Analysis: Two CPC Committee meetings next week
There are two Parish Council Committee meetings next week: the Planning Committee and the Community Development Committee. Both have potentially important consequences for the future of Chilbolton. Here’s what to expect and why you may want to go along.
Planning Committee
When and where?
Monday 21 Jul 2025 at 6pm in the Village Hall
What are they discussing?
The Planning Committee have had a quiet time recently. Their last meeting was back at the beginning of June. In fact they have only had two new planning applications since the beginning of May.
On Monday though, they begin the process of drawing together the Parish Council’s response to Test Valley Borough Council’s newly published local plan to 2042. This plan allocates 65 homes to be built in Chilbolton over that period.
The Planning Committee also are tasked with drawing up a ‘precis’ of that local plan.
Why should I go along?
TVBC describes the building of 65 homes as a “community led development” which can only be progressed by a Parish Council. The land identified is the same plot as CPC promoted in a first, withdrawn pre-application, and the second pre-application currently being considered by TVBC planning officers.
This will be the first opportunity for residents to feed their views into the process. The meeting also offers the chance to ask questions of Parish Councillors who have been closely involved in making these plans.
Of course those same Councillors have the conundrum of how they represent the full range of villager’s views, including those who disagree with the development.
Community Development Committee
When and where?
Wednesday 23 Jul 2025 at 7pm in the Village Hall
What are they discussing?
At the time of writing, no agenda has yet been published for this meeting.
However, the fallout from the last Parish Council meeting means that there will be much for the CDC to consider.
The first order of business, one presumes, will be to elect a new Chair and Vice-Chair, after the dramatic resignation of Cllr David Hall at the Parish Council meeting. This followed a surprise move to change the CDC’s terms of reference.
Those changes have several notable effects:
- Focussing the CDC’s work on 25 homes specified by the planning pre-application submitted by the Parish Council, rather than the 20 homes in the Neighbourhood Development Plan
- Eliminating the consideration of any other sites around the Village.
- Including so-called “community assets” which would be part of TVBC’s proposed 65-home development
- Instead of managing relationships with landowners, developers and other third parties, CDC will merely make recommendations to the Parish Council
- Rather than offering Chilbolton residents a referendum or public vote, community approval would be sought by “via meaningful community engagement”
Why should I go along?
CDC members who attended the Parish Council meeting were notably upset when their terms of reference were so abruptly and significantly changed. If nothing else, it will be interesting to hear their views.
Already, with flyers being posted around the village, there appears to be a head of steam building around the Village. In particular, the removal of a referendum from the terms of reference is likely to create a deal of concern. This issue has been raised many times in previous village meetings, and always in the context of the Parish Council appearing keen to avoid any public vote.
The next Parish Council meeting isn’t until 1 Sep 2025. This CDC meeting, and the next, may provide villagers a valuable chance to air their views and ask questions before then.