Test Valley Borough Council
Councillors:
43
Wards:
21
Committees:
17
Meetings (2026):
29
Meetings (2025):
92
Meeting
Council - Test Valley
Meeting Times
Scheduled Time
Start:
Wednesday, 15th October 2025
5:30 PM
Wednesday, 15th October 2025
5:30 PM
End:
Wednesday, 15th October 2025
9:30 PM
Wednesday, 15th October 2025
9:30 PM
Meeting Status
Status:
Confirmed
Confirmed
Date:
15 Oct 2025
15 Oct 2025
Location:
Crosfield Hall, Broadwater Road, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 8GL
Crosfield Hall, Broadwater Road, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 8GL
Meeting Attendees
Committee Member
Planning Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Recycling and Environmental Services Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Deputy Leader and Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Climate Emergency and Countryside Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Democracy and Governance Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Housing and Enivronmental Health Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Leader and Strategic Regeneration and Partnerships Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Delivery Lead - Community Led Projects Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Community, Leisure and Tourism (including Diversity and Inclusion) Portfolio Holder
Agenda
1
Prayers
Minutes
Prayers were led by Reverend Wharton.
2
Apologies
Minutes
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors G Bailey, D Cattell, G Cooper. K Dunleavey, A Ford and S Hasselmann.
Councillors M Cooper, A Dowden and C Dowden left the meeting at 18:34 and did not participate in decision making on agenda item 13: Land Purchase for Strategic Ecological Mitigation. Councillor P Lashbrook left the meeting at 18:34 and returned at 18:38 and did not participate in decision making on agenda item 13: Land Purchase for Strategic Ecological Mitigation.
Councillors M Cooper, A Dowden and C Dowden left the meeting at 18:34 and did not participate in decision making on agenda item 13: Land Purchase for Strategic Ecological Mitigation. Councillor P Lashbrook left the meeting at 18:34 and returned at 18:38 and did not participate in decision making on agenda item 13: Land Purchase for Strategic Ecological Mitigation.
3
Public Participation
Minutes
No members of the public had registered to speak.
4
Declarations of Interest
Minutes
There were no declarations of interest.
5
Minutes of the previous meetings
To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 18 June, 23 July and 24 September 2025.
Attachments:
- Document $$Minutes 18 June 07 Oct 2025
- Document $$Minutes 07 Oct 2025
- Document $$Minutes 24 Sept 07 Oct 2025
Minutes
The minutes of the Council meetings held on 18 June, 23 July and 24 September 2025 were proposed by Councillor P North and seconded by Councillor Flood subject to the minutes from 24 September being amended to reflect the correct item title of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight - Local Government Reorganisation under minute number 224.
Resolved:
That the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 18 June, 23 July and 24 September 2025 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.
Resolved:
That the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 18 June, 23 July and 24 September 2025 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.
6
Mayor's Announcements
Minutes
There were no announcements as the Mayor was unable to attend the meeting, the Deputy Mayor wished him a speedy recovery.
7
To receive and adopt Committee reports
To receive and, where necessary, adopt reports of Committees.
Attachments:
- Document To receive and adopt committee reports 07 Oct 2025
Minutes
Minutes of Meetings
The minutes of meetings were proposed by Councillor P North and seconded by Councillor Flood.
Resolved:
That the minutes of the following Committees and Cabinet meetings be received:
Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 16 July 2025
Southern Area Planning Committee – 22 July 2025
Northern Area Planning Committee – 7 August 2025
Southern Area Planning Committee – 12 August 2025
Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 27 August 2025
Northern Area Planning Committee – 28 August 2025
Southern Area Planning Committee – 2 September 2025
Audit Committee – 22 September 2025
Northern Area Planning Committee – 23 September 2025
Southern Area Planning Committee – 23 September 2025
Cabinet – 24 September 2025
To adopt recommendations from the following:
The following recommendation was proposed by Councillor P North and seconded by Councillor Flood.
Cabinet – 1 October 2025
North Wessex Downs National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan 2025-2030
Resolved:
That the North Wessex Downs National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan 2025-2030, attached as Annex 1 to the report, in accordance with the duty under Section 89 Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, be adopted.
