THE ALTON Society has taken its crusade against what it sees as the faulty planning system to the next level – publishing a 12-point plan for change in the town.

Inspired by a “community of ill-considered, unsympathetic and short-sighted developments”, capped by East Hampshire District Council’s decision in March to approve a “bland, extremely cramped” block of flats on the former magistrates’ court site, the society hopes its new plan will be a “springboard for action”.

It proposes several shifts to the local planning system, including Alton-specific policies, more planning meetings in Alton, improved public consultation, and a design review process.

The society describes its ‘Agenda for Change’ as a basis for working for positive change in the quality of major planning decisions.

Rod Eckles, chairman of the society’s built environment group, said: “Rather than just continuing to complain about such decisions our hope is that, if implemented, this set of objectives could greatly improve the outcomes on the sensitive and significant developments in or near Alton.”

The plan covers longer-term policy issues as well as the key issues of how local planning decisions are processed, and over the next year the society says it will be working to harness the “widest level of support, to achieve these positive changes”.

The plan, in summary, calls for:

* Adoption of good design principles, including better internal space standards.

* Alton-specific policies focusing on the town’s “unique character”, sense of place and historical context.

* To ensure all development mitigates against the impacts of climate change.

* To facilitate earlier intervention by the society in the planning process.

* A design review process for sensitive and significant applications.

* All sensitive and significant applications and significant amendments to them, to come to planning committee, with meetings held in Alton.

* All public consultations to be held at convenient times and locations.

* Sensitive and significant applications to include 3D modelling.

* To make site visits the norm for all sensitive and significant applications.

* Agendas and associated papers to be issued earlier than the current six working days.

* Applicants, Alton Town Council, and objectors to be allowed more than three minutes to present their case at council.

* The committee chairman should not feel obliged to agree with the officers’ recommendations.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

As well as publicising its plan in the Herald, the society is also distributing it to relevant councillors, and other bodies “as a springboard for further action”.