Frequently asked questions
Q1 What is the South East Plan?
The South East Plan is a formal document prepared by the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) which sets out how matters such as housing, the environment, the economy and transport need to be improved and developed in the region over the next 20 years. Once approved by Government it will become a legal document that local authorities and other agencies will have to follow for the next 20 years.
Q2 Why is this plan for the whole South East Region?
The Government has decided that strategic planning policies should be formulated at a regional level. Previously, strategic planning policies were formulated by county councils and were set out in County Structure Plans.
Q3 Is SEERA elected?
It is not directly elected. It has 112 members, two thirds of whom are councillors nominated from local authorities in the region. The remaining one third are from business and voluntary groups.
Q4 What will happen to the County Structure Plan?
The current Hampshire County Structure Plan covers the period 1996 – 2011. It will be superseded as the strategic plan for Hampshire once the South East plan has been finally approved in 2008.
Q5 Why do we need more development?
Changing household patterns (eg more single person households) and longer life spans require more properties to house the same population. New development is also needed to ensure continued economic prosperity.
Q6 So there will need to be more houses and commercial development sites in Hampshire?
Yes. It is likely that these will be concentrated in South Hampshire and North East Hampshire where the plan proposes sub-regional policies to continue to develop the economic strengths of these areas.
Q7 What about the rest of Hampshire?
In central and south west Hampshire there are two national parks and a range of areas of high environmental value. In these parts of Hampshire growth will be more modest.
Q8 When will we know which areas are going to be most affected?
This will be settled when the Government finalises the South East Plan in 2008.
More detailed information is available in the Where Shall We Live technical document produced for stakeholders and other interested parties.
Q9 Won’t this lead to more congestion and bigger demands on public services?
There will need to be investment in transport, water resources, health facilities, schools and so on. This investment will be paid for by a combination of public and private sector investment but it is unlikely that the developers will be able to meet the full costs of strategic infrastructure provision. This is estimated to be £30 billion for the region.
Q10 Would all the development be on greenfield sites?
Building on brownfield sites within existing urban areas will be the first priority but these will not be sufficient to meet all Hampshire needs.
Q11 What about the impact on the environment?
A strategic environmental assessment has been undertaken by SEERA to ensure that no unacceptable environmental consequences would arise from implementing the plan.
Q12 Does the County Council have a say?
The County Council is a formal consultee on the plan and it sought views from Hampshire’s population and workforce, before responding to SEERA.