CPRE Hampshire and the South East Plan

The South East Plan is the planning framework for the whole of the government's South East region which encompasses all of Hampshire and covers counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey in the South and Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire in the north. CPRE Hampshire regularly monitors what is happening. Read the latest news about the proposed allocation of 128,000 houses for Hampshire.

Articles & documents

Housing numbers unsustainable says CPRE. CPRE is disappointed that the latest government proposal is for 33,125 new dwellings each year in the South East (6,685 each year in Hampshire). This considerably exceeds the original proposal put forward by the South East England Regional Assembly.
Read the press release
Ed Dawson's AGM presentation (PDF). This presentation describes the status of the SE Plan and the process Examination in Public through bullet points, images, charts and maps. (May 2007).
View the presentation (PDF: 2.4Mb)
CPRE comments at the end of the Examination in Public. This press release reflects on the 'marathon' of sittings and the impact that CPRE's involvement in the debate will have had.
Read the press release
Hibernation or Gestation time for the Plan of Plans? In this article for The Odiham Society Journal Ed Dawson discusses the issues around the South East Plan and how the rural character of places like Odiham could be compromised by development pressures. He cites an over-emphasis on the economy, rather than a more balanced system that husbands the planet's resources and protects its unique environment (Mar 2007).
Read the PDF version as it appeared or the Web version with links.
Making The South East Plan Make Sense. In order to make a difference and to protect what we believe is important, for residents, neighbours, visitors and the children to come, we have to work with the system where possible. This article outlines the latest developments in the South East Plan process and what CPRE South East is doing, including attending some 39 sessions of the Examination in Public.
Read the article
Submission to Examination in Public - Sustainability (Dec 2006 - PDF document). CPRE Hampshire's submission on this matter considers that overall the draft RSS (Regional Spatial Strategy) takes proper account of the capability for development within the Rest of Hampshire. It notes that half of this defined area is nationally desginated landscape (either an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or National Park). However housing allocation is such that 'reserve' greenfield sites are unlikely to be used. Also local plans do stress the importance of local landscape character. Read the full 4-page submission (PDF file)
Regional pressures on rural Hampshire (Nov 2006). Ed Dawson's CPRE's South East Regional Director writes that "Hampshire is a lovely county ... but its peace and tranquillity are fragile". He continues: "The biggest factor on the regional agenda is the forthcoming examination of the South East Plan." The stack of submissions is over seven foot high! He explains the examination process, compares with the work on the East of England Plan and forsees a busy time ahead.
Read this informative article
Wastern Corridor Sub-group Report (Nov 2006). Hugh Sheppard describes the work of this specially formed sub-group since its creation in 2004. It's main concern is the impact on the countryside that will be caused by this development area that is centred on Reading and stretches from Slough to the Wiltshire border. Read more about the issues
Western Corridor & Blackwater Valley (June 2006). CPRE South East responds to the Draft South East Regional Spatial Strategy with concerns about the Western Corridor economic development area. The response says: "We remain concerned that the re-defined sub-region is still an unwieldy entity with an imbalance between the emphasis on urban economic development and a lack of proactivity in relation to the countryside that makes the sub-region a place where people want to live."
Read the full response (PDF file)
SHUV's response to South East Plan (June 2006). CPRE Hampshire is a founder member of SHUV (South Hampshire's Unheard Voice), an alliance set up to fight the Regional Assembly's plan to build 80,000 homes in south Hampshire. SHUV's response to the plan argues that it has the wrong focus, rather than what is needed, achievable and sustainable.
CPRE Hampshire response to the South East Plan (June 2005). This is our 46-page response (Microsoft Word format). The links below are to the sections of the summary (HTML format), which is the first part of the above document.

Regional Planning to 2026 - What to Expect - the South East Plan is described as "an incomplete strategy". This article tells about the missing piece: the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Flier for Meeting 2 Feb 2005 - The PDF Flier of the main regional meeting held by CPRE in Winchester. In addition CPRE Hampshire representatives made many visits to Parish Councils and Parish Societies to inform them about the plan.

This page last updated 21st July 2009