There are two planning authorities for East Hampshire. 

East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) covers one third of the area and the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) which stretches from Eastbourne to Winchester covers the rest. 

Local planning application requirements

EHDC has put together a list of requirements when submitting a planning application. These are essential to support all planning application types and help the council to determine their validity.

The SDNPA has a separate list of requirements which can be found on their website.

Pre-application advice service

EHDC offers unbiased advice on the many things you need to consider before you make a planning application.

Find out more about our pre-application planning advice service.

Submitting your planning application

The easiest way to submit your planning application is online through the planning portal. The planning portal tells you which forms you need to complete and what supporting documents you need.

For more information, please visit our submit a planning application page.

Planning application fees

When submitting an application, in most cases there will be a planning application fee. The fee is paid at the time you submit your application.

A guide to fees can be found on the planning portal.

Plans and copyright

The most common reason for the rejection of planning applications is that plans are not drawn up correctly. The easiest way to make sure they meet requirements is to get them from approved suppliers on the planning portal.

If you are using Ordnance Survey copyright data, please be advised we can only accept and publish plans which have a valid licence number. The license must be issued by the Ordnance Survey and give permission for the applicant or agent to use that information.

The decision process

We will inspect the site and consult anyone who might want to give an opinion, such as neighbours and the parish council.

We will also consider other things, such as:

  • local development policies like the local plan
  • national planning legislation 
  • flood risk areas
  • our natural and built heritage.

Please note, for applications where there is an agent, all communication about progress on the application must be via the agent.

Around 80% of planning decisions are straightforward and are made at officer level. More complex decisions are made by the planning committee which meets every four weeks.

Most planning applications are decided within 8 weeks. For large or complex projects, the time limit is extended to 13 weeks. We will do our best to help you make any necessary changes so that your application can be decided within these times.

Our decision

We will send the official decision notice to you, or your agent, by email. If your plan is approved, it’s very important that you read the decision notice carefully. It may set out conditions for your project, and you should clarify any points you are unsure about.

If your plan is refused, you have two options: