New Forest District Council has launched a further call for potential development sites alongside the publication of its Scope Regulation 18 Consultation document for its new Local Plan.

The Council’s Issues and Scope Consultation is its first formal public consultation as it begins to shape policies, site allocations and development guidelines for the planning blueprint.

It is an opportunity for the public and stakeholders to comment on what the Council’s main priorities should be and to make suggestions.

The Council is holding a series of drop-in sessions from February 26 to March 7. You can read  more about the locations here.

An initial call for sites was opened by the Council last Autumn but it has now re-invited submissions before a closing date of 4 April.

This is another opportunity for landowners, developers and any other stakeholder parties with legal interests in land to submit their sites to the council for consideration.

It comes as the New Forest faces a doubling of the number of dwelling houses needing to be built annually in its area – up to 1,501 – under government targets for an additional 1.5million new homes in England by 2029.

Our Planning Director Adam Bennett said: “Like many other local authorities, New Forest are in a difficult position. They will have little choice but to release large areas of Green Belt land in order to meet the new standard method need.”

“At the time of preparing its last local plan in 2016, difficult choices were made regarding large areas of Green Belt release and at that time the Council was only seeking to plan for up to 400 homes per annum until the end of 2025/26.

“Even against these figures, we have seen that the Council has been unable to meet its targets and against a more accurate assessment of housing need has been shown to have under delivered.”

“It awaits to be seen whether the Council will reach out to the neighbouring authorities to ask for help in meeting its needs. Unfortunately, those authorities are in a similar difficult position with their own skyrocketing housing need figures.”

“Alongside the allocation of such significant additional sites for homes, it will also have to address the issue of those sites previously allocated in its last Local Plan (2016) that have not yet come forwards to the planning stage or been delivered.”

“Whilst there was an initial opportunity between October and December 2024 to submit sites, there is now a further opportunity for land to be promoted for allocation within the Local Plan to support the council in its requirement to fulfil its housing need under the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).”

We will be contacting our existing clients with land interests and those we have previously advised that the Local Plan making process was underway to ensure that their interests are appropriately promoted.

Adam said: “If, however, you consider you have a site that you would like to see promoted, which you consider would be suitable for development or you otherwise would like our advice on whether it is worth promoting your land, please do reach out to us and we will be happy to assist you with this.”

The consultation document does not include specific development sites or policy proposals but instead focuses on such themes as housing need, health and wellbeing, environmental protection and sustainable transport.

A full draft Local Plan will be published for further consultation later this year – most likely in the Autumn/Winter, according to the Council.

We will be submitting our comments in relation to housing need and development throughout the consultation process.

Please contact us to discuss your site or how the Local Plan may affect your project or plans.

ENDS