Hart’s New Local Plan Consultation Is Now Open – Have Your Say

Hart District Council’s consultation on the new Local Plan has now started, following a one-week delay. Residents have until 11.59pm on Monday 7 December 2026 to submit their views.

As you know, Hart District Council had an adopted Local Plan, supported by residents, which delivered their housing targets until 2032. Hart DC was exceeding delivery against that Local Plan. However, changes in Government Policy doubled the housing numbers overnight, allowing developers to claim that the Local Plan is not delivering and is therefore out of date.

The Consultation for the new replacement Local Plan observing those significantly incresed housing requirements is now underway.

The new Local Plan will shape where and how development takes place across Hart for many years to come. With Hart currently required to plan for 804 new homes every year, the decisions made now could have a significant impact on our communities and surrounding countryside.

What could this mean for Hook?

The Council is considering a substantial number of potential development sites across the district. Hook and Winchfield feature particularly prominently, both in the number of sites being considered and the potential number of new homes.

Proposals in the wider Hook area include:

Further development west of Hook, including Owens Farm and greenfield land beyond Hop Garden Road.
Significant expansion at Murrell Green, south-east of Hook in Winchfield.
Further development extending north-west from the existing north-east Hook estate towards Rotherwick.

Not all submitted sites will necessarily be selected for development, but the potential scale of change makes it particularly important that local residents understand the proposals and make their views known.

An important decision: should the Plan run to 2039 or 2044?

The consultation asks whether the new Local Plan should cover 2026–2039 or be extended to 2044. This has significant implications for the amount of land Hart will need to identify for housing. Based on the current requirement of 804 homes per year:

To 2039: Hart must plan for 10,452 homes. After accounting for 1,751 homes already granted planning permission, sites for a further 8,701 homes would be needed.
To 2044: The total requirement rises to 14,472 homes. After existing permissions, sites for a further 12,721 homes would need to be identified.

There are very important considerations regarding the chosen plan period which we detail in our longer article about the plan process underway.

HAVE YOUR SAY! You do not need to be a planning expert to take part. Hart is seeking local knowledge, community perspectives and views on the choices facing the district. There are 23 consultation questions, but you do not have to answer them all – you can respond only to the topics that matter most to you.

Residents can also attend Hart’s drop-in session in Hook:

Thursday 12 November 2026, 12.30pm–7.30pm
Elizabeth Hall, Raven Road, Hook.

The consultation closes at 11.59pm on Monday 7 December 2026. Responses can be submitted through Hart’s online consultation portal, by email to localplan@hart.gov.uk or by post to Hart District Council.

Visit our Local Plan page for more information and guidance on responding. https://hookdevaction.org.uk/new-local-plan-consultation/

The Local Plan will influence the future of our area for years to come. It is important that Hook residents take this opportunity to understand what is being proposed and make their voices heard. Every response counts.

Other Quick Updates….

The development at Owen’s Farm is still awaiting determination. See our November update in the West of Hook – Owens Farm section

Murrell Green consultation has ended and we await news on next steps

We are advised a new application for 140 houses along Reading Road (by B&M Fencing site) is to be submitted any day. We will notify as soon as something further is available to review.