The Strategic Development Areas (SDAs)

The principle of two new settlements - Strategic Development Areas - North of Fareham and North / North East of Hedge End is established in the South East Plan, adopted in 2009. These allocations have been identified to help realise the full economic ambitions of the South Hampshire sub region, deliver a sustainable pattern of development and provide community facilities and green infrastructure. The SDAs can support significant improvements in public transport infrastructure, particularly to the two key cities of Portsmouth and Southampton.

The two SDAs are identified to accommodate significant levels of housing and employment floorspace.

North of Fareham SDA

The new settlement at Fareham will be a sustainable development, including a range of housing types and sizes, together with supporting community infrastructure. Particular attention will be given to securing quality public transport links to neighbouring Fareham and Portsmouth.  The precise form and location of the development will be established through the Local Development Framework which is under preparation by Fareham Borough Council.

The Core Strategy will set out key development principles and an overall vision for the settlement. This will be supplemented by an Area Action Plan which will contain greater details, including a comprehensive policy framework, with a master planning framework to guide the general site layout and the social and physical infrastructure required to support the new community. More detail on the SDA and the local planning policy process can be found on the Fareham Borough Council website.

North and North East Hedge End SDA

The N and NE Hedge End Strategic Development Area (SDA) is a potential new settlement containing up to 6,000 homes, employment, retail, leisure and open space uses. Technical studies will consider its environmental, economic and social feasibility. The SDA boundaries have not been defined but the area of search falls within Eastleigh Borough and Winchester District.

Feasibility Studies are due for completion in summer 2010 and proposals for the SDA will be included in Eastleigh Borough’s Core Strategy, and in Winchester City Council’s Development Management and Allocations Development Plan Document. These will be followed by a joint Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the area to be prepared by Winchester City Council and Eastleigh Borough Council in conjunction with landowners and developers. The SPD will work up the proposals for the SDA in more detail and be subject to full public consultation.

Should the Feasibility Studies indicate that the area of search is not suitable for all or part of the SDA, alternative locations for accommodating the proposed housing and employment will need to be considered.  More detail can be found on the Eastleigh Borough Council and Winchester City Council websites.

Feasibility Studies

South Hampshire SDA Deliverability Study (2008)

PUSH commissioned David Lock associates to undertake a deliverability study for the SDAs as part of the evidence gathering process to support significant housing growth to 2026. The study identifies risks to the deliverability of the two SDAs within the timescales envisaged and considers mitigation strategies to ensure their timely delivery. The study concludes that it is possible for the SDAs to be delivered in whole or in part by 2026 provided that PUSH and the local authorities respond quickly to the recommended actions.

South Hampshire SDA Deliverability Study  4Mb

PUSH's response to the key issues and the required key actions identified by the consultants was taken to the Joint Committee in September 2008. This report proposed the response PUSH should make in order to implement the study's recommendations.

Deliverability of the Strategic Development Areas - Joint Committee Report  214Kb

South Hampshire SDA Initial Feasibility Studies (2006)

In December 2005, PUSH submitted Advice to SEERA on a sub-regional strategy for South Hampshire. That advice was set out in the document ‘South Hampshire Sub-regional Strategy – Final Advice to SEERA’ which was supported by several background reports. The policies and proposals in that Advice were incorporated into the South East Plan which was then debated at an Examination in Public during winter 2006/7. Those proposals included two Strategic Development Areas (SDAs) : one to the north of Fareham and the other to the north/north east of Hedge End.

A further background document published in November 2006, ‘South Hampshire Sub-regional Strategy: Rationale for the housing distribution  309Kb’, explained the reasons for PUSH adopting the SDA concept and the reasons for the selection of the two SDA locations.

PUSH then undertook initial studies to test the feasibility of both SDAs in the general locations proposed in the draft South East Plan which concluded that the SDA concept is viable, credible and deliverable.

Fareham SDA Initial Feasibility Study  7Mb

Hedge End SDA Initial Feasibility Study  6Mb