HART LOCAL PLAN (STRATEGY AND SITES) 2032 Adopted April 2020 Accessible Version HART Local Plan (Strategy and Sites) 2032 Adopted APRIL 2020 Foreword Welcome to our Hart Local Plan (Strategy and Sites) 2032, which has been prepared over several years, reflecting the many and varied views that have been expressed throughout its journey. We are really pleased to have adopted this Plan, to guide new development to the right places, of the right scale with high quality design and with the right supporting infrastructure, while protecting the important parts of our natural and historic environment. Hart is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the country, we want to keep it that way. Our overall vision is for Hart to become the best place to live, work and enjoy and this Plan supports the need to balance future development needs with protecting the District’s special qualities. Over the 18 year Plan period to 2032, over 7,000 new homes will be provided, many of which already have planning permission and some have been built. The creation of a new community at Hartland Village is well underway on a previously developed site and this will provide new homes, a new primary school, a neighbourhood centre and extensive open space, whilst ensuring that locally protected sites are not harmed. It is important that this Plan supports the economy, our businesses, and our town and village centres. We are fortunate in Hart to have a wide choice of job options through various small and medium sized businesses, based in one of our many economic sites, through to retail opportunities in our active and vibrant town and village centres. The Local Plan includes policies to ensure both economic sites and retail centres are retained and allowed to flourish and encourages their regeneration as a focus for economic growth. A substantial proportion of the District is countryside and this is what helps to enable Hart to generate that special feeling of well-being. We are lucky to have numerous good quality, accessible open spaces within a range of different landscapes, together with heritage assets that are a key part of our built environment. Policies in this Plan are expressed to ensure that such spaces and places are retained and enhanced for all. The policies require new development regardless of type, size and location 2 to be resource-efficient, promote low carbon operation, reduce flood risk and enhance biodiversity, thereby contributing positively to mitigate the impact of climate change. This Local Plan, together with a number ‘saved’ Policies, Neighbourhood Plans and a series of Supplementary Planning Documents provide a sound framework for guiding development and determining planning applications across Hart. Councillor David Neighbour Leader Hart District Council April 2020 Planning Policy and Economic Development Hart District Council, Harlington Way, Fleet, GU51 4AE If you have any queries or wish to view this document in an alternative format please contact: T: 01252 622122 E: [email protected] The Policies Map can be viewed at http://maps.hart.gov.uk/mycouncil.aspx The Local Plan should be read as a whole. Proposals will be judged against all relevant policies. 3 Contents Foreword ....................................................................................... 2 Introduction and Context ............................................................... 8 Introduction .................................................................................................. 8 What is the Hart Local Plan (Strategy and Sites) 2032 for? ...................... 8 Context ......................................................................................................... 9 National Policy, Guidance and Legislation ................................................ 9 South East Plan ........................................................................................ 9 Local Enterprise Partnership ..................................................................... 9 Hampshire County Council Policy ........................................................... 10 Evidence Base ........................................................................................ 10 Sustainability Appraisal ........................................................................... 10 Habitats Regulation Assessment ............................................................ 10 Stakeholder Engagement ....................................................................... 11 Duty to Co-operate ................................................................................. 11 Neighbourhood Plans ............................................................................. 12 The District’s Key Characteristics ........................................................... 12 Settlement Hierarchy .............................................................................. 15 Population and Housing .......................................................................... 17 Housing Market Area .............................................................................. 18 Economy and Employment ..................................................................... 18 Retail and Shopping ............................................................................... 20 Sport and Leisure ................................................................................... 20 Health and Wellbeing .............................................................................. 21 Education and Schools ........................................................................... 22 Transport and Travel .............................................................................. 22 Environment and Heritage ...................................................................... 23 Flooding and Water ................................................................................ 24 Water Supply and Waste Water .............................................................. 24 Telecommunications ............................................................................... 25 Identifying the Key Issues for the Hart Local Plan (Strategy and Sites) 2032 ........................................................................................................ 25 4 Vision and Objectives .................................................................. 26 Vision ......................................................................................................... 26 Objectives .................................................................................................. 28 Sustainable Development and Spatial Strategy ........................... 31 Sustainable Development .......................................................................... 31 Policy SD1 Sustainable Development ............................................. 31 Spatial Strategy .......................................................................................... 32 Spatial Strategy and Distribution of Growth ............................................ 32 Policy SS1 Spatial Strategy and Distribution of Growth ................ 32 Hartland Village ...................................................................................... 38 Policy SS2 Hartland Village .............................................................. 38 Housing ....................................................................................... 43 Housing Mix ............................................................................................ 43 Policy H1 Housing Mix: Market Housing ......................................... 43 Affordable Housing ................................................................................. 46 Policy H2 Affordable Housing .......................................................... 47 Rural Exception Sites ............................................................................. 50 Policy H3 Rural Exception Sites ...................................................... 50 Specialist and Supported Accommodation ............................................. 51 Policy H4 Specialist and Supported Accommodation ................... 52 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople ..................................... 53 Policy H5 Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Sites . 53 Internal Space Standards for New Homes .............................................. 55 Policy H6 Internal Space Standards for New Homes ..................... 56 Economic Development .............................................................. 57 New Employment .................................................................................... 57 Policy ED1 New Employment ........................................................... 57 Safeguarding Employment...................................................................... 58 Policy ED2 Safeguarding Employment Land and Premises (B-Use Classes) ............................................................................................. 59 The Rural Economy ................................................................................ 64 Policy ED3 The Rural Economy ....................................................... 64 5 The District’s Retail Centres ................................................................... 66 Policy ED4 Town, District and Local Centres ................................. 66 Fleet Town Centre .................................................................................. 67 Policy ED5