Selling land or property in Ringwood
Ringwood is outside the New Forest National Park, so New Forest District Council decides planning in the town, but land just outside it can be inside the Park, where the National Park Authority decides. New homes here also need New Forest recreational mitigation and, in the River Avon catchment, phosphate mitigation. We built a new bungalow on a severed plot at St Leonards, near Ringwood.
- Council
- New Forest District Council
- Planning applications
- Search the council's planning register
- Pre-application advice
- The council's pre-app service
- Talk to Summit
- 01202 836 215
Which council decides
New Forest District Council is the planning authority for Ringwood itself, using its Local Plan 2016–2036 Part One (adopted 2020). The council is preparing a new plan to 2043, with consultation on the final draft planned for late 2026 and examination expected in 2027; Ringwood is one of the towns where growth options are being tested. Land inside the New Forest National Park boundary, which comes close to the town, is decided by the New Forest National Park Authority under its own local plan.
Sources: New Forest District Local Plan (New Forest District Council) · NFDC Local Plan review update, March 2026 (New Forest Consultative Panel) · New Forest National Park Local Plan (New Forest National Park Authority)
Habitat mitigation
New homes in the district pay towards mitigating recreational pressure on the New Forest's protected sites, under the council's mitigation strategy. Some parts of the district also need nutrient mitigation: areas draining to the River Avon for phosphorus, and areas draining to the Solent for nitrogen. The council maps which areas are affected. Both affect the economics of small sites, so we include them in our assessment.
Sources: Development affecting European nature conservation sites (New Forest District Council) · Nutrient neutral development (New Forest District Council)
Conservation, flooding and Green Belt
Ringwood's historic centre is a conservation area. The River Avon runs along the west of the town, so we check the flood map for every site. Some countryside in the district is Green Belt, where new building is tightly controlled.
Sources: Conservation areas (New Forest District Council) · Flood map for planning (GOV.UK)
Selling in Ringwood: common questions
Is Ringwood in the New Forest National Park?
The town isn't, so New Forest District Council decides planning there. Land just outside the town can be inside the National Park, where the National Park Authority decides.
What extra costs apply to new homes in Ringwood?
Typically New Forest recreational mitigation contributions and the Community Infrastructure Levy, plus nutrient mitigation where the site drains to a protected river. The council publishes current amounts.
Have you built near Ringwood?
Yes. At St Leonards we built a bungalow on a plot severed from an existing house, completed in spring 2020.
Nearby areas and services
Sources
- New Forest District Council
- New Forest District Local Plan (New Forest District Council)
- NFDC Local Plan review update, March 2026 (New Forest Consultative Panel)
- New Forest National Park Local Plan (New Forest National Park Authority)
- Development affecting European nature conservation sites (New Forest District Council)
- Nutrient neutral development (New Forest District Council)
- Conservation areas (New Forest District Council)
- Flood map for planning (GOV.UK)
Planning rules change. These links were checked when this page was last updated; your council's website has the current position.
Land or property in Ringwood?
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