Alton Town Council is likely to vote to create a new version of its Neighbourhood Plan when it meets in Alton Town Hall on February 5 at 7pm.

Work on the Draft Neighbourhood Plan stalled at the town council meeting on September 4 when members chose not to progress it to the Regulation 14 stage, at which point there would have been a six-week public consultation.

Instead the town council decided to review all possible development sites, not only those excluded in the Draft Neighbourhood Plan but also extra ones included in East Hampshire District Council’s updated Land Availability Assessment published on November 7.

Funding was obtained for the review, but no more work can be done on the draft plan until the review report is received in early March, and so no Neighbourhood Plan steering group has been appointed.

At a briefing session between councillors and Neighbourhood Plan consultants ONH it was discussed whether to have no Neighbourhood Plan, continue with the draft plan as it was last June with sites allocated for 1,200 homes, or create a new version.

Factors considered included the National Planning Policy Framework, East Hampshire District Council’s Local Plan, devolution, land promoters’ efforts to obtain planning permission to develop sites, the town council’s ability to run, finance and complete a Neighbourhood Plan, and the opinions of residents.

Councillors eventually opted for a new version in which they would allocate land for a different number of homes of their choosing.

Further public exhibitions would be arranged after the review reports come out in March to publicise and explain the results.

The town council would take “a much more hands-on approach” as to whether and how to form a new Neighbourhood Plan steering group. It would also appoint new consultants to provide professional planning advice.