PLANNING WATCH – A NEW APPROACH

From the Society’s inception last century two of our constitutional objectives remain pertinent in the dramatically different planning scene we know today:

·       “Promotion of high standards of planning and architecture”, and

·       “Securing the preservation and protection of the natural and built environment”.

Those objectives have been the focus of the Planning sub-committee (PSC) under the very successful Chairmanship of Ron Snipp. Last year he expressed a wish to step down after many years representing our interests to the Borough Council (BDBC). We thank him for his indomitable campaigning spirit.

When considering how to move forward the Society’s committee (HSC) considered three significant changes dominate the planning scene for Highclere today :

·       The latest developments in Government policy which demand vast numbers of new houses but punish local councils when building companies won’t build what the government itself says the country needs, while at the same time reducing councils’ power in the planning process,

·       The withdrawal of government funding for Neighbourhood Plans (NPs) which give significant power to communities to contain speculative development, and

·       The recovery of Highclere Parish Council (PC) over the last eighteen months from close to being taken over by BDBC to a fully rostered and functioning body with significant planning expertise.

In this light HSC decided to seek an approach more closely aligned to the changed circumstances of planning in 2026.It was decided that the sub-Committee would be re-launched as “HS Planning Watch” with more specific Terms of Reference under a single Co-ordinator while retaining as far as possible current members of the PSC to support and/or deputise as necessary. Colin Wall was asked and agreed to take on the role of Planning Watch Co-ordinator.

The Terms of Reference of Planning Watch will be to :

·       identify aspects of actual and potential applications and developments which conflict with policies in the NPPF, the Local Plan (LP) or the emerging Neighbourhood Plan (NP),

·       advise members of such aspects, indicating the basis for potential objections and the process for submission,

·       advise members on broader planning issues arising from any of the above or from changes in national or local planning policy, and

·       liaise with the Parish Council to encourage and support their planning actions and provide a publicity channel when appropriate.

In every Newsletter there will be a list of applications, decisions and appeals that are new since the previous issue. The “Due” column is the date by which comments (expressions of objection or support) must be submitted. The list will have notes indicating the Planning Watch’s view of the item and whether the PC has or is likely to make an objection or offer support to that item.

Members wishing to comment to BDBC should register here after which they may add comments to any active application by clicking on the link in our table and going to the “Comments” tab to login and start their comment. Other comments will be visible in “Public comments” tab and plagiarism is OK.

For broader issues such as the new Local Plan consultation and its allocation for 500 houses at Oakley Farm in the North of the Parish a separate article or even a dedicated Newsletter will be published from time to time as appropriate.

We hope this new approach will give members better planning information and communication and we look forward to your ideas to make it as effective as possible.

We would love to get your feedback about any events, local news or Highclere Society activities. Please send us your thoughts in the below form and we will get back to you…