Residents can comment on proposed housing numbers in the park
East Hampshire residents have until Monday 17 March to have their say on housing plans inside the South Downs National Park.
The South Downs National Park Authority is a separate planning authority to EHDC and prepares its own Local Plan for the whole of the South Downs – including the area of East Hampshire that is inside the park.
The Government sets housing targets for the whole of East Hampshire so the number of homes built inside the park through the SDNPA’s Local Plan has a direct impact on the number of homes which must be delivered in the rest of the district.
In December the Government increased the mandatory housing figure for East Hampshire from 575 to 1,142 homes a year. This is a 98 per cent increase.
We have called on the South Downs National Park Authority to take a fair share of these homes inside the park. Currently the SDNP Local Plan Review proposes around 90 homes a year.
National planning policies also require East Hampshire to attempt to accommodate housing from the national park and other neighbouring planning authorities that cannot meet their own targets.
EHDC's Cabinet will discuss our own response to the consultation on Thursday 13 March. You can read our proposed response below.