Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan
The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) works in partnership with Hampshire County Council (HCC), Portsmouth City Council (PCC), Southampton City Council (SCC), and the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) on minerals and waste planning policy matters for the part of the National Park that falls within Hampshire.
The above Authorities are known collectively as either the “Hampshire Authorities” or the “five Authorities”.
The Adopted Minerals & Waste Plan (Up to 2030)
The Hampshire Authorities have prepared and adopted:
The Hampshire Minerals & Waste Plan (HMWP) is used by the Hampshire Authorities in the determination of planning applications for minerals extraction, waste management activities, and the safeguarding of minerals and waste infrastructure, in the part of the National Park that falls within Hampshire. Further information in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found on Hampshire County Council’s website here.
The HMWP and the accompanying Policies Map can be downloaded for free. However, if you wish to purchase a hard copy of the HMWP, then please contact Hampshire County Council at planning@hants.gov.uk.
The Partial Update of the Minerals & Waste Plan (Up to 2040)
The Hampshire Authorities are working on a partial update to the HMWP which will guide minerals and waste decision making in Hampshire up to 2040. The Partial Update builds upon the Adopted HMWP (2013) and provides new and updated policies based on up-to-date evidence of the current levels of provision for minerals and waste facilities in Hampshire. Importantly, the partial update aims to establish the future levels of provision required to meet national and regional policy targets and objectives. It sets out an updated vision of how this will be achieved and provides details of strategic sites that are being proposed to deliver the vision.
The Hampshire Authorities submitted the HMWP 2040 to the Secretary of State for independent examination on 29 July 2024, under Regulation 22 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). This included the Proposed Submission HMWP 2040, the evidence base, and all representations received earlier this year (please see previous stages below).
The Inspector
A Planning Inspector will be appointed to undertake an independent examination into the soundness of the HMWP 2040. The Inspector’s task is to consider the soundness and legal compliance of the HMWP 2040 based on the criteria set out in Paragraph 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2023) and associated regulations, such as the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Localism Act 2011, and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.
The Inspector will take into account the representations submitted to the Proposed Submission HMWP 2040 as far as they relate to soundness considerations. A number of informal debates will take place on the principal matters identified by the Inspectors. These are termed “Hearing Sessions”, and these will be announced at a later date, at least 6 weeks before they open. The Inspector may invite those who made representations on the Proposed Submission HMWP 2040 to submit further material or take part in specific Hearing Sessions.
At the end of the Examination, the Inspector will prepare a report to the Hampshire Authorities with precise recommendations. These recommendations may include modifications to the HMWP 2040, if such a request is made by the Hampshire Authorities.
The Programme Officer
The Programme Officer will act as the contact for any person who has an interest in the Examination and as a liaison between the Inspector, Authorities and Representors. They are an independent Officer of the Examination and work on behalf of the Inspector to organize and manage the administrative and procedural elements of the Examination process.
Any queries that anyone has regarding the Examination process, or any matters that anyone wishes to raise to the Inspector, should be submitted to the Programme Officer:
Mr James Hulme
Email: james.hulme@hants.gov.uk
Phone: 0370 779 4188
Address: Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan: Partial Update, Elizabeth II Court, Winchester, SO23 8UD.
The Examination Library
The HMWP 2040 and all submission and other relevant documents have been compiled into an Examination Library. This library will be added to as further documents become available throughout the examination process. The Examination Library is available to view on Hampshire County Council’s website.
The HMWP 2040 and its submission documents can also be viewed at the Authorities’ offices during normal working hours. This includes the South Downs Centre in Midhurst.
Previous Stages
The Regulation 18 public consultation on the Draft HMWP 2040 ran for 12 weeks between 08 November 2022 and 31 January 2023. During this time, 2,456 representations were received. These representations were used to inform the Proposed Submission HMWP 2040. Further information about this consultation can be found on Hampshire County Council’s website.
The Regulation 19 public consultation on the Proposed Submission HMWP 2040 ran for 8 weeks between 09 January and 05 March 2024. During this time, 831 representations were received. Further information about this consultation can be found on the Hampshire County Council website.
Further Information
For more information on the process, including the Inspector, Programme Officer, Examination Library and information updates, please visit the Hampshire County Council’s website.