Draft Local Plan Consultation Response Advice
This is a summary for Hook or other Hart residents wishing to respond to the latest Hart District Council consultation on the Draft local Plan. This latest consultation by Hart is a formal step under planning law known as “Regulation 18”. Our responses will be seen by the Planning Inspector appointed to review any final proposed Local Plan. We have less than a week to do this so make a plan to do it now! Remember – more than one person in a household can and should make a response. On this page you will find:
- Hart’s Consultation Documents and Links
- Methods of Response
- What to Say?
Hart’s Consultation Documents and Links
The Hart consultation page is at www.hart.gov.uk/draft-local-plan. There are many background supporting documents, but the two top level documents upon which feedback is being sought are these:
Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites 2011-2032
Interim Sustainability Appraisal Report
Methods of Response
We wish it were simpler to respond, but these are the two options that have been provided by Hart for responses.
- Online: https://www.hart.gov.uk/draft-local-plan-consultation. But note the warning that the online form pages will time out after 45 minutes and you cannot save the form part way through. It is a suitable method to make a few short comments but we would recommend the alternative method.
- Microsoft Word Document:
Download this Microsoft Word document template: Local_Plan_Consultation_Response_2017.docx
a) Insert your details at the bottom of page 1. If you wish to respond as a business or in another capacity then use the alternative labelled sections.
b) Make comments in the separate sections (we have prepared 8 available spaces in this document, but you can copy and paste the final section to add more comments if required).
c) Optionally complete the survey questions on the last 2 pages.
d) Email the completed form to planningpolicy@hart.gov.uk and you may wish to copy us as well at hookdevaction@gmail.com.
3. NEW! Hart have now confirmed to us that while they would prefer residents to use their online form or their Word document format, they will accept comments in other formats.
They only need to be able to marry your comments to the sections of the documents that they have published. You also need to include your name, address and email address to ensure that your response is valid.
This now means you could include your response directly in the main body of an email, for example. Just make sure that for each point you include the document, page and section etc as it would have been in their preferred online form or Word document format. Send the email to planningpolicy@hart.gov.uk and you may wish to copy us as well at hookdevaction@gmail.com.
You will notice that our tables of points later have been designed to match the required fields in the response document template and in Hart’s online form to make it easier for you.
What to Say?
That is entirely up to you, our points below are only suggestions after reviewing the many documents available. Please do not just copy what is below exactly as it will lack impact and could be treated with less value than considered responses. This current page contains just a shortened list of around 10 items in a more or less prioritised order. A more complete list is on this page: hookdevaction.org.uk/lp-response-full-list. You may find some items there that are of particular importance to you so it is worth reviewing.
The content of your responses really matters this time, it is not a simple multiple choice poll. Do not be put off by the large number of possible comments you could make. Choose the items that concern you the most and use the points given to write your responses.
There are many other things in the published draft Local Plan documents other than those below that you may support, oppose or wish to comment on. We would urge you to look at the documents if you can, but the deadline for responses is strictly 5pm on 9th June. Please submit early in case of technical glitches; you can always try again and even submit additional responses later if you come across other aspects upon which you wish to comment. If you are going to use the online form then make sure you have written the content somewhere else first, then you will not lose everything when the Hart website inevitably fails at an inopportune moment or your broadband connection suddenly freezes.
Thank you for your support – let’s make sure Hook’s voice is heard loud and clear once again!
| Document | Page | Section | Support, oppose or Comment | Comment text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 36 | 116 | Oppose | - Disagree that Murrell Green is best option - Appropriate evidence has not been produced - Sustainability Assessment compares 1800 homes at Murrell Green with 3000 at Winchfield, why not like for like of 1800 each? - It is not separate to Hook - It will compete with Hook when Hook Neighbourhood Plan is trying to improve Hook centre - No scope for future post 2032 expansion - Not the preferred choice of 2016 consultation - Hart should look again for new settlements including a smaller Winchfield |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 36 | 114 | Oppose | - Incorrect statement - The most favoured option by the public in the 2016 Refined Housing Options consultation was “Approach 3: Focus growth on a new settlement at Winchfield”. - Distorting facts will lead to loss of public confidence - Distorting facts will risk rejection of the plan by planning inspector |
| Sustainability Appraisal | 27 | 8.2 | Comment | - Options 2 to 5 (which include Murrell Green) are not in line with the results of the earlier public consultation in 2016. - The option chosen by the vast majority was for a new settlement at Winchfield of 3000+ houses (Option 6 in this current document). - The dispersal strategy was a secondary choice, not the primary choice so little weight should be accorded to it. - Winchfield could be re-examined as an initial site for 1,800 homes which would provide the scope for future expansion beyond this Local plan period should it be necessary. |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 70 | 222 policy SC5 | Oppose | - Delete the 87 homes identified as required to be allocated for Hook in light of the > 60% expansion already underway. |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 48 | 158 policy MG6 | Support | - Support Local Gaps to maintain distinct communities - recognise high value of rights of way through local gaps - The Local Gap between Hook and Newnham must be preserved. - No development should take place outside the existing western boundary of Hook encroaching on this already diminished Local Gap. |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 37 | 118 | Support | - Support decision not to have Urban Extensions - These were rejected in previous consultation - No school can be delivered with Urban Extensions - Developer contributions to infrastructure are fragmented with Urban Extensions |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 33, 34 | 101, 103 | Oppose | - The affordable housing uplift is arbitrary and not justified. - Affordable housing uplift now being claimed to be as a general and very large contingency figure. - Including a large contingency here will mandate the houses are built, quite possibly unnecessarily |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 93 | 313 | Oppose | - It is accepted that Hook requires additional shops, financial and professional services, restaurants and cafes, drinking establishments, and hot food takeaway floorspace. - But services required by Hook must be located in Hook, not in another separate settlement |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 84 | 273 policy ED2 | Support | - Important that Hook sites are protected for employment use to prevent Hook becoming a dormitory town |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 84 | 273 policy ED2 | Comment | - Policy ED2 seeks to protect Bartley Wood, Bartley Point and Osborne Way, Hook as Strategic Employment Sites so office buildings in these areas should be protected from conversion to residential use. |
| Draft Local Plan: Strategy and Sites | 85 | 273 policy ED2 | Comment | - The Rawlings Depot in Hook is listed as a Locally Important Employment Area - Rawlings wish to vacate their site in favour of a more suitable location at Murrell Green Business Park. Murrell Green is a sensible commercial location - It would free up sustainable and centrally located brownfield space for retail and residential use in Hook - This opportunity to improve the centre of Hook should not be lost |