Hampshire Structure Plan until it is superseded by the adopted Regional Spatial Strategy. 2) That this Panel recognises that the appropriate arrangements for Member and officer involvement in sub-regional strategy preparation may vary from area to area, and are best determined by the authorities involved. 3) That, if there is support for the preparation of a Hampshire vision, consideration would need to be given to the appropriate Member steering arrangements for the work.
1 Introduction 1.1 A report was presented to the last meeting of this Panel which reported the publication of Government legislation to replace the current system of Structure Plans and Local Plans. The new Development Plan framework proposed in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill comprises Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS), prepared by Regional Assemblies, and Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) (prepared by Unitary and District Councils, except for the Minerals and Waste LDFs which would be prepared by County/Unitary Councils). Sub-regional strategies might be prepared for selected areas, which would become part of the RSS. Local authorities, particularly county and unitary councils, would be able to assist their regional assembly in the preparation of the RSS and any sub-regional strategies. 1.2 The Panel supported the preparation of sub-regional strategies for South Hampshire and the Blackwater Valley. It also called for discussions with the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) on how sub-regional strategies would be progressed for any other areas which cross the Hampshire boundary. 1.3 This paper reports on the various developments since the last Panel meeting and sets out the way ahead. 2 Developments at National Level 2.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill was introduced in Parliament in December 2002. It proceeded through its first and second reading in the House of Commons and its Committee stage and was then 'held over' to the next session of Parliament, which began last month. It is being debated further at Committee stage, following a raft of new clauses introduced by the Government to end 'Crown Immunity' (under which development on Crown land does not require planning permission). 2.2 There has been sustained lobbying by the Local Government Association and others for changes to the Bill, notably to provide a statutory basis for county and unitary councils to assist with RSS preparation. To date, the Government has resisted all such proposed changes. 2.3 To coincide with the Bill's reintroduction to Parliament, the Government published for consultation the drafts of new Regulations and new Planning Policy Statement 11 (which will replace PPG11). These reinvent the term `strategic planning authorities' to describe county and unitary councils, and envisage a substantial role for these authorities in research and surveys, leading the preparation of sub-regional strategies and acting as agents for their regional assembly in assessing the conformity of draft LDFs with the RSS. 3 Progress at Regional Level 3.1 A project plan for the preparation of RSS and sub-regional strategies was approved by SEERA's Planning Committee on 17 September 2003. It proposes a tight timetable for the preparation of the RSS, with strategic options on the level and broad distribution of growth being ready in spring 2004 for public consultation during the ensuing summer. This would lead to submission of a draft strategy to the Government Office for the South East in spring 2005. Approval by the Deputy Prime Minister is hoped for in mid-2006. A more detailed timetable is in the attached appendix. 3.2 The project plan identifies ten areas across the South East for which sub-regional studies will be undertaken by the local authorities in the areas involved. Three affect Hampshire: (i) Blackwater Valley (the northern part of this is also in the Western Corridor); (ii) Western Corridor (based on the Thames Valley but including Basingstoke town, the northern part of Hart Districts and the whole of Rushmoor Borough); and
(iii) East Dorset/South Hampshire/Chichester/Isle of Wight.
3.3 Each study will analyse the links between the study area and adjacent areas and will draw up broad spatial strategy options. The analysis of links will help SEERA to decide whether a sub-regional strategy is needed for the area concerned, and if so, the geographic boundaries of the strategy. The studies are to be completed by February/March 2004, leading to any strategy preparation during the remainder of that year. A more detailed timetable is in the appendix. 3.4 The arrangements for preparing the RSS and sub-regional strategies, particularly the Member steering mechanisms, were to be discussed at SEERA's Regional Planning Committee on 6 November 2004. An oral report on that will be presented at this meeting. 3.5 The issues arising from this were explored in a report on arrangements for strategic planning presented to the Association of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Authorities (HIOWLA) on 26 September. The meeting resolved that: (i) officers continue to press the SEERA on the future role envisaged for county, district and unitary authorities in strategic planning, and the proposed mechanism for involving these authorities in preparation of the RSS; (ii) officers in each of the sub-regional areas proposed by the Regional Assembly advise Members locally how best to take forward work on sub-regional strategies; and (iii) the Association considers its possible role in facilitating coordination of strategic planning across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
3.6 The remainder of this report sets out arrangements for progressing the regional and sub-regional work relating to Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, in the context of the HIOWLA resolution above. 4 Implementing and Monitoring the Hampshire Structure Plan 4.1 The timetable for preparing the RSS envisages it being adopted in 2006. In the meantime, the Hampshire Structure Plan will remain in force, with a concomitant need to monitor its implementation, particularly in respect of housing and the question of whether it is necessary to trigger the release of any of the reserve housing provision. The Planning Bill is silent, however, on which organisation will undertake Structure Plan monitoring and implementation until the Plans are replaced by adopted RSS. Government officials are considering this omission, which may lead to amendments being made to the Bill. 4.2 If the resulting Act accords a statutory role in this matter to strategic planning authorities, it would be logical for the role to continue to be performed by this Panel in respect of the Hampshire Structure Plan. 5 Sub-regional Work 5.1 A brief for the studies to be undertaken in the three sub-regions relating to Hampshire - see paragraph 3.2 - is expected from the Regional Assembly shortly. Each study will essentially be a technical exercise, the results of which can be reported to the portfolio holder of each authority before they are by SEERA. 5.2 Preparation of the ensuing strategies, in contrast, will grapple with and seek to resolve major, potentially controversial issues, such as the distribution of new housing up to 2026. The preparation of these merit more in-depth involvement by Members. In line with the HIOWLA resolution (paragraph 3.5 (ii) above), proposals for Member involvement should be developed by the authorities within each area. 6 Rest of Hampshire 6.1 SEERA officers have asked the Hampshire authorities to undertake technical work for the rest of Hampshire to help them prepare the main RSS. The nature of the technical work has yet to be specified, but will presumably include completions data, land supply information, constraints and capacity for future development, etc. 6.2 Hampshire County Council wished to be more proactive than simply providing SEERA with technical data, and will seek to influence the emerging RSS as it affects Hampshire. Specifically, it intends, in conjunction with others who wish to participate, to develop a vision/perspective on the amount and broad distribution of housing and employment growth, and the associated infrastructure required. The vision could serve three purposes: firstly to influence SEERA before it formulates its draft strategy, secondly to provide the basis for Hampshire to put forward an alternative to SEERA's strategy in the event that the latter is unacceptable, and thirdly to provide a platform, if necessary, for lobbying for the infrastructure required to support development. (Hopefully, the first would obviate the second.) 6.3 Considerable background work has been undertaken already through the Task Teams established for the erstwhile roll forward/review of the Structure Plan; the main job now is to think about/vision an appropriate overall strategy. The vision will also need to inform and be informed by the parallel work on sub-regional studies/strategies (South Hampshire, the Western Corridor and Blackwater Valley). | 
