INFORMATION ON THE HART LOCAL PLAN
(Updated May 2026)
What is the Local Plan?
The Local Plan is one of the main mechanisms for determining where development will take place in Hart District, how many homes need to be built, and what the impacts will be on local infrastructure such as roads.
There needs to be a Local Plan to determine how many houses are built and where and to determine the planning authority’s response to proposed development. Without a plan, there is a danger that developers will be able to build almost anywhere they wish.
The Local Plan does not deal with all aspects of development, however, as some major decisions are taken by Hampshire County Council, such as education and healthcare provision.
The Local Plan is created by Hart in accordance with law and Government guidance once approved by Government it becomes the main factor in determining planning applications.
The responsibilities of Hampshire County Council will be moved to the new unitary authorities in the upcoming local government reorganisation. Hart will become part of the North Hampshire Unitary Authority. It is likely that a transitional process for planning will be established.
Developing a Local Plan
There are strict guidelines for producing and updating a Local Plan which are set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and this process takes many years.
Previous attempts at producing a Local Plan for Hart failed largely due a lack of the required cooperative planning with neighbouring authorities within the Housing Market Area (Surrey Heath and Rushmoor) under the ‘Duty to Cooperate’.
Without a valid Local Plan, Hart was left unprotected for a long period. As the Local Plan was so out of date, developers were able to overturn planning permission refusals at appeal and build where they wanted to, for example on green fields around Fleet and Crookham.
The long planning process includes looking for housing sites, determining priorities and options, producing a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), periods of consultation, assessments of local need according to government guidelines resulting in the Objectively Assessed Housing Need, and an independent inspection by the Planning Inspectorate.
Previous Local Plan (2020-2025)
Hart’s Local Plan was finally updated and ‘adopted’ in 2020, providing planning for the period 2019 to 2032. The Local Plan has already protected Hart from unsuitable developments such as Elvetham Chase at Pale Lane, Cross Farm in Church Crookham and Owens Farm in Hook, despite all going to appeal.
The Local Plan normally covers a 15 to 20-year planning period but needs to be updated every 5 years so that it is always ‘current’ so that is up-to-date on the current Delivery Trajectory and Five- Year Housing Land Supply.
Click here to read more about the previous Local Plan.
New Local Plan
In May 2025, changes in the way Central Government determined the numbers of houses that Hart is required to build meant that the Delivery Trajectory and Five- Year Housing Land Supply in the Local Plan became ‘out of date’ and, although the policies in the plan remain largely valid, a new plan became required.
Click here to read about the new local plan
Glossary
Duty to Cooporate: The duty to cooperate was created by the Localism Act 2011. It places a legal duty on local planning authorities (LPAs), county councils in England and public bodies to engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis with each other to maximise the effectiveness of local plan preparation relating to strategic cross-boundary matters.
Five Year Land Supply: The requirement for a Local Planning Authority (in our case, Hart) to have enough land available to deliver the designated supply of housing for the next five years. This is required throughout the period of the Local Plan (and at the end, therefore, extends beyond the plan period).
Housing Trajectory: The plan for the number of new dwellings to be built each year of the period covered by the Local Plan.
Housing Market Area: A Housing Market Area (HMA) is a geographical area where the demand for housing can be assessed in a relatively self-contained manner. Significant housing market linkages exist between Hart, Rushmoor and Surrey Heath and therefore the three authorities comprise a single Housing Market Area.
Local Plan: The plan for a Local Authority district to determine how many homes need to be built, where development will take place, and what the impacts will be on local infrastructure such as roads.
Local Planning Authority (LPA): A local planning authority is the local government body that is empowered by law to exercise urban planning functions for a particular area. The LPA for the Hart area is Hart District Council.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF): This is the UK government planning guidance, a set of regulations defining the government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied.
Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA): A study conducted by a Local Planning Authority to evaluate land that could potentially be developed for housing. Its main purpose is to provide a robust indication of housing capacity within the area, helping to inform planning policies and ensure that future housing needs can be met.