Issue - meetings

Item PE 22/5 referred from Planning and Transportation Advisory Board of 1 March 2022

Consideration of recommendations (PE 22/5) to the Cabinet from the meeting of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board of 1 March 2022.

The Cabinet resolved that:

(1)         the protocols at Annexes 1 and 2 be adopted for Development Management purposes, with final approval for any changes required to the documents before publication, or any minor changes required to keep the protocols up to date with legislation, be delegated to the Director for Planning, Housing and Environmental Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure; and

(2)         a report on arrangements for public speaking be presented to a future meeting of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board for further consideration.

Decision Notice: D220036CAB

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board meeting held on 1 March 2022 (PE 22/5).

RESOLVED: That

(1)        the protocols at Annexes 1 and 2 be adopted for Development Management purposes, with final approval for any changes required to the documents before publication, or any minor changes required to keep the protocols up to date with legislation, be delegated to the Director for Planning, Housing and Environmental Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure; and

(2)        a report on arrangements for public speaking be presented to a future meeting of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board for further consideration.

This report seeks Member endorsement for protocols relating to Member briefings on called in applications and officer site visits. It also makes recommendations to amend arrangements for public speaking at planning committee. The proposals in this report could, if agreed, result in some savings to support the Council’s medium term financial strategy.

The report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health sought Member endorsement for protocols relating to Member briefings on called in applications and officer site visits.  It also made recommendations to amend arrangements for public speaking at Planning Committee. 

Consideration was given to the proposed protocol for applications subject to Member call-in which would ensure that Members were briefed before an application reached the relevant planning committee to establish whether there were any key issues that required resolution; and to the proposed protocol for officer site visits which set out those occasions when a site visit would be undertaken and the considerations when making an assessment.  Members were asked to consider a change to the arrangements to limit public speaking and were provided information on the provisions of neighbouring authorities. 

RECOMMENDED: That

(1)        the protocols at Annexes 1 and 2 be adopted for Development Management purposes, subject to the addition of the provision to allow a ward member in an adjacent ward to that which the application site falls to be able to require that the application be determined by the relevant Area Planning Committee in line with the provisions set out in the protocol at Annex 1, with final approval for any changes required to the documents before publication, or any minor changes required to keep the protocols up to date with legislation, be delegated to the Director for Planning, Housing and Environmental Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure; and

(2)        a report on arrangements for public speaking be presented to a future meeting of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board for further consideration.

*Referred to Cabinet