Welcome to the spring 2025 planning newsletter for the South Downs National Park Authority. In this edition you can find useful updates on planning approvals, enforcement action, the Local Plan Review, as well as find out more about some of the people working behind the scenes in planning at the National Park. We hope you find the update informative and interesting.

Spring is such a wonderful time in the National Park and the joy of the season is captured by Rob Carter with this amazing image of a fox cub in South Downs woodland.

UPDATES FROM PLANNING POLICY

The team share some of the latest news around policy in the National Park.

Partnership Management Plan: Planning Principles

Alongside the Local Plan Review we are also updating the Partnership Management Plan, which sets out the wider priorities for the South Downs National Park for the next five years and how we will work together with partners to achieve this shared vision. This is being prepared in accordance with new Government guidance, which requires the inclusion of ‘planning principles’ within the Partnership Management Plan.

This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate the key role that the planning function plays in delivering the purposes and duty of the National Park. Its role in land use and land management is crucial to the look and feel of the place and its communities, and is one of the key means of delivering on the vision, aims and objectives of the Partnership Management Plan. The planning principles will guide the content of future planning policy documents and the determination of planning applications, and demonstrate how they link back to the Partnership Management Plan. Consultation on this draft Partnership Management Plan, including the planning principles, will take place in summer 2025, see more details here.

Authority Monitoring Report

This year’s Authority Monitoring Report was published in April 2025, and reports on the financial year 2023-24. This report considers the performance of planning policies in the adopted South Downs Local Plan, and identifies trends against various indicators. It is available on our website and headline results here:

Partial Update of Hampshire Minerals & Waste Plan

The Hampshire Authorities (Hampshire County Council, South Downs National Park Authority, New Forest National Park Authority, Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council) are working on a partial update to their Minerals & Waste Local Plan which will guide minerals and waste decision making in Hampshire up to 2040. This is currently at examination stage and hearings took place during February. The next stage is to publish modifications to the Plan to address issues raised by the Inspector. It is anticipated that this consultation will take place in summer 2025.

Community Planning

• The Peacehaven and Telscombe Neighbourhood Development Plan is currently at Examination.
• The East Dean and Friston Neighbourhood Development Plan has been formally submitted to the Authority and the Regulation 16 consultation will take place once a legal check has been undertaken by SDNPA officers.
• The Bramshott and Liphook Neighbourhood Development Plan was “made” part of the statutory development plan in December 2024.
• The Modified Boxgrove Neighbourhood Development Plan was subject to a Regulation 14 consultation between January and March 2025.
• The West Saltdean Neighbourhood Development Plan was subject to a Regulation 16 public consultation between January and March 2025.
• The proposed designations of the Ovingdean Neighbourhood Area and Ovingdean Neighbourhood Forum are out to public consultation until 14 May 2025
• The Upham Village Design Statement was adopted in March 2025.

Update on Bird Aware Solent Strategy

Background information

• The Solent Coast is designated a Special Protection Area for its bird species. Research has shown that increase in new homes and the subsequent increase of visitors to the coast will cause disturbance to birds. Around 147,500 new homes are anticipated around the Solent up to 2050.
• All new residential developments (with a net increase in homes) within this zone are required to mitigate the potential negative impact of the development.
• The long-established Bird Aware Solent Strategy aims to mitigate the likely impact of bird disturbance arising from new homes in the area. It focuses on educating people about the birds and encouraging positive behaviour change. The measures and monitoring of their effectiveness are funded by developer contributions for new homes built within 5.6km of the Special Protection Area.
• A small part of the South Downs National Park lies within the 5.6km zone.

What’s new?

• After a comprehensive, robust and positive review, Bird Aware is extending the scope of its work to include protected breeding birds who are on parts of our coast during the summer months. This is in response to the findings of a review of the likelihood of increased recreation from new housing impacting breeding birds. The Revised Strategy provides mitigation that allows house building to continue in the Solent area.
• Following a detailed financial review of the updated strategy, there will be no increase in developer contributions towards mitigation costs and annual inflationary increases will continue as usual. It remains an opt-in Strategy and developers are still able to provide their mitigation requirements through a bespoke scheme if they choose.
• It came into effect for planning permissions granted from 1 April 2025.More information here.

Biodiversity Net Gain Technical Advice Note

• Our Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) TAN was updated and published in March.
• This was a comprehensive review, taking account of legislative and policy changes and emerging best practice and professional understanding over the first year of mandatory BNG.
• The TAN provides guidance on how BNG is to be achieved in the South Downs National Park now in accordance with existing South Downs Local Plan Policy, and how BNG should meaningfully contribute to nature recovery.
• The update has focused on building on the overarching principles on how meaningful BNG will be delivered a protected landscape context, more information on how to support your planning applications, and expansion of guidance about securing BNG. The updated TAN can be found here.

Appeals submitted to the Planning Inspectorate

99

Appeals started

111

Appeals determined

98

Appeals successfully defended

81

Statutory submissions received

3,952

Statutory submissions received via the Planning Portal

3,403

Statutory submissions determined

4,059

Neighbours notified

18,405

Representations received

5,705

Consultations issued

10,693

Conditions imposed

12,531

Enquiries for planning advice

1,108

Enforcement complaints received

571

Enforcement cases opened

445

Enforcement related site inspections

381

Enforcement notices served

25

Enforcement cases closed

517

Meet the team....Ali

This edition we catch up with Alison Fordham, Executive Support Officer for Tim Slaney, finding about her day-to-day role, her love of baking and what her idea of a perfect day is!

Dates for the diary

The next Planning Committee meetings will take place on 8 May and 10 July.

The agendas for the meeting will be published here.