Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA)

The SHELAA is a technical document which provides information on sites; submitted by landowners, developers and agents, for potential housing, economic development, Gypsy pitches, Travelling Showpeople plots, self-build housing etc. in relation to their suitability, availability and achievability. The SHELAA will only identify sites which have been promoted to the Council, it does not allocate sites. The inclusion of the site in the SHELAA does not imply that the Council would necessarily grant planning permission.

The SHELAA document is an important component of the evidence base for the next Test Valley Local Plan. It seeks to identify and assess land which landowners and developers are willing to make available to inform potential future allocations for housing and employment.

Please note that:

  • The SHELAA only identifies sites with development potential, it does not allocate sites.
  • The inclusion of a site within the document does not preclude them for being developed for other uses.
  • The information is based on submissions received from landowners and agents.
  • The SHELAA is based on the most up to date information available (supplied and researched) at the time of the document’s preparation (June 2021 to November 2021). Therefore factors may be subject to change over time and may have an effect on any site.
  • Any identified constraint may be mitigated, overcome and/ or additional factors  identified
  • Likely development timescales may be subject to change
  • Where information has not been provided in relation to site capacity or expected delivery the Council has estimated supply (marked with an asterisk).
  • Site capacity or densities may be subject to change as additional information is developed and masterplanning detail takes place
  • The availability of the site may be reassessed by the landowner

The inclusion of a site within this document does not imply that the Council would necessarily grant planning permission for residential or employment use.

The inclusion of a site within this document does not imply that the Council would necessarily grant planning permission for residential or employment use.

The sites that are considered to have potential for strategic housing allocation would be assessed separately before policy decisions are made in the next Local Plan. SHELAA sites have not been ranked or discounted for existing constraints or potential delivery delays. The most appropriate development sites given the balance of constraints will be assessed separately through this process.

With regards to residential and economic uses, the Council will accept sites for a net gain of 5 or more dwellings and sites that are 0.25ha (or likely to provide at least 500m² of economic floor space) and above.

The current SHELAA has a base date of 2023. A call for additional sites was undertaken in 2022.

Submissions for new sites can be made outside of specific calls for sites using the guidance note and form available from this page. Additional information for existing sites can also be provided through this route (please quote the SHELAA Site Reference the update relates to). All such submissions will be kept on file until the next update of SHELAA.

Please be aware, all promoted sites will be made publicly available. Individual personal details and land ownership details will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

For further information or any queries please telephone 01264 368000 or email planningpolicy@testvalley.gov.uk

Call for Sites 2024

The Council is undertaking this exercise due to a shortfall in appropriate sites for  land for B8 (Storage and Distribution) in Southern Test Valley and a shortfall of appropriate sites for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Show People across the Borough. This is an opportunity for landowners to promote any new sites which could be considered suitable for these uses. Whilst land for these uses is being sought, the Council will still accept new site submissions for other uses including housing and other employment uses and 'Green' sites. (There is more information regarding 'Green' Sites here).

This is an opportunity for land owners to promote any new sites for consideration, and is not a review of existing SHELAA and GLAA sites. There is no requirement to resubmit sites that have previously been submitted for consideration, however if you wish to update any information of current SHELAA sites please submit this information.

The inclusion of a site in the SHELAA or GLAA does not imply that the Council would necessarily grant planning permission. All promoted sites will be made publicly available. Individual personal details and land ownership details will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

With regards to economic uses, the Council will accept sites that are 0.25ha or greater or likely to provide at least 500m² of economic floor space and above. With regards to residential uses, the Council will accept sites for a net gain of 5 or more dwellings.

Please complete the submission form (docx, 67kb) and return to:

  • By email to:  planningpolicy@testvalley.gov.uk or
  • By post to:    Planning Policy Team, Test Valley Borough Council, Beech Hurst, Weyhill Road, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3AJ