The minutes of meetings were proposed by Councillor P North and seconded by Councillor Flood.
Resolved:
That the minutes of the following Committees and Cabinet meetings be received:
Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 16 July 2025
Southern Area Planning Committee – 22 July 2025
Northern Area Planning Committee – 7 August 2025
Southern Area Planning Committee – 12 August 2025
Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 27 August 2025
Northern Area Planning Committee – 28 August 2025
Southern Area Planning Committee – 2 September 2025
Audit Committee – 22 September 2025
Northern Area Planning Committee – 23 September 2025
Southern Area Planning Committee – 23 September 2025
Cabinet – 24 September 2025
To adopt recommendations from the following:
The following recommendation was proposed by Councillor P North and seconded by Councillor Flood.
Cabinet – 1 October 2025
North Wessex Downs National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan 2025-2030
Resolved:
That the North Wessex Downs National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan 2025-2030, attached as Annex 1 to the report, in accordance with the duty under Section 89 Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, be adopted.
8
Questions under Rule 11.1
Minutes
Councillor M Cooper asked a question in relation to the minutes of the Council meeting held on 23 July 2025, minute number 150: Notice of Motion – Rule 12. Councillor M Cooper noted that the motion "Recognising and protecting the rights of rivers in the Test Valley" was agreed unanimously by the Council on 23 July. He had re-read the environment and biodiversity policies in the Council’s draft Borough Local Plan, but, as currently written, there are only passing references to the rivers in the Test Valley area. He asked the Planning Portfolio holder whether he would ensure that the full intent of the motion would be incorporated within the text and policies in the emerging draft Borough Local Plan.
The Planning Portfolio Holder responded to confirm that he would ensure that the full intent of the motion was incorporated within the emerging draft Borough Local Plan
The Planning Portfolio Holder responded to confirm that he would ensure that the full intent of the motion was incorporated within the emerging draft Borough Local Plan
9
Questions under Rule 11.2
Minutes
No Councillors had given notice of questions under Procedure Rule 11.2.
10
Appointment to Committee
To consider an appointment to a Committee of Council following a review of the Council’s political balance.
Attachments:
- Document Appointment to Committee - Report 07 Oct 2025
Minutes
Consideration was given to a report of the Democracy and Governance Portfolio Holder which sought a change to the membership of the Council’s General Purposes Committee required to ensure continued political balance across the Council’s Committees following a change to the political membership of the Council.
Councillor Lodge proposed, and Councillor P North seconded the recommendation.
Resolved:
That Councillor K Brooks be appointed to the General Purposes Committee to replace Councillor MacDonald.
Councillor Lodge proposed, and Councillor P North seconded the recommendation.
Resolved:
That Councillor K Brooks be appointed to the General Purposes Committee to replace Councillor MacDonald.
11
Notice of Motion - Rule 12
Attachments:
- Document Notice of Motion 07 Oct 2025
Minutes
Councillor Yalden moved the following motion which incorporated proposed alterations to her original motion on notice. The meetings consent was signaled without discussion. The altered motion was seconded by Councillor Burnage.
Background
· The Council currently cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply (5YHLS) as required by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2024).
· This invokes the presumption in favour of sustainable development (NPPF paragraph 11d), sometimes referred to as the “tilted balance,” which increases the risk of speculative planning applications, particularly in rural settlements.
· However, the NPPF is explicit that permission should be refused where “any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in this Framework taken as a whole.”
· There is growing concern that approving further unplanned growth ahead of the adoption of the new Local Plan will undermine community trust, stretch infrastructure beyond sustainable limits, and prejudice plan-led development.
This Council therefore resolves to:
1. Support a careful and evidence-led approach to speculative planning applications during the period of housing land supply shortfall, recognising the importance of safeguarding sustainable, plan-led growth.
2. Invite officers to apply the NPPF planning balance test with confidence and professional judgement, ensuring that applications are assessed on their merits and may be refused where the evidence demonstrates that adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.
