Neighbourhood Plan
Latest News … The Plan has now been ‘Made’ (which means Approved)
The Parish Council and Neighbourhood Steering Group is delighted to announce that both EHDC (on 28th September 2023) and SDNPA (on 9th November 2023) officially ‘made’ the Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Development Plan, which means both authorities have formally adopted the Plan and it is now part of both authorities’ Local Development Plans which apply to all planning applications in the Parish. All planning proposals within the Parish therefore need to comply with the policies in the Neighbourhood Plan, which can be found via this link: Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Development Plan
The work on the Neighbourhood Plan has been completed by the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group which has now been formally ‘wound up’ as of 4 December 2023. We salute the hard work of all the Group members who worked tirelessly over 6+ years to develop our Neighbourhood Plan for the good of the Parish. We would like to thank all those who have contributed to the Plan, its content and consultations.
The purpose of a Neighbourhood Plan is to allow the local community to play a strong role in shaping the area in which we live and work, and to influence planning decisions for any new developments. It allows the community to influence where new homes, shops, offices and other development should be built, to identify and protect local green spaces, and to have a say on what new buildings should look like. It is drawn up by our local community working with our Local Planning Authorities (East Hampshire District Council and South Downs National Park Authority). A Steering Group of local volunteers including parish councillors has consulted widely to gather the views of the local community. As the finally approved plan will be part of the planning process, it was vital for all to contribute their views on how they want our parish to develop in the future.
Results of Referendum
We are delighted to announce the result of the Referendum relating to the adoption of the Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Development Plan. The question which was asked in the Referendum was:
“Do you want East Hampshire District Council [EHDC] and the South Downs National Park Authority [SDNPA] to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Rowlands Castle to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.”
The results are as follows:
Number cast in favour of a Yes – 593 (96.5%)
Number case in favour of a No – 22 (3.5%)
Turnout – 23.5%
A copy of the Declaration of the Result can be viewed here: 2023.09.20 Declaration of Result of Poll ie Referendum
The next stage is for EHDC and SDNPA to ‘make’ the Plan at their meetings on 28th September and 9th November 2023 respectively. At this point the Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Development Plan will become part of the Development Plan for the District.
Run-up to the Referendum on 19th September 2023
The Examiner’s Report was received on 26th June 2023 and recommended that, subject to a series of modifications required to make the Plan meet all the necessary legal requirements, it should proceed to Public Referendum. EHDC’s Planning Committee considered the recommendation at its meeting on 17th July 2023 and agreed to proceed to Referendum on Tuesday 19th September. The Polling Station will be at the Parish Hall and will be open from 7am to 10pm on the day. For more details, including information on postal and proxy voting, please see the following link: Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Development Plan Referendum. A copy of the Plan and associated documents are available to view at the Parish Office during public opening times.
The Referendum will give residents and stakeholders within the Parish the opportunity to decide if the Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Development Plan should be ‘made’ ie adopted.
If successful, the Plan will become part of the planning process, and will be considered when making any future planning decisions within the Parish.
Examination
The six-week public consultation, organised by EHDC, is now complete and consultee comments are being considered. The Neighbourhood Development Plan documents have now been submitted to an Independent Examiner, who will check that the Plan meets the correct basic standards. If it doesn’t meet the standards, the Examiner will recommend changes for EHDC to consider, but should significant changes be recommended, a Public Hearing may be necessary before proceeding. If the Examiner finds the Plan to be satisfactory (with modifications if necessary), EHDC will then arrange for a Community Referendum to take place, giving the local community the final say on whether the Neighbourhood Plan comes into force.
All documents are available to view on the EHDC website at https://www.easthants.gov.uk/planning-services/planning-policy/neighbourhood-planning/emerging-neighbourhood-plans/rowlands and paper copies can be obtained from the Parish Office by contacting projects@rowlandscastlepc.org.uk
Residents’ Observation and Comments
During the various Neighbouring Plan public consultations, a collection of residents’ observations and comments has been gathered which, although not forming part of the Neighbourhood Plan, are helpful in assisting future Parish Council considerations. These can be viewed via this link: Residents’ Observations and Comments
EHDC Public Consultation
Thank you very much to everyone who commented on the Rowlands Castle Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan during the Public Consultation in Summer 2022. The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group has updated the draft Neighbourhood Plan following the Consultation, and the next step for making the Neighbourhood Plan is a further 6-week Public Consultation, organised by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC). This will begin on Monday 13th February 2023 and will close at 5pm on Monday 27th March 2023.
All documents for this Consultation, including the updated draft Neighbourhood Plan, are available for viewing on the EHDC website at https://www.easthants.gov.uk/planning-services/planning-policy/neighbourhood-planning/emerging-neighbourhood-plans/rowlands. Comment on the content of this Plan are encouraged during this consultation period.
Paper copies of the documents are also available for viewing at the Parish Office during public opening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10am and 12 noon, or by appointment by contacting the Office, details of which are available here: Contact
A document which includes all responses received during the Summer 2022 Public Consultation, and responses to the comment raised, can be found here: Summer 2022 Public Consultation Responses
Previously ….
Following the Summer 2022 Public Consultation, the Plan has now gone to the local authorities for further consultation and, once agreed, to an Examiner. When approved, Rowlands Castle Parish will vote on it in a Public Referendum, and if successful the Plan will then be adopted. Once it has been adopted it will sit alongside the East Hampshire District Council and South Downs National Park Authority Local Plans. It is then a statutory (legal) document which must be consulted as part of the planning process when deciding where development should take place, and the type and quality of that development in Rowlands Castle Parish.
Public Consultation during Summer 2022
From 17th June to 14th August 2022 residents, organisations and businesses were invited to review and comment upon the draft Plan. Residents were informed of the consultation via RCPC’s website, local noticeboards, local businesses and organisations, social media and Grapevine.
The Plan and its associated documentation was available to view on line and from hard copies available from the Parish Office and local businesses and organisations. Residents were invited to submit their comments via an on-line questionnaire which was also available in hard copy form from the various publicised locations.
Members of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group also manned a dedicated stall at the Village Fair on 2nd July and held drop-in sessions at the Parish Hall on 23rd and 24th July 2022.
The Plan plus all supporting documents, including the associated Consultation and Evidence documents, can be accessed via the links below:
Rowlands Castle Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan – Finalised for Referendum (Note: Large file)
Referendum Version Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Development Plan
Rowlands Castle Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan Draft v32 Schedule of Consultation Documents
Rowlands Castle Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan – Consultation Documents – Reg 14 – 2022 06 12.pdf
Rowlands Castle Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan Draft v32 Schedule of Evidence Documents
Rowlands Castle Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan – Evidence Base Documents – Reg 14 – 2022 06 12.pdf
Rowlands Castle Settlement Character Assessment (SCA)
Rowlands Castle Settlement Character Assessment
Rowlands Castle Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)
Equality Impact Assessment May 2023
Further Links
Reports to Rowlands Castle Parish Council (RCPC) by the Chairman of Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (RCNPSG)
2023.12.04
2023.10.02
2023.09.04
2023.07.17
2023.05.11
2023.04.03
2023.03.06
2023.01.09
2022.11.07
2022.06.13
2022.03.07
2022.02.07
2021.10.04
2021.06.15
2021.06.15
2021.02.01
2020.10.05
2020.05.04
2020.03.02
2019.11.04
2019.03.04
2018.12.03
2018.10.01
2018.05.14
2018.02.05
2017.12.04 (2018 on Report)
2017.09.04
Reports to Rowlands Castle Annual Parish Meeting (APM) by Rowlands Castle Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (RCNPSG)
