Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Head of Planning.

The committee received and considered a report of the Head of Planning, which provided an overview of the 5-year planning convergence and transformation programme, designed to help shape and support the restructure of planning following the transitional arrangements put in place as part of Local Government Reorganisation.

For openness and for the public record, a number of councillors stated that they were members of planning committees as follows; Cllr S Bartlett – Strategic and Technical Planning Committee, Eastern Area Planning Committee and Local Plan Executive Advisory Panel; Cllr J Andrews - Northern Area Planning Committee; Cllr B Heatley - Northern Area Planning Committee; Cllr D Tooke – Strategic and Technical Planning Committee, Eastern Area Planning Committee and involvement with planning at parish council level.

Councillors considered the issues arising from the report and during discussion the following areas were covered:

·       The importance of appropriate communications with residents, councillors and town and parish councils relating to enforcement activities

·       Opportunities for improvements to reporting from bringing together systems

·       A discussion on progress with the emerging Local Plan, the status of former councils’ legacy plans and awaited Government guidance. It was noted that there was a need to progress at pace whilst taking into account consultation responses and new legislation and guidance

·       Resourcing issues including reducing the dependency on use of agency staff and opportunities for apprenticeships. Resilience had been built across teams and this was supported by the new systems in place

·       Detail of the service-wide change group put in place to build a one-team approach and wider engagement taking place, including with external partners

·       Further information could be provided on the uptake of pre-application advice. This could be monitored through the performance dashboard

·       Timescales for the audit work related to planning enforcement and the potential role for the committee for review in this area

·       Budget available for the convergence and transformation programme.

At the conclusion of the discussion, a summary of key points arising was provided and further action points noted as follows:

·       It was noted that there were opportunities for improved reporting from bringing planning systems together

·       There was a need to continue to improve key communications around enforcement for residents, councillors and town and parish councils

·       Further information to be provided to committee members on uptake of pre-application advice. The committee could continue to monitor uptake through the performance dashboard

·       There was a future role for councillors in the work towards the review of the enforcement policy and a request for a regular report to the scrutiny committee in relation to enforcement issues

·       Information to be provided to all councillors as part of the post-election induction programme on progress with the emerging local plan and status of legacy plans and the alignment with the national planning policy framework. In addition, a briefing note to be provided to the committee.

The Chairman thanked the planning team for their work undertaken in this area.