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Development Plan

Planning law requires that applications for planning permission be determined in accordance with the Development Plan, unless there are very good reasons to do otherwise.

The Development Plan is document or a set of documents that set out what development can happen, how and where. With significant areas of nature conservation and landscape importance, our planning policies also protect the natural environment' landscape and heritage.

The Local Plan is the main part of the Development Plan for the New Forest outside of the New Forest National Park. There is a separate Local Plan for the New Forest National Park area, prepared by the New Forest National Park Authority.

A List of all Development Plan policies is available.  This list includes all the main policies either by subject or settlement area.  The list also includes links to relevant supplementary planning guidance prepared by us but does not currently contain policies from the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan or Neighbourhood Plans.

Our development plan comprises:

Local Plan 2016-2036 part 1: Planning strategy

The Local Plan 2016-2036 Part 1: Planning Strategy reviews the planning strategy to 2036. It identifies additional 'strategic sites' for housing and employment development and was adopted on 6 July 2020.

The New Forest District Local Plan First Alteration 2005

Only one policy of the plan remains as a 'saved' policy and is still a part of the statutory Development Plan. That is Policy DW-E12: Protection of Landscape features.

The Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy 2009

Most of the policies have been replaced by new policies in The Local Plan 2016-2036 Part 1: Planning Strategy. Policies CS7: Open spaces, sport and recreation, CS19 Tourism and CS21 Rural economy remain saved.

Local Plan Part 2: Sites and Development Management

The Local Plan Part 2: Sites and Development Management was adopted in April 2014. It sets out more detailed polices including identifying specific sites for new development.

Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan

For minerals or waste development

Neighbourhood planning

Giving local communities a say in how development happens in their area.
  1. Fawley Neighbourhood Plan
  2. Fordingbridge Neighbourhood Plan
  3. Hythe and Dibden Neighbourhood Plan
  4. Lymington and Pennington Neighbourhood Plan

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