A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E
l PLANNING
AT H O R S H A M D I S T R I C T C O U N C I L
Horsham builds a new generation of planners When Horsham District Council set out on a new strategic plan, it led to a new look at its planning strategy. The result is a comprehensive and imaginative way forward for the community and an exciting environment for its visionary planning team. The Horsham District Planning Framework will include a target for Horsham to create 750 homes a year. In addition, the development management teams handle 2,500 planning applications a year, ranging from standard residential projects through to large urban extensions. The district covers both urban and rural areas, so the planning department’s work includes a rich mix spanning housing and retail, agriculture, commercial and infrastructure. In recent years the council has been through a phase of upheaval that resulted in a reliance on agency team members who lacked in-depth knowledge of the district, resulting in a fall in customer satisfaction and staffing concerns. To address these issues, last August the council appointed Dr Chris Lyons to the new role of director in charge of the combined services of Planning, Economic Development and Property – a service shaped to create a high-quality, agile and responsive department. Helen Sissons Aidan Thatcher has a career in both public and private sectors, latterly at Brighton & Hove City Council. He joined Horsham in an interim role several months ago to lead one of the
development management teams. He has now been promoted to development manager in a permanent role. He says:“Since Chris’s appointment, a great deal has been done to stabilise and improve the structure of the team. Contract and interim staff have been gradually phased out to bring in a new structure of permanent, highly engaged, customerfocused planning specialists.” The strategy is to create planning experts with a broad knowledge of every facet of planning. This helps the team to deliver a more consistent service to customers, but it also gives team members more variety, broadening their expertise and enhancing their CVs.
Helen Sissons
“I have gained a far better insight and become a more valuable resource”
Helen Sissons MRTPI, Senior Planning Compliance Officer, is a perfect example of the council’s commitment to provide an outstanding career environment. Helen was originally with Horsham, but left to join a neighbouring authority. She rejoined Horsham two years ago to expand her knowledge of enforcement and other aspects of planning. Helen has since worked across all areas including development management, planning compliance and strategic planning, gaining a higher profile and a much broader expertise of the wider work of the council. “As a result of the additional exposure I received across all elements of our planning work, I have gained a far better insight and become a more valuable resource to the department. This is being replicated among my colleagues, allowing the department to keep on improving.” As well as having a new management structure in place, with an inspiring vision and lots of motivation to drive the department forward, the council has also brought planning salaries up to date to compete favourably in the current market. The team recently
Aidan Thatcher
“A great deal has been done to stabilise and improve the structure of the team” moved into new offices in the centre of Horsham, which the district council shares with West Sussex County Council. These are modern, open-plan offices and the culture is equally progressive. Each team member has wireless access to log on to the network at home or in the field, giving ultimate flexibility on time and task management. The council also supports career and work development and a good work/life balance. Horsham is a heritage-rich place and is consistently listed in the top 10 places to live and work in the UK. All that was good about Horsham 10 years ago still applies, and its future looks even better.
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