Archived decisions

Contact: David Evans, tel 01489 576387 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report provides an update on three current issues under consideration by the Marine Director.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 This report supports Aim 5 of the Corporate Strategy (Improving Services) by contributing to activities entailed in the management of the River Hamble.

3. Strategic Planning

3.1 At the last meeting of the Harbour Board, the Marine Director and the Coastal Manager were tasked with establishing an informal joint working party to examine the options for creating a Strategic Plan for the River Hamble, comprising representatives of the County Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and Fareham Borough Council.

3.2 This brief report summarises the responses received from potential members of the working party:

(i) Hampshire County Council - enthusiastic and willing to help in whatever way is required.

(ii) Eastleigh Borough Council -

"The council will shortly be publishing the Modifications to the Local Plan Review, to be followed, hopefully next spring, by the Adopted Local Plan. This will be an up-to-date document - the policies having been considered by the Inspector only last year. The review of these policies would therefore not be a priority for this Council and consequently is not included in our Local Development Scheme.

Whilst it is accepted that there may be a difference in wording between Eastleigh and Fareham, the policies of the two Councils seek to achieve the same objectives and there are no significant differences of intent. Even if the policies were identical, there may still be differences of interpretation.

In planning terms, there have been no significant problems caused by the existing policies - if problems did exist, it is expected that they would have been the subject of objections and considered at the recent Local Plan enquiry.

The Local Plan covers the period up to 2011 but it is probable that the Development Control policies will be reviewed before then. It is at that stage the policies on the River Hamble will be re-considered and would be an appropriate time to for Eastleigh and Fareham to consider whether or not a joint Local Development Document should be prepared.

In short, Eastleigh is reluctant at this stage to commit resources to a project which is not considered to be a high priority."

(iii) Fareham Borough Council -

"Having examined the report to the River Hamble Harbour Board, Eastleigh's second deposit Local Plan and the Eastleigh Local Plan Inspector's report, it is clear that there are differences in the policies between Eastleigh and Fareham, but they are not that significant.

Fareham is happy to discuss the drafting of new policies for inclusion in the Local Development Framework, but this will have to be done within the timescales of the Local Development Scheme. The Local Development Scheme states that the current policies that apply to the Hamble are to be replaced by the Local Development Framework Core Strategy/Local Environmental Assets DPD. The Core Strategy Preferred Options are currently being prepared, but there is a question over whether the River Hamble policies should be included. Preparation of the Local Environmental Assets DPD is programmed to start in 2007, but it will not be adopted until 2009.

Before a working party is established, it is proposed that a meeting should be held to discuss any problems that have arisen from the differences in the policies or their interpretation, and which development plan documents should include the River Hamble policies."

[DPDs are `development plan documents' which "provide the key elements of the spatial planning framework for the area" (Fareham Borough in this case), comprising a vision and strategic objectives for the area to 2016, a spatial strategy, and a number of strategic policies. Together with `supplementary planning documents' (for such things as affordable housing and open space) they will form the new spatial plan (ie the LDF) for Fareham Borough.

Fareham Borough Council's DPDs will comprise the Core Strategy; Site Allocations (housing, commerce, retail, recreation, etc); and Local Environmental Assets (which will identify environmental assets to be protected, such as nature conservation sites and presumably - though not stated - historic buildings, archaeological sites, etc).]

Both the latter two responses indicate that aspirations to develop a holistic strategic plan for the River Hamble are still some way off.

4. Bye-Laws

4.1 The Marine Director was tasked by the Harbour Board to investigate the potential for updating the River Hamble Bye-Laws (1983) using a generic format developed in conjunction with other similar harbours in the Solent Area.

4.2 A straw poll has indicated that there is considerable enthusiasm and support for this approach. However, any proposed amendments to harbour bye-laws require the approval of the Department for Transport and the Hamble (as a Municipal Port) may require Office of the Deputy Prime Minister approval as well. Advice from the British Ports Association is that timing for this is critical and that it will be at least a year to 18 months before the next window of opportunity occurs (after next year's Ports Review).

5. Strategic Principles

5.1 At the last Harbour Board meeting the Marine Director was invited to prepare a proposed draft text to update the Strategic Principles to Guide Development on the River Hamble. This was to be in time for the December meeting of the Harbour Board. As much of this work as possible has been completed. However, the Harbour Management Committee has set up a Working Group (to report to the Committee in December) on the issues of boat capacity and a glossary of terms. A considerable part of the Strategic Principles deals with various aspects of the boat capacity issue and it is clearly not possible to propose any new wording until such time as the Working Group has completed its deliberations and reported. Thus, the December deadline set by the Harbour Board cannot be met. No doubt the Management Committee and Harbour Board will wish to debate the boat capacity issue once the Working Group has reported and the draft update to the Strategic Principles will be completed as soon as possible thereafter.

6. Impact Assessments

6.1 This report provides a position statement only, therefore an impact assessment, in terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act, has not been undertaken.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

685/DE