🔁 The Call for Reform
We prosecute individuals for stealing a phone — yet we allow organised networks of developers, consultants, and landowners to abuse land at scale through misrepresentation, coordinated applications, and legal fragmentation.
The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) are a UK legal framework that gives the public the right to access information held by public authorities about the environment. These regulations are separate from, but similar to, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). While FOIA covers a wide range of public information, EIR is specifically focused … Continue reading ✅ What is the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004?
⏳ EHDC’s planning permission isn’t yet legally finalised; the crucial Section 106 Agreement remains outstanding, with deadlines set for April and October 2025.
⚖️ Medstead Parish Council is proactively seeking free legal advice from a specialist planning barrister and HALC to review potential Judicial Review options.
🌼 Special thanks to Parish Councillor Patricia Hughes and Parish Clerk Mrs Julie Russell for their dedicated efforts.
📢 Residents should stay alert, as the decision remains open to challenge.
You cannot transfer or reuse a screening opinion from one developer to another, or from one application to another, even on the same land.
⚠️ Ignored the legal requirement that EIA screening opinions are non-transferable between applicants
⚠️ Failed to apply the updated 2017 EIA Regulations, which clearly state that EIA screening opinions are only valid for three years
✅ 1. Refusal or Retrospective Screening
✅ 2. Judicial Review (JR) – Indirect Legal Exposure
✅ 3. Environmental offences under broader law
✅ 4. Challenge via Secretary of State (Call-in powers or EIA direction)
This is the category most relevant to residential developments. A project falls under Schedule 2 (so may require EIA) if it: 🔹 Includes more than 1 hectare of urban development, OR🔹 Involves more than 150 dwellings, OR🔹 Has a site area exceeding 5 hectares ✅ If any one of those is true, then screening is … Continue reading 📘 Schedule 2, Category 10(b) – Urban Development Projects
⏳ An EIA screening opinion expires after 3 years from the date it was issued …
When forming an opinion as to whether development is EIA development, the relevant planning authority must take into account the selection criteria set out in Schedule 3.
🥇 The cumulation with other existing and/or approved development.
🥇 The environmental sensitivity of geographical areas likely to be affected by development.
🥇 Characteristics of the potential impact (e.g. size of area affected, magnitude of impact, resource use, pollution, risk of accidents).
Case C-290/03 Commission v Spain [2006] ECR I-1073 (European Court of Justice)
✅ The council issued a screening opinion without properly assessing indirect and cumulative environmental effects.
✅ The court quashed the decision — reaffirming that the local authority has a duty to fully assess the potential for significant effects, even if EIA is not formally requested….
Ref: 55318/001 (Land west of Beechlands Road, South Medstead)
The document you uploaded is the Planning Committee Report for application 55318/001 (Land west of Beechlands Road, South Medstead). It’s produced by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) and is a local document used to inform the Planning Committee’s decision on whether to grant permission for a specific development.
This is a statutory instrument (SI 2015/595) that sets out how planning applications must be processed in England. It includes rules about validation, publicity, consultation, and decision-making. 🔸 Relevant points about publicising an application: Under Article 15 of this Order, local planning authorities (LPAs) — like your council — must publicise planning applications in one … Continue reading The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015
Despite making up only 1.76% of the district’s population, Medstead absorbed 8.36% of all new housing in the 2011–2021 period.
This shows a development burden over four times higher than what would be expected if housing were distributed in proportion to population size.
📌 This is strong, quantitative evidence that development in Medstead was not proportionate. It supports arguments about infrastructure strain, planning fairness, and unsustainable growth at the local level.
This letter to Damian Hinds MP calls for urgent support in implementing a profit cap mechanism in Section 106 agreements. Highlighting the critical need for sustainable development and protection of local communities, the letter emphasises the importance of addressing the concerns of Four Marks and Medstead Ward residents. It seeks to ensure that development benefits are maximised for the community while preventing exploitation by developers.
This publication calls for a repetition of the public consultation on the Local Development Plan. It underscores the importance of ensuring that community voices are adequately heard and considered in planning decisions. The request highlights concerns about the current consultation process and advocates for more inclusive and comprehensive community engagement to ensure fair and balanced development outcomes.
Work In Progress
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Welcome to our External Links page! Here you’ll find a curated collection of useful resources, including documents, websites, and videos related to our community and planning applications. These links provide additional information and support to help you stay informed and engaged. Explore the resources to enhance your knowledge and participate more effectively in community discussions.
This page provides an overview of the EHDC (East Hampshire District Council) Development Scale Classification.
Email exchange with the case officer regarding the need for:
- Ensuring that all stakeholders have access to the latest data to provide informed comments.
- Highlighting discrepancies in the housing land supply (HLS) figures, which were contested during an appeal.
- Clarification on the application of Paragraph 11 of the NPPF.
- Addressing concerns about the refusal to extend the consultation period.
- Answering questions about the transparency and categorisation of public comments and documents.
Review of the ‘Comment on a Planning Application’ Page:
- Suggests that the “What can I comment on?” section appears incomplete and could potentially mislead the public. Recommends a review and update to ensure it is comprehensive and accurate.
Implementation of a WYSIWYG Editor:
- Proposes implementing a WYSIWYG or rich text editor for better formatting of objections, allowing for headings, bullet points, and enhanced readability.
