Test Valley expands to target neighbourhood planning

Test Valley Borough Council is looking to expand its planning team to tackle growth in neighbourhood planning.

Planning policy manager Graham Smith told Planning: “We are expanding because our new corporate plan stresses more community development.

“We are a rural borough and want faster and better engagement with communities and the new post will try and stimulate interest and act as a catalyst to encourage parishes to start the process.”

The council is looking to recruit a neighbourhood planning officer to add to a team that includes six planners.

“We recently adopted our local plan, so are looking at the next couple of years, taking a deep breath and starting to open the local plan process where neighbourhood planning has a greater role", said Smith. 

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