Chapman Lily Planning is delighted to have secured outline planning permission for 31 apartments in Havant after a lengthy, but constructive, dialogue with the Local Planning Authority. The consented scheme involves the loss of a public house and the erection of a new three storey building on a 0.35ha site close to the town centre. Attention quickly focussed on the loss of the pub, judged to be a community facility is policy terms, as well as amenity considerations during the determination period. Fortuitously, Chapman Lily Planning had already secured a fall-back position for the public house using permitted development rights – albeit subsequent changes introduced by the Government mean that this will be one of the last schemes to have benefitted from such rights – and a compelling marketing and viability case was put forward. Brett Spiller commented: “The application site possessed constraints and opportunities in equal measure. Working in partnership with the developer and an experienced local architect, we were able to put forward a carefully conceived proposal and respond positively to any concerns. Ultimately we arrived at a scheme that was acceptable to all, without compromising on the quantum of development originally envisaged. This decision paves the way for the delivery of 31 much needed new homes in Havant that make best use of a brownfield site and afford future occupants easy access to the shops, services, employment, education and leisure opportunities.”