New Forest District Council has published the Proposed Submission draft of its Local Plan Part 1 for stakeholder consultation. The Local Plan sets out a strategy and policies for the use, development or protection of land and buildings in New Forest District for the period 2016 to 2036.

New Forest District benefits from a high quality natural environment and contains or is close to a number of internationally protected wildlife sites, including those of the New Forest, the Solent and Southampton Water, the Hampshire Avon, and the Dorset Heaths.

LUC completed the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) of the Local Plan Part 1, continuing our long term partnership with the Council’s planning team. Working closely with Council officers, Natural England and other key stakeholders during the Local Plan’s development, this work has helped the Council to ensure that its plans for much-needed development will not harm the nearby international wildlife sites.

Once adopted, the Local Plan will be part of the statutory plan that is the basis for making planning decisions in the District.

When the work was successfully completed, New Forest Principal Policy Planner, Mark Williams, commented:

“We very much appreciate the high quality, reliable and no-drama services you have provided us to date, despite our shifting timetables!”

For more about HRA of Local Plans contact Jonathan Pearson