A ‘HIGHLY constructive’ meeting has been held between Christchurch Town Council and BCP Council’s Director of Planning and Transport.

The meeting was held with the aim to ‘enhance the collaboration’ between the town council and BCP Council when it comes to making decisions on planning applications.

Cllr David Jones shared details of the meeting to Christchurch Town Council’s planning and regulatory committee on July 16.

He highlighted BCP Council’s ‘appreciation for the local knowledge and expertise the town council contributes to planning applications’, and encouraged members to review more applications, offer comments, suggest conditions, and support applications they agree with.

The committee then discussed its current practice, which is only reviewing planning applications called in by councillors rather than all applications registered weekly.

It was noted that applications are generally called in to raise objections.

However, it was agreed that the committee should consider a 'broader range of applications' and provide more feedback, both positive and negative, to BCP Council.

It was also discussed that members who are not part of the planning and regulatory committee should be encouraged to call in applications from their wards or those impacting their wards.