PfSH’s primary objective is to improve South Hampshire’s economic, cultural and environmental performance. This requires provision of land for development and infrastructure to support growth, while protecting the environment and quality of life.
A ready supply of employment land of the right type and in the right places is critical. A range of sizes and types of new homes including affordable housing are needed. The transport and water infrastructure needs to be upgraded and new services like schools and doctors surgeries provided to support growth. South Hampshire and the surrounding area has a high quality environment which needs to be protected.
The PUSH-Spatial-Position-Statement-2016 was completed in 2016, and is supported by wide ranging evidence. It sets out the overall need for development to 2034 and proposes development targets for each of our member councils and helps them councils meet their duty to co-operate with each other.
Housing and Planning Outcomes 2006-2026
- A balanced housing supply with the right kinds of homes in the right numbers in the right places including homes for families.
- Greater opportunity for people to buy their own homes including up to 40% of new homes to be affordable housing, of which 65% to be for rent.
- Delivery of an average 3,700 new homes each year (recognising there will be significant short term dip in housing delivery)
- Renewal of major estates, notably in Southampton and Portsmouth, to improve and diversify the stock, provide additional dwellings and help reduce concentrations of deprivation.
- A new mixed community of sustainable homes to the north of Fareham to be largely completed by 2026.
- Delivery of major housing and mixed development schemes including urban extensions that will start to deliver new homes as the economy emerges from recession
- The existing housing stock to be decent and fit for purpose, including all social housing to meet the decent homes standards by 2010; and reducing numbers in temporary accommodation by 50% by 2010 with no more than 1,054 households in temporary accommodation.
- New homes built sustainably, initially to at least level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes but rising to level 6 by 2020.
- A coherent set of up-to-date Local Development Frameworks
PfSH Statement of Common Ground September 2020
Local planning authorities are being required to resolve cross-boundary strategic planning issues through their local plans. Complying with the ‘Duty to Cooperate’ (National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) para 17) is a fundamental requirement for local plans to successfully be found sound through public examination.
The PUSH-Spatial-Position-Statement-2016 is a guide for future local plans, housebuilding and development in the sub-region. However, since then the NPPF has been significantly revised, and a standard method for the assessment of housing needs has been issued by the Government. In line with the aim of addressing the national housing crisis, the Government is clear that strategic policies within development plans should provide for unmet needs in neighbouring authority areas, unless this would contravene specific national planning policies, or these policies taken as a whole. Significantly boosting the supply of housing has been at the centre of all three versions of the NPPF.
PfSH has agreed that there is a need for its constituent authorities to work together to seek to produce a Statement of Common Ground (SoCG) and to explore the production of an Infrastructure Investment Plan. At its meeting on 31 July 2019, PfSH approved the commissioning of a number of evidence work streams to inform the production of a PfSH Joint Strategy.
In October 2019 PfSH agreed a draft framework SoCG. The document has since been revised and updated to form the latest iteration – Statement of Common Ground December 2022. It sets out the programme of work that will be undertaken and will be updated as the evidence and work streams progress.