Planning policy

Planning policies set the framework under which decisions on planning applications are made. They set out what development can happen, where it can take place and how much there can be.

New Forest has significant areas of nature conservation and landscape importance, so our planning policies also protect the natural environment and heritage.

Local planning policies are set out in a group of documents called the Local Plan and Supporting Documents.

Consultation on Lymington and Pennington Neighbourhood Plan: New Forest District Council and New Forest National Park Authority are formally and jointly consulting on the draft Lymington and Pennington Neighbourhood Plan (LPNP). On 7 March 2025 the LPNP was submitted by Lymington and Pennington Town Council, and in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations this is a final consultation opportunity to comment on the Neighbourhood Plan before both the Neighbourhood Plan and the representations made are considered by an independent examiner. ​Consultation runs from Friday 18 April 2025 until Friday 30 May 2025. More information is available here: Lymington and Pennington Neighbourhood Plan

As part of our local plan review we recently consulted on an Issues and Scope document.  We invited residents, businesses, and stakeholders to share their views as part of this Local Plan consultation, which ran from Monday 17 February 2025 until Friday 4 April 2025. More information is available here: review of our local plan