Concerns raised about growth in Test Valley Local Plan

Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) is working through 1,860 responses to its Regulation 18 consultation on the emerging Local Plan, which took place last summer.

Feedback has highlighted widespread fears that proposed housing development will outpace investment in essential infrastructure and public services.

Cllr Derek Hallé, chairman of the Pan Parish Planning Forum and Stockbridge Parish Council, said: "With national policy shifting, neighbouring authorities under strain, and Test Valley’s timetable tightening, it has never been more important for our communities to stand together.

"The Pan Parish Planning Group will continue to challenge, scrutinise and advocate on behalf of our parishes to ensure that the Local Plan is fair, evidence-based and genuinely reflective of local priorities."

Other challenges affecting the plan include the withdrawal of development sites in Weyhill and Appleshaw by landowners and Hampshire County Council’s refusal to sell or swap the Danebury School sports pitches in Stockbridge.

These setbacks have forced TVBC to revisit its spatial strategy and consider new options.

Due to the volume of feedback and recent changes, the council plans to hold a further "supplementary" Regulation 18 consultation in summer 2026.

This will give residents another chance to contribute before the plan progresses to its next stage.

Once consultation is complete, TVBC must submit its draft plan to the Planning Inspectorate by Christmas 2026.

Delays could result in the plan being redrafted under a new government planning system, which allows only two and a half years to prepare a Local Plan, compared to the current five-year timeframe.

Changes in national policy are also expected.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was recently out for consultation, and its core principles and significantly elevated housing targets will be retained.

The developing Local Plan has spurred the formation of community action groups, including the Pan Parish Planning Forum—covering Houghton, Longstock and Stockbridge—as well as new groups in Romsey and across the borough.

Cllr Angie Fillipa of Longstock Parish Council said: "Across our three parishes, people care deeply about the landscapes, heritage and sense of place that makes this area so special.

"The pressures we now face are real and our communities are feeling it.

"The Pan Parish Planning Group is determined to stand with residents every step of the way, ensuring their voices are not only heard but truly shape the future of this area."