2.1 The approved South Hampshire Structure Plan: First Alteration identifies the land between Eastleigh and Southampton, of which the North Stoneham area forms part, as a strategic gap. It states that the gap should be kept open and that development should be controlled to prevent coalescence of the two settlements. 

2.2 The Submitted Hampshire County Structure Plan, which is now nearing approval by the Secretary of State for the Environment, continues to promote the strategic gap policy and retains this designation of the Eastleigh-Southampton Strategic Gap. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of strategic gaps in the Secretary of State's comments on the Submitted Plan. 

2.3 The district councils (Eastleigh Borough Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Southampton City Council) are responsible for the preparation and adoption of statutory local plans. These plans reflect the structure plan policy and define the strategic gap boundaries. Local Plan policies for Eastleigh-Southampton Strategic Gap are to be found in Appendix 1.