Cabinet members are to decide whether East Hampshire District Council makes a major change in direction on its Local Plan.
A Local Plan is a development blueprint that sets out future housing figures, development sites, local infrastructure and planning policies in a council’s area.
In early 2024 the council had a draft Local Plan almost ready for submission to the Planning Inspectorate.
Since then Labour has doubled the number of houses it expects to be built in East Hampshire, introduced two new National Planning Policy Frameworks, and ordered local government reorganisation which will take Horndean, Clanfield and Rowlands Castle away from the district in 2028.
The government wants a new East Hampshire Local Plan by the end of 2026, but council leader Cllr Richard Millard believes its changes have made this aim “pointless and unjustifiable”.
Instead councillors will discuss whether to switch from a Local Plan based on outgoing rules and boundaries to one using new guidance which will be useful for unitary councils taking over in 2028.
