HMWP Local Development Scheme 2025

Contents

• Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3
• Context for the Development Scheme update............................................................ 5
• Adoption of the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan: Partial Update, monitoring and review timetable ......................................................................................................... 6

Introduction

1. The Development Scheme provides information about the production of the Hampshire Minerals & Waste Plan for the area of Hampshire covered by the five respective mineral and waste planning authorities: Hampshire County Council, New Forest National Park Authority, Portsmouth City Council, the part of the South Downs National Park Authority that falls within the administrative boundary of Hampshire County Council, and Southampton City Council.

Figure 1: The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan administrative areas

2. The Development Scheme (‘Scheme’) sets out the work programme for the review of the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan and identifies when the public and other interested parties can get involved in the process of plan-making. It includes information about the content and production timetable for the Plan review, superseding the previous 2023 version which addressed preparation of the Partial Update.

3. The Plan is the statutory basis for deciding mineral and waste planning applications, provided that it is up to date. As at December 2024, the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan comprises the following:

• the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan adopted by the Hampshire mineral and waste authorities in October 2013
• the Oil and Gas Development in Hampshire Supplementary Planning Document adopted by the Hampshire mineral and waste authorities in February 2016
• the Minerals and Waste Safeguarding in Hampshire Supplementary Planning Document adopted by the Hampshire mineral and waste authorities in February 2016

4. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (2024) requires that Local Plans be reviewed to assess whether they require updating at least once every five years.

5. The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan (the ‘Plan’) was adopted in October 2013. An initial review of the Plan was undertaken in 2018 and concluded that the Plan’s policies were deemed to be effective in enabling development and implementation of the Vision. A commitment was made to hold a Review Workshop (which was hosted by Hampshire County Council on 25 September 2019) and to undertake a further Review in 2020.

6. The 2020 Review concluded that the adopted Plan needed to be partially updated, following which a Draft Plan was prepared. This was subject to consultation for 12 weeks from 8 November 2022 to 31 January 2023, in accordance with Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (“the Regs”). A total of 2,500 responses were received with the majority focusing comments on the proposed site allocations.

7. The Proposed Submission Plan was subject to consultation for eight weeks from 9 January 2024 to 5 March 2024, in accordance with Regulation 19 the Regs. A total of 831 responses were received. Following review of the comments, it was considered that the Plan was suitable for submission to the Planning Inspectorate. Whilst minor modifications were identified, these were points of clarification and did not ultimately change the policies and proposals within the Plan.

8. In July 2024, the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan: Partial Update - Submission Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and is set to be examined in February 2025. The current Scheme expects the Plan to be adopted by Spring 2026. The Submission Plan has limited weight in decision making until it is adopted.

Context for the Development Scheme update

9. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published an updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) as part of its proposals for planning reform. In addition to the updated Framework, the standard methodology for calculating housing need within each local planning authority has also been amended. This has resulted in the indicative annual housing numbers expected to be plan for across Hampshire, including the two unitary city councils, increasing from 7,958 per annum to 12,487 per annum.

10. As a result of the planning reform and revision to the standard methodology, Joanna Averly, Chief Planner at MHCLG, wrote to all local planning authorities on 19 December 2024 asking that they ‘produce an updated Local Development Scheme within 12 weeks of the publication of the NPPF i.e. by no later than 6 March 2025’. This update is therefore prepared in accordance with this instruction.

Adoption of the updated Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan, monitoring and review timetable

11. The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan: Partial Update was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination in July 2024. The Planning Inspectorate has appointed an inspector to conduct the examination – the programme for which is published online¹.

12. The Scheme has been updated now that the examination hearings have been scheduled. The anticipated timescale for adoption of the Plan is now Winter 2025/2026 as follows:

¹ https://documents.hants.gov.uk/mineralsandwaste/Hampshire-MWP-ProvisionalHearingProgramme.pdf

13. Following adoption of the Plan by the five authorities, monitoring of the Plan and its policies – particularly in light of the revised housing numbers and likely impact that will have on the need for minerals – will be undertaken. Aligned to this, evidence gathering will also take place in preparation for any necessary review of the Plan.

14. The relevant Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) will be reviewed, particularly in light of any updated guidance regarding the replacement of these with Supplementary Plans as outlined in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. The Minerals and Waste Safeguarding in Hampshire SPD will certainly need to be reviewed and updated in order to continue to provide guidance on this important element of the Plan’s implementation.

15. A review of the Plan will be undertaken in early 2027 to determine its effectiveness and whether there is a need to amend site allocations.

16. The timetable will need to be reviewed regularly, and in light of any devolution proposals which may impact on the Hampshire area.