Issue - decisions

Matter for Decision:

The Officer’s report set out the processes by which decisions on neighbourhood planning and development briefs will be taken by area committees from 1 April 2012, and sought Executive Councillor approval to adopt these processes. A separate report considering related processes, but affecting non-planning matters; was considered by Community Services Scrutiny Committee on 12 January 2012.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport:

This item was deferred to a future meeting.

 

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 regarding the Devolving Decisions on Neighbourhood Planning Briefs.

 

The Head of Planning Services advised Councillors of a change to the recommendations and Appendix A in the Officer’s report.

 

Previous recommendations:

 

The Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport is recommended to:

(i)                Note the proposed process for devolving decision making on area specific planning and development briefs.

(ii)              Adopt these processes and devolve decision making to area committees.

(iii)            Request that the Council’s constitution be amended to reflect devolvement of the decision making to the relevant area committee, with the recommendation made to the Executive Councillor who will attend the relevant Area Committee to take the decision.

 

New recommendations text:

 

The Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport and the Environment Scrutiny Committee are recommended to:

 

(i)                Approve the Principles for involving Area Committees in Decisions on Planning and Development briefs set out in Appendix A of the Officer’s report.

(ii)              Request that the Council’s constitution be amended to reflect Appendix A.

 

New Appendix A text:

 

Appendix A: Principles for involving Area Committees in Decisions on Planning and Development briefs

 

With effect from April 2012:

 

·        New planning and development briefs (including Supplementary Planning Documents and planning guidance) on non-strategic sites within the City boundary (but not within the Cambridge Fringe sites), whether produced by Planning Services or by a developers agent under the editorial control of Planning Services shall be referred to the relevant area committee for  agreement prior to consultation, and prior to final adoption by the Executive Councillor, in place of current pre-scrutiny arrangements, other than:

o      Where cross boundary proposals are involved; the default pre-scrutiny process will be Development Plan Scrutiny Sub-Committee)

·        Any Neighbourhood Planning proposals which may be promoted under the provisions of the Localism Act will need to be considered by Development Plan Scrutiny Sub-Committee because of their relationship with emerging policy development through the review of the Cambridge Local Plan.

 

In response to Member’s questions the Executive Councillor for Planning and Sustainable Transport plus Head of Planning Services confirmed the following:

 

(i)                The purpose of the document was to transfer scrutiny functions to Area Committees so that an Executive Councillor sitting at an Area Committee could take them. The intention was to move area committee debate items (such as developer briefings) from the Environment Scrutiny Committee agenda to area committee’s. Area committees would not be able to commission work.

(ii)              The Local Plan would provide an overarching strategy document.

(iii)            The Development Plan Scrutiny Sub committee would co-ordinate cross-area committee work such as transport initiatives.

 

Councillor Tunnacliffe formally proposed to defer a decision on the amended recommendations to a future Environment Scrutiny Committee.

 

The committee resolved by 7 votes to 0 defer a decision on the amended recommendations to a future Environment Scrutiny Committee.

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

Not applicable.