There is a very important consultation taking place over the next 6 weeks until 15 October 2019. For the next stage of its Local Plan, East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) is asking where in the District 2 new development sites of up to 1000 units each should be built over the next 10 years or so.
There are 10 possible sites of which 2 will be chosen. One of the sites is in Rowlands Castle Parish and adjoins the already planned development known as Land East of Horndean (for 800 units). Taken together this would mean up to 1800 houses, a new primary school, community facilities, employment units and provision for traveller pitches on the land around Blendworth, Pyle Lane and Manor Lodge Road/Havant Road. There are no substantive proposals at present to improve the infrastructure (including surrounding roads) but this may change at some stage. Effectively this will create another large village/mini-town on what is at present largely a green field site. Follow this link for EHDC’s 2-page Summary of its proposals for this site: EHDC’s Briefing on Prospective Large Development Site – Extension of Land East of Horndean Sept 2019
Once chosen, the 2 sites will be included in EHDC’s Local Plan covering development until 2036.
Residents’ comments matter so don’t let this decision be made through inertia. There is still time to respond as the Consultation closes on Tuesday 15th October 2019. Other resident groups are already organised and commenting on some of the other development sites. If this concerns/affects you (and it probably does one way or the other) then take an interest now, otherwise it may be too late to influence the decision down the line.
The Parish Council has already submitted its response to this Consultation, which consists of this Covering Letter and this Annex giving detailed responses to each of the 10 Consultation questions. Residents are encouraged to read this but are asked please to make sure any comments they make are in their own words, expressing their own views on whatever matters which concern them relating to the Consultation. Short and crunchy will do as long as the points made are objective and relevant in planning terms. Please try and avoid NIMBY speak (for those not aware of the acronym, Not In My Back Yard)!
EHDC organised 2 drop-in events at Bartons Hall, Horndean Technology College on 7 & 23 September 2019 and these were advertised on this website, the Parish Council’s social media pages, community noticeboards and Grapevine. The Parish Council wishes to thank all the residents who took the time to attend either of these.
Consultation documents and Comment Forms can be also be viewed at http://www.easthants.gov.uk/draft-local-plan and https://www.easthants.gov.uk/large-development-sites-consultation. These documents are also available to view at the Parish Office above Rowlands Home Hardware. Where possible, comments should be submitted electronically via EHDC’s online portal: https://easthants.oc2.uk/. Where this is not possible, comments can also be emailed to localplan@easthants.gov.uk or posted to the Planning Policy Dept at EHDC.
