Archived decisions

ADDENDUM TO SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING GUIDANCE `IMPLEMENTING POLICY H4'

The Hampshire County Structure Plan 1996-2011 Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) `Implementing Policy H4' was adopted by the strategic planning authorities in February/March 2001. It outlines the processes to be followed in deciding if, and then where, to release the County Structure Plan's reserve housing provision for development. In order to add further clarification to this process, a draft addendum was prepared and approved for public consultation by the Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Panel (JAP) on 19 November 2003. The document was circulated to a wide variety of organisations, including district councils, parish councils, housebuilders and local interest/pressure groups, for comment by 16 January 2004. The Environment Policy Review Committee considered the document at its meeting on 3 December 2003.

The outcome of the consultation indicated general endorsement of the principle and broad thrust of the Addendum. As a result of the respondents comments, a few amendments were proposed, an important one of which was to add a timetable for the sequence of publication of the report (which analyses the factors and concludes on where the release should be made), public consultation, consideration by JAP and decision-making by the three strategic planning authorities' Executive Members. The timetable will be used in any year when monitoring indicates that there is a need to release some of the reserve provision.

A decision to adopt the revised Addendum as Supplementary Planning Guidance was made on 9 March 2004, subject to a further review of the timetable in response to the Minister for Housing and Planning's request that a report be published on the need to release the reserve early in each calendar year. The decision supports Aims 1-3 of the Corporate Strategy (Maximising life opportunities, Stewardship of the environment and Achieving economic prosperity) by facilitating new development and enabling people to have the new homes they need whilst maximising the use of brownfield land and encouraging regeneration. The document will be submitted for clear English accreditation once approved by all three strategic planning authorities.