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Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Planning, Building Control, and Infrastructure
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
The future consideration of planning applications by the main Planning Committee.
Matter for
Decision
The Officer’s
report considered the issues inherent in moving to a single planning committee
dealing with development management and enforcement decisions in the City,
reverting to the way decisions were made prior to 2003. The report set out
advantages and disadvantages of this change. A transition period would be
necessary in the implementation of this change; 1 October 2014 was suggested as the start of any new
arrangements. There should be a review of the issues arising with the operation
of any new arrangement after 6 months.
Decision of
Executive Councillor for Planning Policy and Transport
Recommended to
Council:
i.
To rescind the delegation of powers to Area
Committees to determine planning applications and enforcement matters set out
in paragraph 11.3 of the terms of reference for Area Committees (section 11 of
Part 3 of the Constitution) to come into effect from 1 October 2014.
ii.
To delegate responsibility for determining those
applications and enforcement matters to the Planning Committee with effect from
1 October 2014.
iii.
To endorse the operating principles for the
Planning Committee set out in paragraph 3.10 of the Officer’s report and
adopting the approach set out in option 1 of the report.
iv.
To delegate authority to the Heads of Corporate
Strategy, Legal and Planning Services to make changes to the constitution,
committee operating arrangements, publications, procedures and any other
matters as necessary to secure the smooth implementation of this change, consulting
with the Executive Councillor, Chair and Vice Chair and opposition spokes of
Planning Committee as appropriate and necessary.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the Officer’s report.
Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny
Considerations
The Committee received a report from the Head of Planning Services.
The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:
Liberal Democrat Councillors
i.
Took issue with details in the Officer’s report,
and the justification for it.
ii.
Were not in favour of the principle of changing
consideration of planning applications from Area Committees to the Planning
Committee.
iii.
Ward Councillors were best placed to consider domestic
applications as they knew their local areas.
iv.
Councillors could act as advocates under the
current Planning/Area Committee system.
v.
Suggested more councillors could attend evening
than day time meetings.
vi.
Queried the impact of policy change on officer
delegations.
vii.
Referred to the Labour press release on
rejuvenating Area Committees and suggested this was not the best way.
viii.
Asked for a cost/benefit analysis of the proposal
to change consideration of planning applications.
Labour Councillors
i.
Were in favour of the principle of changing
consideration of planning applications from Area Committees to the Planning
Committee.
ii.
Suggested councillors would prefer to consider
planning application during business hours, and would make better decisions if
applications were not considered late at night.
iii.
Queried if members of the public could be given
guidance on how to present their case to committee (in a separate session)
whilst Councillors were given training/briefings pre-10:00 am meeting start.
iv.
The intention was to replace Area Committee
planning application sessions with ward specific community items.
The Committee resolved by 4 votes to 3 with 1 abstention to endorse the
recommendation.
The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation to adopt the approach
set out in option 1 of the Officer’s report.
Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor
(and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Publication date: 29/07/2014
Date of decision: 08/07/2014