The New Forest National Park Authority is the minerals and waste planning authority for the National Park.
The Authority is working in partnership with Hampshire County Council, Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils and the South Downs National Park Authority to produce the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework. This currently comprises the adopted Minerals and Waste Plan and Policies Map, which cover the whole of the New Forest National Park (including the small area within Wiltshire).
Partial Update to the Hampshire Minerals & Waste Plan
The authority and partners (collectively known as the Hampshire Authorities) are working on a partial update to the adopted Minerals and Waste Plan which will guide minerals and waste decision-making in the Plan area until 2040. The partial update to the Plan will build upon the currently adopted Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan (2013), eventually providing new and updated policies based on up-to-date evidence of the current levels of provision for minerals and waste facilities in the Plan Area. Importantly, the partially updated Plan aims to establish the future levels of provision required to meet national and regional policy targets and objectives. It will set out an updated vision of how this will be achieved and provide details of strategic sites to help deliver the vision.
The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan – Partial Update is currently under examination by the Planning Inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State.
Examination hearings were held between 4 and 13 February 2025, with an additional hearing held on 9 September 2025 regarding the Purple Haze proposed allocation.
The Hampshire Authorities have published proposed modifications to the Submission Plan, which are considered necessary to make the Plan legally compliant and/or sound. The Proposed Main Modifications and Policies Map Changes will be subject to consultation along with Main Modification specific Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) and Habitat Regulations Assessment addendums. The Authorities are also publishing a schedule of Additional Modifications, for information only.
The representations period runs for ten weeks, and all representations must be received between 9am on 4 December 2025 and 11:59pm on 12 February 2026. Late representations may not be accepted as duly made.
The documents can be viewed on Hampshire County Council’s website, alongside details on how to respond to the consultation.
The Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan 2013-2030
This Plan incorporates an aggregates target, reflects updated national planning policy and contains a number of strategic minerals and waste site allocations. It will be used to assess minerals and waste planning applications within the National Park for the period up to 2030.
The Hampshire authorities adopted the Plan on 15 October 2013 and you can find out more about the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan from Hampshire County Council’s website.
Supplementary Planning Documents
Two supplementary planning documents (SPD) covering (i) Oil & Gas Development; and (ii) Minerals & Waste Safeguarding were subject to public consultation between June and August 2015. The minerals and waste planning authorities in Hampshire have considered the consultation responses received and made any necessary amendments. The authorities formally adopted these SPDs in February 2016 and copies are available to download below, with more details available on Hampshire County Council’s website.