Relevant considerations may include (but are not limited to):
a) local highways capacity and safety;
b) the adequacy and sustainability of water supply, sewerage and wastewater infrastructure;
c) the ability of schools, healthcare and community facilities to keep pace with demand;
d) potential harm to landscape character, heritage assets or biodiversity;
e) the cumulative impact of multiple developments on overall sustainability.
3. Affirm that the presumption in favour does not equate to automatic approval, and that officers are supported in defending well-evidenced refusals at appeal.
4. Request officers to prepare an Infrastructure Capacity Position Statement to provide a clear evidence base on current constraints and to inform decision-making.
5. Encourage parish councils and residents’ groups to contribute evidence-based representations on planning grounds, working with ward councillors to ensure that local perspectives are properly considered.
For the avoidance of doubt, this motion does not alter adopted planning policy or fetter officer discretion in the determination of individual applications.
Upon being put to the vote the Motion was carried.
Council considered the following motion moved by Councillor MacDonald and seconded by Councillor Johston.
Background
It is difficult to argue against this Government’s ambition to increase house building in Britain and the much-needed economic growth that it could deliver. However, recent changes to national planning policy are flawed, are unlikely to deliver more homes in the timescales set out and will only force local planning authorities to grant many more planning approvals in the countryside while existing approvals for 1.4 million new homes remain unbuilt (source: Institute for Public Policy Research, 14 February 2025).
Rather than forcing planning authorities like TVBC to allocate additional greenfield sites, central government should instead be empowering those planning authorities through incentives and penalties to encourage delivery of sites with existing planning permissions. By forcing delivery of those existing permissions and brownfield sites, the number of new permissions required would be fraction of the 1.5 million now being sought.
In Test Valley, we have seen a 78% increase in housing targets imposed upon us and as a result have had to allocate many more greenfield and rural sites in our draft Local Plan than we would have liked. At the same time, we have brownfield sites in the Borough, such as Romsey Brewery or Anton Laundry, which have been “land banked” for many years yet could deliver a good number of new homes.
With such a material increase in housing targets, Test Valley, like many other authorities, can no longer demonstrate a 5 year housing land supply and so is vulnerable to speculative development. Not only does that mean we are at risk of inappropriate development, of inappropriate scale, and in inappropriate locations, it also means it is much more difficult to make those long-term strategic decisions around infrastructure, and, in our part of the country, water and wastewater infrastructure, which is so critical given our unique chalk stream habitats.
The Home Builders Federation recently published a report - ‘A Drain on the Nation’ – which rightly advocates wastewater infrastructure planning as a key component of Local Planning – but that doesn’t work where new development is speculative and permitted outside a Local Plan.
Motion
This Council therefore resolves:
1. To seek an update from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the proposals to reduce land banking including incentives and penalties to encourage delivery, including on brownfield sites.
2. Write to the Secretary of State for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Chair of the Home Builders Federation responding to the Home Builders Federation’s ‘A Drain on the Nation’ report.
3. To continue to explore ways in which TVBC can accelerate delivery of new homes on sites in the Borough where permissions have been in place for many years including the Romsey Brewery and Anton Laundry sites.
Upon being put to the vote the Motion was carried.
Background
· The Council currently cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply (5YHLS) as required by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2024).
· This invokes the presumption in favour of sustainable development (NPPF paragraph 11d), sometimes referred to as the “tilted balance,” which increases the risk of speculative planning applications, particularly in rural settlements.
· However, the NPPF is explicit that permission should be refused where “any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in this Framework taken as a whole.”
· There is growing concern that approving further unplanned growth ahead of the adoption of the new Local Plan will undermine community trust, stretch infrastructure beyond sustainable limits, and prejudice plan-led development.
This Council therefore resolves to:
1. Support a careful and evidence-led approach to speculative planning applications during the period of housing land supply shortfall, recognising the importance of safeguarding sustainable, plan-led growth.
2. Invite officers to apply the NPPF planning balance test with confidence and professional judgement, ensuring that applications are assessed on their merits and may be refused where the evidence demonstrates that adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.
Relevant considerations may include (but are not limited to):
a) local highways capacity and safety;
b) the adequacy and sustainability of water supply, sewerage and wastewater infrastructure;
c) the ability of schools, healthcare and community facilities to keep pace with demand;
d) potential harm to landscape character, heritage assets or biodiversity;
e) the cumulative impact of multiple developments on overall sustainability.
