Local Plan: Examination Update
The Local Plan (Allocations) was successfully submitted to the Secretary of State on 20 December 2013. Inspector Sue Turner RIBA MRTPI IHBC BARCH MSC has now been appointed to conduct an independent examination into the soundness of the Plan. The Inspector has confirmed that an examination in public will take place on 29 April 2014 and further details will be posted on our website in due course.
Since our last newsletter the Publication Version of the Allocations Plan and the Schedule of Minor Changes have been brought together in more readable version of the Submission document and this is available to view online or at the Public Service Plaza: http://www.havant.gov.uk/
Neighbourhood Planning
Under the government’s localism agenda local communities can now write planning policies for their own neighbourhood, by preparing a neighbourhood plan.When finalised a neighbourhood plan will be used by the council alongside our own planning documents to help make decisions on planning applications in the area.
In the borough, neighbourhood plans will be led by groups of local people who have successfully applied to be designated as the appropriate neighbourhood forum for the specified area.
Once a neighbourhood forum is designated no other organisation or body may be designated for that neighbourhood area until the designation expires or is withdrawn.
All neighbourhood plans must be produced in line with national planning policy guidance and locally produced planning policies. For Havant Borough this means the Havant Borough Local Plan (Core Strategy) and the emerging Havant Borough Local Plan (Allocations) and other relevant legislation. They therefore cannot be used to block the amount of development already agreed in the Local Plan. They can supplement existing policies and add detail particular to their area. These policies will need to be supported by robust evidence, similar to a Local Plan.
Communities will need to decide what they would like to cover in the Neighbourhood Plan for their area. The process will include a number of stages including community engagement and consultation on the draft document. Given that a Neighbourhood Plan once adopted will be used to determine planning applications the plan must also be subject to an examination and a community referendum.
A community group called the Emsworth Forum has applied to Havant Borough Council to be recognised as the relevant body to produce a neighbourhood plan for the Emsworth Ward area. The council has a duty to invite the public’s comments on the appropriateness of the group and the area, before a formal designation can be made.
We would therefore like to invite you to comment on the applications for the designation of the neighbourhood area and forum from 24 Februaryuntil 5pm on Monday 7 April2014. Supporting documentation including a map of the proposed area is available to view on our website: http://www.havant.gov.uk/neighbourhood-planning/emsworth-neighbourhood-planning
More details on the forum can be found at http://emsworthforum.com/ or contact: Stephanie Elsy, Chair, 10 Queen Street, Emsworth, PO10 7BL. Tel: 01243 379973 Email:
Contact us...
Tel: (023) 9244 6539Email:
Write to: Planning Policy and Urban Design,
Havant Borough Council, Public Service Plaza,
Civic Centre Road, Havant PO9 2AX