MORE than 20 developers or property owners in the Test Valley could have planning permission taken away from their projects as the Borough Council battles to meet Government targets.

Members of the Borough's Southern area planning committee heard last week that the council had received a letter in January from Housing and Planning Minister Keith Hill.

An officers' report considered by the committee revealed that the minister was "expressing serious concerns about our performance in that we have been designated as poor performers against the targets for the fourth year in succession, based on performances to the end of June 2004."

It added that Mr Hill had asked Government officials to meet the Borough's chief executive, Roger Tetsall, and head of planning, Madalene Winter, and that he would want to meet council leader, Ian Carr, this summer "if his officials are not satisfied with progress."

"If it is still unsatisfactory by January 2006, he will decide whether to institute formal intervention," the report added.

As a result of the warnings the committee accepted that a list of applications, which were more than eight months old and had not had their agreements finalised should be disposed off - or lose their permissions - if not settled by March 24th.

In the cases of a further six, where the head of planning had been authorised to grant permission subject to legal agreement, the committee agreed to delegate her to refuse permission.

The council, which had 75 applications still hanging on unsettled legal agreements in January. Government targets dictate that it has to settle 80 per cent of the minor applications (such as extensions and conservatories) within eight weeks. Sixty-five per cent of the slightly bigger applications have to be finalised in eight weeks and 60 per cent of major applications within 13 weeks.

And because of the Government's demands, Mrs Winter said that in future the council would have to take a firmer stance in asking for agreements to be reached before permission was granted.

The six which will be refused if not settled by March 24th are: Mill Yard, Nursling (industrial site redevelopment -traffic issues); Rownhams Road, North Baddesley (pair of semi-detached houses - parking contributions); Banning Street, Romsey (refurbish Bricklayer's Arms and five houses - parking contributions); Abbeyfield House, Romsey (two-storey extension - amenity space); Bournemouth Road, Chandler's Ford (office building - transport plan agreement; Rownhams Road, North Baddesley (detached house - transport contributions).