The Committee is constituted to represent Odiham Parish Council in all planning and development matters referred to Odiham Parish Council by the Local, and other Planning Authorities. The Planning & Development Committee meets every three weeks to ensure all applications can be considered to meet Hart District Council timescales. The current Chair is Cllr Pam Verdon
Following the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council on Tuesday, 17 May it was resolved that the format for Planning Committee meetings would change due to the altered time constraints for the submission of statutory comments and availability of Councillors. From June 2022 Committee Members will draw up a list of proposed responses on Zoom which will be ratified by full Council at the meeting. It may also be necessary sometimes to decide such comments by email when the due date comes before our next scheduled meeting. The Clerk has delegated statutory authority to submit the comments on behalf of Councillors. Meetings will be held by Zoom and the joining details will be published with the agenda as in Covid times. The formal ratification of the statutory comments will be agreed at the next full Council meeting.
- The Committee holds delegated authority from Odiham Parish Council as defined under item 3 (d) of the Council’s Standing Orders.
- All serving Councillors may request to be appointed to the Committee.
- The Council will appoint a Chair of the Planning and Development Committee at the Annual Meeting of the Council and may elect a Vice Chair as per Standing Order no 3 (e) (vi).
- The Committee will be quorate in accordance with the Council’s Standing Order 1 (w) and meetings will normally be held in line with the published Parish Council meeting timetable.
- In the case of responses to planning applications, the Committee may exceptionally, if necessary for timing reasons, agree its response by email, subject to the normal quorum.
- Planning applications shall be circulated, normally by e-mail, to all Committee members as soon as possible after receipt by the Administrator from the Planning Authority.
- At least 48 hours before any committee meeting, members of the planning committee will normally circulate to each other their comments on applications on the agenda.
- If three councillors consider an application to be of great importance to the parish, they may ask the Committee for a deferral to pass the decision either to the next Full Council Meeting, or if a time regulated decision is required, arrange for an extraordinary meeting to be called.
- The Committee has an obligation to ensure that all comments available to it in reasonable time prior to the meeting, from all relevant parties, applicants and objectors, for planning applications (not including enforcement notices) are considered at the meeting.
- The Committee allows members of the public to address the committee on planning applications under consideration by prior agreement with the Administrator or the Chair (or in the Chair’s absence the Vice Chair) of the Committee. One member of the public may speak for 3 minutes in support of and one for 3 minutes against each application.
- Responses – the Administrator will submit the Committee’s recommendations to the Planning Authority, or other relevant body and will ensure that communications arrive within the timescale required by the Planning Authority. Such comment will also be copied to the appropriate District or County Council member.
Where an application is subject to an appeal, the Committee is authorised to make written representation or to elect a member or members of the Committee to attend the hearing or inquiry to present the council’s views to the Planning Inspector. - The Committee may nominate a representative from the Committee to attend the Planning Authority’s planning meetings to represent the Committee’s views in respect of planning applications.
- All external correspondence should be conducted through, or at least copied to the Administrator.
- The Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of any documents and records necessary for the effective fulfilment of its duties as listed above. These should be made known to members joining the Committee for the first time.
- The committee will commit to engage in public with residents and developers for preapplication consultation as far as is reasonably practical.