3. Affirm that the presumption in favour does not equate to automatic approval, and that officers are supported in defending well-evidenced refusals at appeal.
4. Request officers to prepare an Infrastructure Capacity Position Statement to provide a clear evidence base on current constraints and to inform decision-making.
5. Encourage parish councils and residents’ groups to contribute evidence-based representations on planning grounds, working with ward councillors to ensure that local perspectives are properly considered.
For the avoidance of doubt, this motion does not alter adopted planning policy or fetter officer discretion in the determination of individual applications.
Upon being put to the vote the Motion was carried.
Council considered the following motion moved by Councillor MacDonald and seconded by Councillor Johston.
Background
It is difficult to argue against this Government’s ambition to increase house building in Britain and the much-needed economic growth that it could deliver. However, recent changes to national planning policy are flawed, are unlikely to deliver more homes in the timescales set out and will only force local planning authorities to grant many more planning approvals in the countryside while existing approvals for 1.4 million new homes remain unbuilt (source: Institute for Public Policy Research, 14 February 2025).
Rather than forcing planning authorities like TVBC to allocate additional greenfield sites, central government should instead be empowering those planning authorities through incentives and penalties to encourage delivery of sites with existing planning permissions. By forcing delivery of those existing permissions and brownfield sites, the number of new permissions required would be fraction of the 1.5 million now being sought.
In Test Valley, we have seen a 78% increase in housing targets imposed upon us and as a result have had to allocate many more greenfield and rural sites in our draft Local Plan than we would have liked. At the same time, we have brownfield sites in the Borough, such as Romsey Brewery or Anton Laundry, which have been “land banked” for many years yet could deliver a good number of new homes.
With such a material increase in housing targets, Test Valley, like many other authorities, can no longer demonstrate a 5 year housing land supply and so is vulnerable to speculative development. Not only does that mean we are at risk of inappropriate development, of inappropriate scale, and in inappropriate locations, it also means it is much more difficult to make those long-term strategic decisions around infrastructure, and, in our part of the country, water and wastewater infrastructure, which is so critical given our unique chalk stream habitats.
The Home Builders Federation recently published a report - ‘A Drain on the Nation’ – which rightly advocates wastewater infrastructure planning as a key component of Local Planning – but that doesn’t work where new development is speculative and permitted outside a Local Plan.
Motion
This Council therefore resolves:
1. To seek an update from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the proposals to reduce land banking including incentives and penalties to encourage delivery, including on brownfield sites.
2. Write to the Secretary of State for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Chair of the Home Builders Federation responding to the Home Builders Federation’s ‘A Drain on the Nation’ report.
3. To continue to explore ways in which TVBC can accelerate delivery of new homes on sites in the Borough where permissions have been in place for many years including the Romsey Brewery and Anton Laundry sites.
Upon being put to the vote the Motion was carried.
12
Exclusion of the Public
The following item is confidential.
Attachments:
- Document Exclusion of the Public 07 Oct 2025
Minutes
Councillor P North proposed, and Councillor Flood seconded the following recommendation.
Resolved:
That, pursuant to Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following reports on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended, indicated below. The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the Public interest in disclosing the information for the reason given below:
Estate Property Matters Paragraph 3
It is considered that this report contains exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended being information relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person (including the authority holding that information). It is further considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
Resolved:
That, pursuant to Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following reports on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended, indicated below. The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the Public interest in disclosing the information for the reason given below:
Estate Property Matters Paragraph 3
It is considered that this report contains exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended being information relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person (including the authority holding that information). It is further considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
13
Land Purchase for Strategic Ecological Mitigation
To consider a land purchase that will enable mitigation for nitrate neutrality, biodiversity net gain and suitable alternate natural greenspace.
Attachments:
- Document Woodington Farm - Report 07 Oct 2025
- Document Woodington Farm - Annex 1 07 Oct 2025
- Document Woodington Farm - Annex 2 07 Oct 2025
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