Revised Local Plan (DPD)

The Test Valley Borough Revised Local Plan DPD - 2011 - 2029 contains proposed policies for determining planning applications and identifying strategic allocations for housing, employment and other uses. 

This Local Plan was adopted by the Council on 27 January 2016 (the Cabinet report can be found here ) following examination by an appointed Planning Inspector. The examination process started on 31 July 2014, when the Council submitted the Local Plan, and ran until 15 December 2015, when the Inspector’s report was received. A copy of the Inspector’s report, and associated appendix, is available below.

The interactive map, which shows the extent of spatial designations and proposals (as at the date the Local Plan was adopted), can be found here. Please note it does not cover all policies and so should be used alongside the Local Plan.

Access to the Revised Local Plan interactive map

Revised Local Plan Policy COM7: Affordable Housing

Following the Government's amendments to Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) , regarding circumstances where affordable housing contributions should be sought, the Council agreed an updated approach to applying policy COM7.
The latest position is set out within the Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

Revised Local Plan - Five Year Review 2021

As the Local Plan reached the five year anniversary of its adoption on 27 January 2021, a review was undertaken in accordance with Regulation 10A The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). Its purpose is to ensure that the plan and its policies remain effective and to identify any areas which need to be reviewed. The review considered whether there has been a significant change in circumstances which affects the plan’s strategy and whether it remains up to date and consistent with current national planning policy in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2019. This review was undertaken as a self-assessment using relevant parts of the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Local Plan Route Mapper Toolkit. The assessment was then reviewed by independent consultants appointed by PAS. The review was approved by Cabinet on 10 March 2021 and comprises three documents:

  • Toolkit Part 1 - Whether any significant changes affecting the plan’s spatial strategy

  • Toolkit Part 2 – Consistency of the plan’s policies with NPPF 2019

  • Advisory Note – Reviewing the assessment which has been undertaken

Part 1 assessment concluded that, the spatial strategy is considered to remain sound and plan policies remain up to date and continue to provide a robust basis for decision making in the determination of planning applications. Part 2 assessment concluded that NPPF 2019 requirements necessitate some new or additional policy, or revision of the current policy approach being considered to address these, or which will be taken into account and considered in preparing the next Local Plan, or which could alternatively be addressed though Supplementary Planning Documents or other additional guidance.  However, these are not considered to mean that the adopted Local Plan is out of date or unsound. Recent appeal decisions have also confirmed the adopted Local Plan is consistent with the current NPPF 2019.


Further Information

Please be advised that a number of the attachments are large documents and may take time to download.

If you would like any further information or wish to purchase a copy of the Local Plan for £50.00 (and £5.00 for postage and packaging) please contact the Planning Policy Team on 01264 368000 or planningpolicy@testvalley.gov.uk