Restructure at Rother leads to new planning role

Rother District Council has restructured its planning service, prompting the East Sussex authority to look to recruit a major applications and appeals manager.

Strategy and planning services manager Tim Hickling told Planning: “Development control used to be distinct from appeals services, with two separate teams. 

"It was felt original case officers became detached from the appeals process and we were losing their knowledge and understanding. 

“The reconnection needed to be made. This post is crucial in the enforcement and development management field as it connects those two areas.”

Hickling said Rother was seeing the biggest development in a generation around the seaside town of Bexhill, which was undergoing a link-road project with nearby Hastings.

“This has resulted in a swathe of land in Bexhill coming up for development. It being earmarked for 1,200 to 1,500 homes, commercial space and schools.”

The new post holder's workload will include dealing with major planning applications and preparing the council’s case on major appeals and managing the appeals workload throughout the development management section.

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