Chance to have your say on plan (From This is Hampshire)
When news happens, text SDE and your photos or videos to 80360. Or contact us by email and phone.
Chance to have your say on plan
9:00am Thursday 14th March 2013 in News
TEST Valley Borough Council is encouraging residents to have their say on its Revised Local Plan, which sets out proposals for the amount and location of residential, retail and employment developments over the next 18 years.
Residents have until 4.30pm on 26 April to submit their comments about the plan.
As part of the consultation, a number of exhibitions will take place across the borough.
All those who commented on an earlier draft of the plan, in January and February 2012, will be notified of the consultation by email or letter, depending on how they contacted the council originally, provided they supplied their contact details.
They will have the opportunity to make new comments or reaffirm in writing that their previous comments stand.
Respondents must do this to ensure that their original feedback is considered. Any comments submitted outside the consultation period will not be taken into account by the council.
Martin Hatley, portfolio holder for planning, said: “We undertook an initial round of consultation in January and February 2012. However, the Revised Local Plan has since been updated to take into account the Government’s revocation of the South East Plan, which contained a centrally-imposed housing figure for Test Valley, rather than one based on the needs of the local community. It has also been amended to reflect national planning guidance, additional evidence and feedback from public consultation.
“A focus of the plan is providing homes for people on lower incomes. There are many local families on our waiting lists who need affordable housing. Some 40 per cent of the proposed new housing will be affordable.”
The Revised Local Plan should be adopted by October 2014, although once submitted to the Secretary of State, the timetable is set by the Planning Inspectorate.
l The plan is available to view online at testvalley.gov.uk/ldf.
Hard copies will be available for review at local libraries and at Beech Hurst, Andover.
