Planning Strategy

Introduction

Planning is an emotional subject in a semi-rural environment such as Hurst.  The Society’s remit of “preserving the village’s rural character”, means that the committee will tend to oppose planning applications that threaten that character, mainly applications in the green spaces of Hurst. 

The role of the Committee on Planning is outlined below.  Broadly its role is twofold: 

  1. It will write to the Planning Authorities opposing relevant Planning Applications, where consultation with members requires that it does so 
  2. It will actively support and facilitate agreed communications to the Society’s members from group(s) opposing that application, so that such group(s) can suggest the detailed arguments for opposing 

The Society will not get directly involved outside this remit.  However, for borderline cases, outside the Society’s remit, the Committee will consider supporting villagers by passing an agreed summary of their views to the membership e-mail list. 

Operational strategy for Planning 

For each significant planning application in Hurst, which could be thought to adversely affect the rural nature of the village, the Society will: 

  • Solicit views from its members and the broader Hurst community, both for and against
  • Decide, after taking members’ comments into account, on a course of action by the committee, which could be:
    • Objecting to the application should it threaten the village’s rural character
    • Abstaining from commenting 

Action on Planning 

Where the Society objects to an application, actions to be taken will include 

  • Making representations to the Planning Authority and the Parish Council. 
  • Encouraging members to make their own representations 
  • Providing access to members by groups who oppose the application 
  • Where necessary, supporting members and others in the community to raise funds to fight the application.

Notes 

  1. All villagers and interested parties are encouraged to support or object to a planning application directly to the Planning Authority.
  2. Committee members must declare any conflict of interest and are excluded from all relevant discussions and decisions on the Society’s behalf where such conflicts exist, although they remain free to comment as individuals.
  3. The Society aims to provide a reference place on its website for people to see all planning applications in the village.