Hart District Council have agreed at their recent Cabinet meeting to progress with a review of their Local Plan. The Council have acknowledged that a new Local Plan is needed;
- To allocate sites for new homes so that a five-year housing land supply can be maintained from 2028/29 onwards.
- Policy H5 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show people is out of date.
- To avoid the current evidence base becoming out of date.
- There are a number of ‘saved’ policies from the previous Local Plan adopted in 2002 which should be updated as necessary as part of a new local plan.
The timescales for the Local Plan review are yet to be confirmed, however, i is likely that Hart will follow the new, faster, 3 year plan-making process with the Government intending to introduce this system through secondary legislation in Summer/Autumn 2025.
Giles Moir, Director at Chapman Lily Planning commented that “ the December 2024 Housing need figures show an increase for Hart of 297 to 750 dwellings a year – a significant uplift in housing provision, an uplift that presents opportunities for advancing sites for development. Early engagement with the Council through their Local Plan review provides an opportunity to promote sites for development in the context of a significant need for housing”.
Chapman Lily Planning would be pleased to advise and assist landowners and developers that have sites which they may wish to promote through the Local Plan process.
