New Forest National Park Authority sets out timeline for review of Local Plan

A REVIEW of a major planning policy which sets out rules for new development is being undertaken by the national park authority.

The Local Plan sets out planning framework for the area up to 2036, including the scale and location of new development and the need to conserve the local distinctiveness of the area.

Earlier this year the NPA announced it would commence work on a partial review of the plan, which was adopted in August 2019.

A report to members of the national park authority, which met on Thursday, explained: “Throughout recent reforms to the planning system the government has continued to reaffirm the primacy of the development plan in decision-making and the benefits of having an up-to-date plan in place.

“All local planning authorities are required to publish a Local Development Scheme (LDS) setting out a publicly available timetable for the key stages in their plan review process.”

It added: “It is proposed to undertake the first formal step in the plan review process in early 2025. This enables necessary evidence base studies to be advanced and careful consideration to be given to how the review of the local planning policies for the New Forest can further the two statutory national park purposes.”

The report explained waiting until next year would enable any changes at national level following the General Election earlier this month “to have been made and the consequences considered”.

The NPA is proposing a two-stage consultation process in order to enable it to seek views on the main planning policy options to address the themes identified before a draft Local Plan is published.

“This is the process undertaken for the adopted New Forest National Park Local Plan (2019), which is considered worked well”, it added.

The timeline for the review estimates once formal consultation is carried out in 2026/27 before the plan is submitted to the Secretary of State.

If approved, it would be adopted in 2027/28.

As reported in the A&T, the New Forest District Council announced in February its intention to review its Local Plan after it was revealed construction and supply had fallen “significantly” below previous forecasts.

In 2020 the council published part one of its plan, which set out a vision for development outside the national park, outlining an extra 10,420 homes to be built by 2036.

The plan must be reviewed every five years but, since its adoption, a number of policies have been deemed no longer relevant or require significant updating, while some have been superseded by standard national policies.

Speaking at the time, the council’s cabinet member for planning and economy, Cllr Derek Tipp, said: “Now is an ideal time for us to be moving forward with reviewing our Local Plan to support a prosperous and thriving place for our residents and businesses.”

A draft version of the new plan is expected to be ready for public consultation next year.