Planning Consultants in Hampshire
Hampshire contains two National Parks — the New Forest and the South Downs — covering substantial areas of the county where development is tightly controlled. Outside the National Parks, the county has significant coastal development opportunities around Southampton and Portsmouth, and strong demand for residential and employment development across the M3 and M27 corridors.
Common in Hampshire
Local planning authority: Hampshire County Council and district councils, South Downs National Park Authority, and New Forest National Park Authority
Planning Services in Hampshire
Urban Vista Planning provides the full range of planning consultancy services to clients across Hampshire — from homeowners and landowners to developers and businesses. Our Chartered Town Planners are MRTPI-accredited and experienced in dealing with the planning authorities operating in Hampshire.
- Planning permission applications
- Pre-application advice
- Planning appeals
- Permitted development assessments
- Lawful Development Certificates
- Change of use applications
- Heritage and listed building consent
- Ecology & Biodiversity Net Gain
- Highways and transport assessments
- Infrastructure consenting
- Equestrian and rural planning
- Discharge of planning conditions
Why Urban Vista Planning?
MRTPI & MCIHT Accredited
Our Chartered Town Planners and specialist associates are accredited and regulated by their professional bodies, including the RTPI and CIHT.
UK-Wide Coverage
We advise clients across England and Wales, including Hampshire, from our offices in Taplow (Buckinghamshire), Leeds, and Hereford.
Free Initial Consultation
We provide an honest initial view of your project — what is achievable, the best consenting route, and likely timescales — at no charge.
Full-Service Consultancy
We manage the entire planning process: application preparation, specialist coordination, authority engagement, and conditions discharge.
Key Planning Constraints in Hampshire
These designations and policy issues shape what can be built in Hampshire. Identifying them early is the single most effective way to avoid delay, invalid applications and refusal.
Solent nutrient neutrality
New homes draining to the Solent must demonstrate nitrogen neutrality, typically through mitigation credits or on-site measures.
New Forest and South Downs National Parks
Two National Park Authorities determine applications within their boundaries, with the highest landscape protection.
Thames Basin Heaths SPA
North-east Hampshire, including Hart and Rushmoor, falls within the SANG mitigation zone.
Solent coastal SPAs
The Bird Aware Solent strategy requires contributions from new housing near the coast.
Infrastructure & Energy Planning in Hampshire
Hampshire's ports at Southampton and Portsmouth, the Solent Freeport and the Fawley industrial complex make it a hub for energy, fuels and logistics infrastructure. Solar and battery storage proposals are common inland, and nutrient neutrality affects many schemes. We coordinate the ecology, transport and landscape input these projects need.
Planning in Hampshire: FAQs
Which council deals with planning applications in Hampshire?
Planning applications in Hampshire are determined by the local planning authority for the site — Hampshire County Council and district councils, South Downs National Park Authority, and New Forest National Park Authority. Where a site lies within a National Park, the National Park Authority is the planning authority instead.
What are the main planning constraints in Hampshire?
Key constraints in Hampshire include Solent nutrient neutrality; New Forest and South Downs National Parks; Thames Basin Heaths SPA; Solent coastal SPAs. We identify which apply to your site at the outset so they can be addressed in the application rather than discovered during determination.
Do you advise on infrastructure and energy projects in Hampshire?
Hampshire's ports at Southampton and Portsmouth, the Solent Freeport and the Fawley industrial complex make it a hub for energy, fuels and logistics infrastructure. Solar and battery storage proposals are common inland, and nutrient neutrality affects many schemes. We coordinate the ecology, transport and landscape input these projects need.
Other Areas We Cover in the South East
Need a Planning Consultant in Hampshire?
Book a free initial consultation — we will give you a clear view of your options and the best route forward.