White text on a blue background that says News, Test Valley Borough Council
Council’s strategic housing document set for discussion
Councillors are set to discuss Test Valley’s Draft Local Plan next week, which needs to be amended following the significant increase in housing targets imposed by central government.
If approved at the full council meeting on Wednesday 18 June, it will go out to public consultation later this month.
The Local Plan sets out the policies and principles by which planning decisions will be made and development undertaken across the borough. It is produced by TVBC in its role as the local planning authority, informed by extensive evidence and following strict national guidance as well as wide-ranging consultation with residents.
Since the last round of consultation on the draft plan in 2024, the government has updated its National Planning Policy Framework, and increased the total number of homes TVBC must deliver by 78 per cent. This means that the authority must now identify enough sites to deliver 15,878 new homes over the next 17 years.
To achieve this, TVBC has had to make difficult decisions to show where the increased number of new homes could be built. The homes will be spread across the borough, including Andover and Romsey, as well as its rural areas. The proposed sites in this version of the draft local plan will be in addition to the sites proposed in the previous version of the plan shared last year, known as Regulation 18 Stage 2, and are needed to meet the government’s national house building target of 300,000 homes a year.
The full list of sites can be found on the council agenda at www.testvalley.gov.uk/localplanreport
Leader of the Council, Phil North, said: “Drafting a new Local Plan is always challenging in terms of balancing the need for new homes, while protecting and supporting existing communities. But over the past few months I have shared openly that the government’s decision to significantly increase the number of new homes we must deliver has added an unprecedented level of complexity. And as the switch has been flicked so suddenly, it has opened the door to speculative planning applications in the meantime. This essentially weakens our ability to protect the borough against unsuitable development before we get an approved Local Plan in place.
“As a result, we have worked at pace to update the draft Local Plan as quickly as possible. We recognise that some of the proposals may be unpopular, but the government’s inflated housing requirement has meant that we don’t have much choice.
“If approved next week, our communities will have the chance to have their say on the draft and our proposed response to the challenge set by the government in terms of the number and location of new homes we will need to deliver.”
Councillor Phil Bundy, Cabinet Member for Planning and Building, said: “New development is critical to the vitality of our communities, particularly affordable homes. However, we must make sure that we have the right infrastructure in place to support this, including good schools, GP surgeries, open spaces and public transport networks. The sudden and significant change in the number of homes we must deliver makes this incredibly difficult, but we have grasped this challenge and together with our communities we will respond and ensure Test Valley continues to prosper.
“If approved, the Revised Local Plan consultation will commence at the end of June, and while there will be compromises along the way, this will be your opportunity to provide your feedback and to tell us what you do want.”