Land East of Horndean Development: Facts and Status

What is the Land East of Horndean development?

Land East of Horndean, often shortened to LEOH, is a large mixed-use development site on the eastern edge of Horndean, either side of Rowlands Castle Road and reaching towards the B2149 Havant Road and junction 2 of the A3(M). It is allocated as policy HN1 in East Hampshire District Council's adopted Local Plan: Housing and Employment Allocations, which the council adopted on 7 April 2016. This guide sticks to what official documents and the developers' own sites say. It gives no view on whether the development is a good or bad thing.

What does the adopted Local Plan say about the site?

Policy HN1 allocates 62 hectares of land east of Horndean for a mixed-use development. The plan lists about 700 dwellings, a care village including independent living units and extra care provision for older people, about 2 hectares of industrial and business land, and a new primary school with land for future expansion. The site-specific criteria in the plan also call for a community centre and a convenience shop, new green infrastructure, and noise mitigation along Havant Road and the A3(M). They also require landscaping to limit the impact on the setting of the South Downs National Park. The plan says vehicle access from Rowlands Castle Road should serve land north of that road only, with the rest accessed from Havant Road. The same plan allocated a second Horndean site, HN2, for about 40 homes on land behind 185 to 189A Lovedean Lane.

What has actually been approved?

Horndean Parish Council's planning note of 11 August 2025 describes an existing application, reference 55562/005, for up to 800 dwellings. It says outline permission was granted on 23 December 2021 and that three reserved matters applications have since come forward for different parcels of land. The note says the site falls within both Horndean parish and Rowlands Castle parish.

The developer Highwood Group's own pages describe other parts of the allocation. On its Land East of Horndean page Highwood says an earlier outline consent was granted for the scheme, and that consent was granted in 2021 for a retirement village comprising a 60-bedroom care home, 120 assisted living units and a village care centre. It says the retirement village opened to its first residents in 2025. Highwood's Rowlands Castle Road page says the first phase delivered a Barchester Healthcare care home, followed by a retirement community for Inspired Villages.

What is being built on Rowlands Castle Road now?

According to Highwood, construction of 82 homes on land north of Rowlands Castle Road began in July 2025, with development partner Abri. It describes 64 houses and 18 apartments, with a 35% affordable housing provision (33 homes), and says every home will have an electric vehicle charging point. Road access is via the existing junction that serves the adjoining care home and retirement village. Highwood describes the site as sitting on the boundary of the South Downs National Park. These are the developer's descriptions, so check the approved plans on EHDC's planning portal for the binding detail. The company's earlier public consultation page gave the references 55562/009 for the care home and 55562/010 for the retirement village.

What is the Southern Expansion, LEOHSE?

LEOHSE stands for Land East of Horndean Southern Expansion, application reference EHDC-25-0875-OUT. Horndean Parish Council's note describes it as an outline application for residential development with public open space, play areas, parking and drainage, with all matters reserved except the main access to the highway and strategic landscaping and open space. The marketing material, as quoted by the parish council, suggests up to 750 additional dwellings, allotments, a Neighbourhood Locally Equipped Area for Play, two grass junior football pitches, a pavilion and a cricket pitch, with 40% affordable homes. The parish council says this site lies wholly within Rowlands Castle parish.

The note says the existing site and the proposed expansion together would create around 1,550 dwellings, an estimated 35% of them in Horndean parish and 65% in Rowlands Castle parish. It also says the parish councils were discussing who would manage and maintain assets secured under the section 106 agreement, including a community building and 3G football pitch. The developer behind it is Bloor Homes, whose project website says it has submitted an outline planning application to EHDC for future consideration, and gives the reference EHDC-25-0875-OUT. Rowlands Castle Parish Council's news post of 11 September 2025 says it submitted comments objecting to the proposal and that Bloor Homes would not be holding a public exhibition at that time. EHDC's major developments page lists EHDC-25-0875-OUT, headed Land East of Horndean Southern Extension, among its current major applications, as listed on 5 October 2026. That page lists its parish as Horndean, whereas the parish council's note places the site wholly in Rowlands Castle parish, so both are quoted here. The same page also lists a reserved matters application for the existing site, EHDC-25-0798-RES, for 158 dwellings, landscaping, allotments and public open space under outline permission 55562/005, with amended plans dated April 2026. Check the planning portal for the current status of both.

Where can I see the planning applications?

EHDC's planning applications page explains that you search and comment through the council's Public Access portal. You must register for a Public Access account before commenting online, or you can comment by post to Planning Services, EHDC, PO Box 310, Petersfield, GU32 9HN. It says comments are published, though your name and address are not. Search by reference number, for example EHDC-25-0875-OUT.

What is the position on the Local Plan?

On 28 May 2026 EHDC announced that it would no longer seek to submit a local plan by the end of December 2026, citing new national planning rules and the local government reorganisation decision. The adopted plan, including policy HN1, remains in place as the council's published plan. Horndean Parish Council's housing developments page sets out its own concerns and its approach to developer contributions. Those are the parish council's views and are not reproduced here.

Quick answers

How many homes were allocated at Land East of Horndean? The adopted Local Plan allocates about 700 dwellings, and Horndean Parish Council's note refers to permission for up to 800.

Is the site in Horndean? Parts of it are. The parish council says the existing site falls within both Horndean and Rowlands Castle parishes.

What is LEOHSE? It is the proposed Southern Expansion, application EHDC-25-0875-OUT, for up to 750 additional homes wholly in Rowlands Castle parish.

Where do I comment on an application? Use EHDC's Public Access portal after registering, or write to Planning Services at PO Box 310, Petersfield, GU32 9HN.