Information about Submitting Attachments via Email:
- Suggests including information about the option to submit attachments via email on the planning portal. This information should be clearly communicated below the “Your Comment” text box in the “Make Comment” section to ensure all public members are aware of this option.
Several consultees noted risks:
📌 Flooding potential and drainage (EA + EHDC drainage)
📌 Noise, air quality (Environmental Health)
📌 Highways concern about cumulative impact (HCC Highways)
📌 Medstead PC specifically objected due to cumulative development pressure and loss of open space/woodland
⚠️ Critical Weakness in the Screening Decision: Cumulative Impact Was Dismissed
EHDC acknowledges that:
“The village has experienced rapid development pressures in the preceding short-term of 5–10 years but not on a scale likely to cause significant social issues…”
And:
“A full TA will be required… but crucially for the purposes of the 2011 Regulations only committed developments can be considered in screening.”
❌ EHDC’s interpretation of “committed development” was narrow and conservative
They dismissed wider growth because the other SHLAA sites weren’t yet consented
They ignored local-scale saturation, even though HCC Highways and the Parish Council both warned about cumulative pressure
Planning applications outside the Local Development Plans and settlement boundaries in rural England can be approved based on several key factors:
The document uses Paragraph 11 to argue for the approval of new housing developments unless adverse impacts significantly outweigh the benefits.
Work In Progress
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Proposal: 53 Dwellings with Vehicular Access
Case Officer: Samantha Owen
Developer: Bewley
Work In Progress
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Proposal: 70 Dwellings with Vehicular Access
Case Officer: Samantha Owen
Developer: Bargate Homes
…. request is based on the unavailability of the most recent housing figures and the Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) 2024, which has not yet been made accessible to the public.
The planning application documents provided on this website are sourced from the East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) and are available for public access. Personal and sensitive information has been redacted by EHDC to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). For the most current and official documents, please refer to the EHDC planning portal. … Continue reading Disclaimer
Every member of the community has the right to comment on a planning application.
How do I make a comment?
The land availability assessment (LAA) is a technical study which informs the local plan. It assesses land for its development potential and forms the basis of a list of sites to be considered for allocation in the local plan.
National guidance on producing ‘land availability assessments’ is provided in planning practice guidance section on housing and economic land availability assessment.
The guidance sets out a five-stage methodology which is based on identifying sites and broad locations with potential for development, assessing their development potential and assessing their suitability for development and the likelihood that they will come forward.
The land availability assessment (LAA) is a technical study which informs the local plan. It assesses land for its development potential and forms the basis of a list of sites to be considered for allocation in the local plan.
Cllr Richard Millard, Leader of East Hampshire District Council, said “…the government’s brutal housing target which eclipses everything else in the Plan-making process. Forget the semantics that it is a ‘housing need’ figure; it is for all practical purposes a rigid target. We are not alone … It has been divisive, bruising and at times unpleasant. It has fractured communities and turned councillors against each other.”
The plot marked in red is part of Bargate Homes’ plan for a significant extension to the village of Medstead. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the plot of land marked in red was submitted on behalf of Foreman Homes around the same time as the one for the Ashwood estate. Forman Homes is a venture partner of Vivid, of which Bargate Homes is now a part. The Ashwood estate was developed through a partnership between Vivid and Bargate. Bargate Homes legally secured the right to purchase this particular plot of land in the first quarter of 2018.
The EDHC officer decided that an EIA was not required, despite the recommendation from HCC Highways, which stated that “due to the number of SHLAA sites and the combined effect these may have on the A31 and junctions of Boynewood Road and Lymington Bottom Road, an EIA should be requested.”
At the end of March 2024, SLR Consulting sent letters to residents on behalf of Bargate Homes, inviting them to provide feedback about Bargate Homes’ proposal for a plot of land referred to as Land west of Beechlands Road, previously subjected to EIA screening as Land East of Cawk House, Stoney Lane. This plot is a component of their master project aiming to pursue a significant extension to the village of Medstead, which has been actively promoted by Bargate since 2019.
… epic woodland walks, luscious landscapes, secluded, peaceful and relaxing, a sweet little village, poking out of the green landscape … Medstead and its surrounding areas are steeped in history … this little patch of land has played host to ancient Romans, medieval knights …
In the following section, you’ll find a list of all EIA screening applications for the period 2011-2024 for the ward of Four Marks & Medstead. It’s notable that all of the screening decisions resulted in the same outcome – EIA was not required. This is noteworthy considering that significant effects on population are one of the major factors to be considered as part of EIA. According to the Office for National Statistics, there was a close to 40% population increase in the Four Marks & Medstead ward from 2011 to 2021.
EHDC, in response to our request for information about the number of new houses planned for development in the Four Marks & Medstead ward, stated in their email dated May 1st, 2024, that they have recently consulted on the Draft Local Plan 2021-2040, which includes site allocations. If you, like many others, were not included in that consultation and are interested in this information, here is the draft plan shared with us by EHDC.
The Office for National Statistics data shows a close to 40% population increase in Four Marks & Medstead ward from 2011 to 2021.
Since 2011, 413 new dwellings have been built in Medstead, with a further 273 in Four Marks
“… Land at South Medstead has been put forward for consideration as an option for a Large Development Site … promoted jointly by three prominent housing companies, with a strong and successful history in the region: Bargate Homes, Cala Homes & Redrow Homes…”