TrustNews Mar 20

Planning Appraisal Group

We are very pleased that Graeme Stevenson has taken over from Mary Tiles as the chair of the Planning Appraisal Group. Graeme studied at Kingston School of Art and practiced as an architect in Winchester from 1980 until 2015, providing services to private and commercial clients in Hampshire and London. His projects ranged from residential schemes to office and regeneration developments, incorporating contemporary and traditional as appropriate to environmental and historic contexts, and he won three architectural awards. He has been an active member of the North East Hampshire Design Review Panel. Now retired, Graeme has retained his RIBA membership and continues to take an active interest in the evolving roles of architecture and planning and their impact upon the built environment. We are very fortunate to have him on board.

Once again we would like to thank our four volunteer review panels for continuing to carry out, despite the difficulties caused by the lockdown, their important work of reviewing the planning applications that are submitted to the City Council every month. If you have an interest in planning and development in Winchester and would be interested in joining a panel, please contact our secretary Tessa at secretary@cityofwinchestertrust.co.uk. The role involves an hour or so once a month.

Most applications involve small alterations and extensions to residences, but there are an increasing number of applications being submitted as permitted development, the rules on which are set by central government and so cannot be legally refused by City Council planners. This is of concern to the Trust, particularly as the Government is looking to expand what is allowed under permitted development. The Trust has recently responded to a Government consultation on this issue; you can find our response on our website - go to www.cityofwinchestertrustco.uk and then scroll down to the Latest News section.

Tessa Robertson