Havant Borough Local Plan (Core Strategy)

The Local Plan is important as it sets out how our borough will look and feel in the future.

The plans will influence planning applications and they will also ensure that there is space for the new housing and employment that we must provide. 

The planning system has to balance different views and often make difficult decisions but an integral part to formulating a Local Plan and its associated documents is community involvement and consultation, this is reiterated through the introduction of the Localism Act 2011.

The Act aims to give power back to local communities and authorities through the introduction of 'Neighbourhood Planning'.

Development plan

This the starting point for decision making in planning in Havant Borough and all local authorities in England. This is made up of adopted Local Plans and neighbourhood plans. 

The Development Plan for Havant Borough comprises:

The above documents make up the Adopted Local Plan. In order to address the high need for new housing in the borough, the council is reviewing the Adopted Local Plan.

The first step in this review was the adoption of the Local Plan Housing Statement (LPHS) on 7th December 2016.

Should any communities wish to progress Neighbourhood Plans, these will also form part of the Development Plan when they have been through the appropriate processes.

Neighbourhood planning 

Neighbourhood planning was introduced in the Localism Act (November 2011), to enable local communities to take more control over planning for development in their areas.

Neighbourhood planning is designed to be a positive process, aimed at planning for new development to meet local needs.

It cannot be used to stop development in an area, but it can help to shape and guide where development is located.

Potential benefits:

  • Allow communities to take responsibility for deciding the future of their area
  • Gain an understanding of local issues and how to address them
  • Opportunity to bring a community together

Potential disadvantages:

  • Difficult issues will need to be dealt with
  • Will require extensive resources and commitment, lengthy process
  • Unlikely that everyone in the community will be happy with the outcome

Other material considerations

Supplementary Planning Documents form part of the Local Development Plan and other planning policy documents. They may cover a range of issues (thematic or site specific) which provide further details to policies. They will not go through independent examination but will be subject to community consultation.  

Additional monitoring reports and a large number of evidence base documents will also be produced as part of the Local Plan.

We have an adopted a Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule which was implemented on the 1 August 2013.