Applications
- We regularly respond to Havant Borough planning applications.
- Mainly for groups of homes rather than individual applications.
- We only occasionally completely oppose applications.
- Generally look at how plans can be changed to increase biodiversity and lower carbon emissions.
- Higher building standards including insulation.
- Passivhaus principles
- Support solar panels and heat pumps.
- Methods of reducing water consumption.
- Improve walking and cycle access.
- Preserve trees and vegetation where possible.
- Maintain or create wildlife corridors.
- Developers must mitigate for any loss of habitat and produce 10% biodiversity net gain.
- Flood risk is an issue.
- Concern about infringement of environmental protections, reducing habitat available for wildlife.
Mismatch between housing supply and housing need.
- Nearly1600 households on the waiting list for homes in Havant Borough.
- Most will need homes for truly affordable social rent.
- This is a significant driver of Government demand for high numbers of homes to be built.
- Most profitable for developers to build larger homes to sell at market value. Truly affordable homes are least profitable.
- The Council demands 30% to 20% “affordable” homes on a development, but few of these are truly affordable.
- Their definition of “affordable homes” includes those for shared ownership and those for 80% of market rent, still unaffordable for many.
- Only a very small percentage are for truly affordable social rent.
Housing targets
- Government says Havant Borough must build over 800 homes per year.
- We don’t think these numbers can be achieved without
- severe impact on wildlife habitats and loss of biodiversity
- overloading infrastructure including sewage systems.
- Councils are blamed for delaying planning permissions, but they are often at the mercy of developers.
- Targets are based on number of homes completed, not those which have permission.
- Many sites with permission have building delayed because developers wait until house prices rise.
Havant Borough’s Local Plan
- Each local authority should have a Local Plan which designates areas which can and can’t be developed, as well as other policies.
- Havant’s last Local Plan was rejected. Work is underway on a new one.
- Danger that the new Local Plan will also be rejected, because of the Council’s inability to meet unrealistic target for number of homes built.
- Without a Local Plan, unsuitable sites are at risk of development, such as Lower Road, Bedhampton, where the Council was over-ruled.
- We are concerned that over 600 homes could be built on Campdown, near South Downs College, an important habitat for Curlew, a red list bird.
- Over 1800 homes planned for Southleigh between Emsworth and Denvilles on best quality farmland.
- Such land is in short supply and DEFRA say it should be kept in agriculture for food security.
New Planning Policies
Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.
- Intended to speed up the planning process.
- Will reduce the role of planning committees, reducing local democracy.
- Developers can pool obligations to fund larger interventions as mitigation, but will local habitats be protected?
- Natural England say that irreplaceable habitats will be protected, but will this include the functionally linked land around our harbours?
The National Planning Policy Framework is currently being revised.
- More expectation of development on brownfield land.
- Enhanced powers of compulsory purchase.
- Increased development around well connected railway stations.
- Positives in this, but could make Havant into an intensely urbanised area.
- Local plans will carry less weight.
- Site specific requirements likely to be over-ruled in favour of standardised national policies.
The draft revision of the NPPF is currently open for consultation with a deadline of 10th March. We will be responding.
Havant Climate Alliance 