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Medstead Parish Council is a statutory consultee on planning applications submitted to East Hants District Council within the Medstead Parish. Statutory consultees: are organisations and bodies, defined by statute, who must be consulted on relevant planning applications.
Medstead Parish Council has delegated its response to planning applications to its Planning Committee which meets monthly, either before the Full Council meeting or incorporated within the Full Council meeting, dependent on the number and complexity of applications that need addressing within each month. Councillors consider planning applications objectively with full regard to the Four Marks and Medstead Neighbourhood Plan, the EHDC Local Plan (Joint Core Strategy) and any other environmental, drainage, highway or other related factors or legislation.
Although councillors meet to agree planning application responses at its Planning Committee or Full Council meetings, councillors dedicate considerable time to doing preparatory work outside of meetings to make sure the decisions are the best when taking into account all considerations and take their role as statutory consultees very seriously and transparently. A councillor will withdraw from any discussions or recommendations on planning applications if they have any connection to the people or property concerned.
Whilst Medstead Parish Council has a statutory right to give its views on any planning application, the final decision lies with East Hants District Council Planning Department, and they do not have any obligation to comply with Medstead Parish Council's views.
Medstead Parishioners are welcome to attend any Planning Committee meeting and speak on any planning related issue at the beginning of the meeting for up to three minutes to share their views with councillors. They can also independently respond to any planning application within the consultation deadline on the EHDC Planning Portal,
Medstead Parish Councillor responses to recent planning applications will soon be available here.