Eastleigh Borough Council’s Local Plan Review Issues and & Options documents were approved for public consultation by the Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 19 November.
From Wednesday 4 December, local people, businesses and organisations will have the chance to comment at an early stage in the local plan process. The ‘Have your say’ and ‘Issues & Options’ documents will be published as part of an eight week formal public consultation starting on 4 December and running until 29 January 2025.
The Local Plan will identify where and how much development we need in the next twenty years and will provide the basis for future planning decisions. It will also include policies to protect the environment, respond to climate change, and ensure high-quality design to create places that meet community needs.
Landowners and developers have proposed a wide range of possible development locations across the Borough. The Council needs to consider all these options carefully to decide which should be developed and which continue to be protected as countryside. A lot has changed since the last Local Plan was prepared including the Covid-19 pandemic which impacted how we work and what we want from our green spaces and town centres.
Our draft vision for Eastleigh Borough is to:
Create a strong and sustainable economy
Support thriving and healthy communities
Deliver high-quality infrastructure in the right locations
Have a range of affordable, quality homes in an attractive and sustainable environment, while
Protecting the distinct identity of towns and villages to prevent urban sprawl.
Our set of objectives to support the vision are detailed in the Issues and Options Paper.
Council Leader Keith House said: “It is essential that we make plans to meet the housing needs of our communities over the coming decades and protect our environment, secure the roads, infrastructure, schools and services for local people. I encourage everyone to get involved and tell us their views on these proposals and help shape the future of our Borough.”
Following this consultation, the Council will review all the comments and publish the key findings. They will then use the comments, alongside national policy, evidence and studies, to shape the next stages of the Local Plan review before undertaking another round of consultation.
You will be able to see all the Local Plan documents from 4 December and how to respond to the consultation on the Council’s website at www.eastleigh.gov.uk/localplanreview and at the Council’s offices, town and parish council offices and all local public libraries.