Project Teams and Major Planning Applications

Introduction

Havant Borough Council uses Project Teams to deal with major planning applications. They are normally set up at the pre-application stage and then continue through the determination period and thereafter if required.

• those applications defined as significant in the Statement Of Community Involvement (more than 50 dwellings, 5,000 square metres of employment floorspace, 2,500 square metres of retail floorspace and 1,000 square metres of leisure floorspace). [Please note; these definitions might change as the Local Development Framework process continues]
  
• other sites subject to site specific policies in the Development Plan or any other Local Development Framework document.

The membership of a project team

All Project Teams will normally be led by the Planning Development Service Manager who should be contacted at an early stage by an applicant or agent if development falling within the defined categories is being proposed.

• the core team that will comprise the Planning Development Service Manager, the case officer, an officer from Planning Policy, an officer from the Landscape team and urban design and a highways officers,
• the support team that will have a wider membership of internal and external consultees, any consultants employed by the Council and the community (Community Board and/or Residents Associations) with this membership reflecting the exact nature of the application or development proposed,
• the applicant and their representatives or professional agents.

The project planning process

The case officer will be responsible for deciding the membership of the support team and the frequency of meetings for both it and the core team and will arrange the meetings. They will also ensure the process is properly documented and action points followed up.