Issue - meetings

Item PE 18/18 referred from Planning and Transportation Advisory Board minutes of 13 November 2018

(Item PE 18/18 referred from Planning and Transportation Advisory Board minutes of 13 November 2018)

Consideration of recommendations to the Cabinet from the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board of 13 November 2018.

The Cabinet resolved that:

The recommendations of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board be approved as follows:

The Planning Enforcement Plan, as set out at Annex 1 to the report, be approved subject to a review of the issues surrounding expediency and consideration of any proposed changes.

Decision Notice D190016CAB

The report relates to the review of the adopted planning enforcement plan which provides a structure for the way the Service will deal with planning enforcement matters, in particular the various powers available to the Council in remedying breaches of control and how decisions will be taken to exercise such powers.

The report of the Director of Central Services and Monitoring Officer referred to the review of the adopted planning enforcement plan which provided a structure for the way in which the Planning Service would deal with planning enforcement matters, in particular the various powers available to the Council in remedying breaches of control and how decisions would be taken to exercise such powers.

An updated Planning Enforcement Plan was set out at Annex 1 to the report and a number of changes were highlighted including the expansion of delegated powers in respect of enforcement notices following the review of the Constitution, removal of reference to Area Teams, the way in which the Council would deal with unauthorised Traveller encampments and reflection of recent experience in seeking injunctive relief.

Members expressed concern and frustration at the number of breaches of planning control where it was deemed “not expedient” to take any further action and referred to the avoidance of fees and the opportunity to impose conditions on development if a retrospective application were required to be submitted.  The officers agreed to review the scope for amending the criteria for deciding which cases were categorised “not expedient”, given Government guidance and the need to avoid raising false expectations among the public.

RECOMMENDED:  That the Planning Enforcement Plan, as set out at Annex 1 to the report, be referred to the Cabinet for approval subject to a review of the issues surrounding expediency and consideration of any proposed changes.

*Referred to Cabinet