Our guide to developing in the New Forest District Council
The New Forest District is a largely rural district in the south west corner of Hampshire. The District Council only have planning jurisdiction over part of the district with the remainder being within the New Forest National Park where planning is handled by the National Park Authority. The remaining district areas comprise the Waterside (a strip along the west of Southampton Water including Totton, Marchwood, Hythe and Fawley), a coastal strip including New Milton, Barton-on-Sea, Milford and Lymington and the Avon Valley including Ringwood and Fordingbridge.
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Key points about developing in the New Forest District
Development Plan: The Development Plan comprises the Local Plan 2016-2036 Part One: Planning Strategy adopted in July 2020 and the saved policies of the Sites and Development Management DPD (Local Plan Part 2) adopted April 2014.
Pre-application advice: The Council now charge for this service – see here. The Council does have a tendency to request Design and Access Statements with pre-application proposals.
Affordable Housing: Threshold of 11 or more dwellings, or of more than 1,000 sqm gross internal area of residential floorspace. In the Tottond and Waterside area 35% provision and everywhere else 50% provision is required.
Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 contributions:
NFDC have a blanket CIL rate of £80 per sqm for residential with nil for everything else. Each new dwelling will also be expected to contribute a further sum towards mitigation measures for European Wildlife Sites.
Special policy restrictions:
Greenbelt areas in south-west and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the north-west
Hazard-zone restricts some new development around the Fawley Refinery
Useful Links
Planning Policy