After what can only be described as a protracted process, the Planning Inspectorate has finally issued a report declaring the Eastleigh Local Plan as sound and able to proceed towards adoption. The plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for examination in October 2018 and, as witnessed by Chapman Lily who attended the public hearings, the Council was given a rough ride by the inspector. Steve Tapscott, Associate Director at Chapman Lily, says ‘I was very surprised at the inspector’s leniency over the inadequacies of the evidence base and even finding the largest allocation in the plan unsound, yet she still allowed the examination to proceed. Nevertheless, this will give the Council and public the comfort that they are now in the driving seat when it comes to saying where development should happen in the borough. The cycle will inevitably continue, though, as local plans have to be reviewed every five years. There will therefore be opportunities to promote land for development when the local plan review commences in the coming months’.
If you would like to know more about the Eastleigh Local Plan, please contact Chapman Lily Planning.
