Bexhill Alliance

Mr Hickling set the scene by outlining planning legislation and policy documents that local councils follow.

The Planning department of RDC has five divisions – building control, planning strategy, enforcement, development control and administration.

The biggest is development control which is responsible for dealing with planning applications made by residential and house and business owners.

Generally planning decisions have to be taken in accordance with the local development plan thus enabling some 90% of decisions to be taken by planning officers, with only 10% being decided by the planning committee.

The Building control division ensures that building work meets the standards of the building regulations whilst the enforcement division follows up complaints about work that has not been carried out in accordance with the planning consent or without planning approval at all.

The planning strategy and environment division is responsible for the Local Development Plan, strategic planning, conservation areas and tree preservation and the last division, Administration, provides the computer services that support the planning process and provides online public access planning applications.

Mr Hickling concluded his talk by describing the council’s ‘Sense of Place’ initiative which brings together the enforcement staff of the planning, amenities and environmental department to reduce the impact of ‘eyesores’, be it rubbish, dilapidated premises or illegal activities. Marked improvements had been made said Mr Hickling.

In the question and answer session that followed much attention focused on section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which allows councils to require property owners to make good any dilapidations in their property.

Alliance members observed that much use had been made of this by Hastings Borough Council and queried its use by RDC. In reply Mr Hickling said that it had been used but the council needed to act cautiously to avoid being liable for compensation if the magistrates did not uphold their action.

This last seminar in the series will be on council finances and will take place at Parkhurst Hall on 13th October at 7pm. The seminar is open to members and their guests. For more information call 01424 213066 or visit www.bexhillalliance.co.uk.