From 1 April 2011 the South Downs National Park Authority is now responsible for all planning in the South Downs National Park. The Authority will deal with about 4,000 planning applications a year, making it the eighth largest planning authority in the country.

 

In preparation for this, the National Park Authority has invited the fifteen Local Authorities within the National Park to provide day-to-day planning services on its behalf.

All fifteen Local Authorities reached an agreement during the summer of 2010, including East Hampshire District Council and a binding legal agreement was signed and completed in November 2010 committing all the Local Authorities to work with the SDNPA towards delivering the planning service in this way. 

What does this mean?

• Each local planning authority will determine the bulk of the planning applications submitted within the national park, under the agency agreement, and provide all the planning administration for the SDNPA. However, the SDNPA will determine most major applications and retain overall policy control.

• In practice it will mean that anyone wishing to make a small-scale planning application (e.g. to their home) would apply to their local planning authority, as normal.

How do I find out if I live within the South Downs National Park?

Please click here from where you will be able to insert your postcode and find out if your property, or application site, lies within the boundary of the South Downs National Park.

Where do I submit my planning applications after 1 April 2011?

• If you live within the National Park boundary you should continue to submit your planning applications to East Hampshire District Council in the normal way.

• If you submit your application through the Planning Portal, this will be routed to East Hampshire District Council who will deal with it on behalf of the SDNPA.

What happens next?

• If the application is deemed ‘significant’ by the SDNPA the application will be determined by a case officer at the SDNPA. The definitions of significance are described in Guidance on Significance for South Downs National Park Applications. A list of applications being dealt with by officers at the SDNPA can be accessed here

• In your area all other (that is, most) applications will be determined by East Hampshire District Council, working in partnership with the SDNPA. These applications will be decided by the East Hampshire District Council planning committee, or planning officer, in accordance with local provisions for officer delegation.

• All communications regarding a planning application (letters, emails, phone calls) should be directed to East Hampshire District Council, not the SDNPA.

How can I view applications that have been submitted to the South Downs National Park? 

The SDNPA Planning website allows you to search for planning applications that have been submitted from anywhere within the South Downs National Park boundary. You can search in a variety of different ways, including between specific dates, within a specific local authority area,  applications received and validated or decisions issued. You will be able to view the documents held for each planning application, as held on the East Hampshire District Council website, and make comments (if the application is still open for receiving representations).

Planning application forms

If you wish to submit your application electronically, please use the Planning Portal.  When entering your postcode, the system will recognise the application site as being within the SDNP and direct you accordingly.  

You can download a paper copy of the planning applications form for submission to East Hampshire District Council, working in partnership with the SDNPA from here .