Local Plan consultation continues – make your comment count!
The Local Plan consultation continues on Saturday 23 February when our planning team visits Barton Hall, at Horndean Technology College.
The consultation runs until Tuesday 19 March and will be touring the three parts of the district that are covered by East Hampshire District Council’s Local Plan – Alton and the northwest, Whitehill & Bordon and the southern parishes.
Saturday’s session will run from 10am-2pm at Barton Hall, Barton Cross, Horndean, PO8 9PQ
You can see the remaining consultation dates here
Everyone attending will have the chance to comment on policies covering housing, employment, infrastructure and the environment. You can do this in writing by email or letter, but the easiest way is to submit comments online using the council’s website.
Using this method will ensure your comment is matched with the area or policy you mean to refer to. It’s a big document and some comments can be lost if it is not clear what the author is commenting about.
Councils around The Solent are working with Natural England, Southern Water and the Environment Agency to stop nitrogen from housing wastewater and agricultural sources accelerating the growth of algae and damaging protected wildlife habitats.
How does that work in Horndean?
Housebuilding in parts of Hampshire has been placed on hold because of warnings over nitrate pollution in the Solent.
Five councils have accepted advice from Natural England that “planning permission should not be granted” unless developments were “nitrate neutral”.
The government body said its advice followed recent European Court rulings.
Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport, Havant and East Hampshire councils have said some developments are on hold.
High levels of nitrogen pollution are already impacting protected sites in the Horndean area and new housing contributes additional nitrogen.”
Natural England said its advice was not binding and councils could depart from it if they had good reason.
It said: “High levels of nitrogen pollution are already impacting protected sites in the Solent area and new housing contributes additional nitrogen.”