Bournemouth to be divided across two Planning Committees.
BCP Council has created a 2nd Planning Committee, dividing Bournemouth in half. Bournemouth West will join Poole and Bournemouth East will join Christchurch, at a cost of almost £100K.
What is the issue
- There isn't one other than the time it takes for BCP Council to process planning applications, which won't change as the majority of planning applications are straightforward and processed by planning officers under delegated powers.
Why this is unnecessary
- King's Park Plant Nursery, a thriving community asset, has been closed, because BCP Council say they can't afford its small subsidy and have a gap in funding, but they have found money to create another committee and money to roll out 20 mph zones across the conurbation.
- Similarly, the Paddling Pools in Redhill Parks being closed for the same reason, as is our flagship tourism event, Bournemouth Air Festival. This £100k could be better spent on the community.
- Very few applications need to go before the Planning Committee. There are often only a handful of applications on the agenda. There was no committee in December 2023 because it had no business.
- The leader has announced that she wants more items to go to the new committees, which will not only exacerbate the current delays and time taken to obtain a planning permission, but could actually increase the cost of this new committee even more.
- BCP Council was created to reduce costs and give better value for money by cutting duplication, increasing economies of scale and improving efficiency by simplifying Council structures, in order to protect front line services. This is heading in the wrong direction.
Get involved
- You can write to your local councillor to let them know that you don't agree with the decision.
Find your ward councillor here
- You can sign the petition to save King's Park Nursery below.