Richard Eastham of Feria Urbanism made the claim having drawn up his report after three design forum events last November.
The independent planning and design team providing advice and support outlined the firm’s interim report, which draws phase one of the scheme to a close.
Mr Eastham said the plan was ‘riddled with policy challenges’, and pointed out the NDP has to resolve two key question – potential development in the South Downs National Park or development south and south east of the railway.
The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) currently has objected in principle and will continue to object to a plan which includes development in the national park.
The SDNPA has made it clear that it will object at the pre-submission stage as well as at the submission stage, which would mean that the NDP has failed.
Mr Eastham warned it was a considerable risk to put development in the SDNP up for a referendum and it did not matter how well-supported housing in the national park by the public was – if the allocation did not conform with the park’s Local Plan it was not something that could easily be overcome through good design, delivery of community facilities or public benefits.
The NDP has to have sustainable appraisal and Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA), land looked at and tested against sustainability, and only sites which are in conformity with planning policies are likely to be subject of SEA process.
He said: “Planning policies cannot be overruled – it is a clear message. It does not mean – don’t do it – but it is a big risk.
“Lots of other things need to be considered for the NDP – other than housing.”
He added Liphook should not allocate land in the NP unless there was support from the SDNPA – which was not the case at this stage – or in the foreseeable future, since the local planning authority would object on principle.
He urged the steering group to rethink the NDP in order to reach referendum, since there was no flexibility in the SDNPA approach – but there is for land south of the railway which is not in the park – and land elsewhere in the parish.
Mr Eastham confirmed a non-housing allocation NDP could be done and include all other aspects, and a neighbourhood plan has the power to define land use and policy.
The NDP needs support from both the SDNPA and East Hampshire District Council otherwise it will leave the plan vulnerable – and it needs to be future-proofed for the next 20 years.
He advised against a call for a boundary revision of the national park to remove Liphook from it, which could take 50 years or longer, and explained if there was a need to build in the park because it could not be done elsewhere – it would be different.
Otherwise, he said, it was ‘off limits’ and that ‘was a fact’.
EHDC’s current housing allocation has been met with the Lowsley Farm development at Griggs Green and no additional land is needed for future housing.
Mr Eastham stated Liphook would be the most obvious candidate for future housing allocations by the district council, because it has a railway station linking Portsmouth to London Waterloo.
He said: “The first port of call for more housing will be Liphook, a prime candidate, because it has a existing railway link.
“The NDP needs to address and prepare this to be aware of the potential consequences.”
Alternative places within the parish to grow are south and south east of the railway line, which present technical issues, because they are “the wrong side of the track” for access to the village centre.
He called for further input from EHDC on future housing needs, which at present are uncertain, and advised against allocating unnecessary land in specific areas in the NDP, but to wait and meet an identified demand instead.
He also called for an update on the traffic survey – the Atkins Study – which has been commissioned to get a clear picture of traffic issues in the parish and particularly in the centre of the village.
In addition, development in the south and south east would be more comprehensive if there was another primary school added, as well as better access to the village centre, which is difficult to achieve at present, including access to the bridge over the railway – and presents technical challenges.
Mr Eastham dismissed the possibility of including additional traffic and congestion in Liphook from the Bordon development in the neighbourhood development plan, stating it was not for the NDP to include cross-border issues - which are the responsibility of EHDC.
“The NDP cannot solve those problems,” he said.
He added that the three Vision and Design Forums last November successfully explored looking at practical scenarios in the parish in the future and claimed that after a good body of work was done, the second part of the NDP was pretty much ready.
There are seven policy themes for the NDP in place including traffic issues, access to schools, bus services, rail services, cars and parking in the centre of the village.
Community policies include a covered market hall, sale of fresh produce, provisions for elderly people, Liphook in Bloom, Liphook Carnival, sport and recreation at Bohunt, Liphook United, the Bowling and Tennis clubs, outdoor trails for DofE, an education centre and cycle routes.
Housing policies cover affordability, property sizes, well located developments, designs, high standards, heritage of design, rediscovery of Liphook Square, street furniture, the heritage of the parish with more emphasis on the Canadians and Flora Thompson, public services, healthcare, waste and clean energy, employment policies, as well as startups and entrepreneurship for people wanting to escape the rat race, targeting the commuter population, the educated work force to relocate closer to home and have housing developments with home offices.
There are 29 individual policy projects with seven policy headings including school schemes, land use and supporting projects, which are easier to get funded if they are included in the NDP.
The steering group now has to deliver the important vision statement for 2028 - which meets the vision that can be supported by the community.
The full interim report by Feria Urbanism is due to be published later this month on the Neighbourhood Development Plan site.
•For more information visit www.bramshottandliphookndp.uk