The Council adopted the new Local Plan 2016-2036 Part One: Planning Strategy at a Council meeting on 6 July 2020 following the receipt of the the Inspectors' Report of the Examination on 25 March 2020. The report concludes that:
"The New Forest District (outside the National Park) Local Plan-Part 1: Planning Strategy (the Local Plan) provides an appropriate basis for the planning of the New Forest District Council planning authority area, provided that a number of main modifications are made to it."
The planning inspectors are Kevin Ward BA (Hons) MRTPI and Caroline Mulloy BSc (Hons) DipTP MRTPI. They were appointed to undertake an independent examination into the soundness of the New Forest District (outside the National Park) Local Plan 2016-2036 Part 1: Planning Strategy.
The inspectors are tasked with considering the soundness of the submitted Plan, based on the criteria set out in paragraph 182 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2012 (the Framework). The relevant soundness criteria are whether the Local Plan is:
The inspectors have taken into account representations on the Local Plan as far as they relate to soundness considerations. A number of hearing sessions took place in summer 2019 to discuss some of the matters. As a result of these discussions and the inspectors' consideration of the evidence before them, they concluded that some modifications to the plan were needed.
These modifications were consulted on in December 2019 and January 2020. In March 2020, the inspectors wrote to us with their report of the examination, which included a schedule of modifications required to make our plan 'sound'. You can download these report documents below.
We have prepared policies map extracts to highlight the changes resulting from the proposed Main Modifications, which you can download below.
You can view and download the representations to the proposed Main Modifications.
In preparing the Local Plan, we referred to and were informed by a number of documents that together form the 'Evidence Base' for the examination.
You can view and download all documents in the Evidence Base.
The full programme for the hearing sessions can be downloaded below.
The Inspectors' Matters, Issues and Questions document can downloaded below.
Week one
Week two
Week three
Week four
Week five
The following Written Statements were received in response to the Inspectors' Matters, Issues and Questions.
You can view and download each Written Statements from our Local Plan Review 2016-2036 Part One: Planning Strategy Document List.
Matter 1 - Procedural and Legal Compliance
Matter 4 - Objectively Assessed Need and Housing Requirement
Matter 7 - Retail and Other Town Centre Uses
Matter 8 - Protecting the Environment
Matter 11a - Strategic Site Allocations (Totton and the Waterside)
Matter 11b - Strategic Site Allocations (South Coastal Towns and Villages)
Matter 11c - Strategic Site Allocations (Avon Valley and Downlands)