Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 38/06 of the Strategic Director. 

Introduction and Report Summary

On 5 May the Executive was advised of the details of the 2006/7 Planning Delivery Grant (PDG) awarded to the Council, by the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) as announced on 30 March.  A further report was promised to bring forward spending proposals following discussion with the Executive’s Planning Portfolio Holder.  These discussions have now taken place and this report provides a brief overview of the current PDG position and puts forward proposals which would commit the remaining uncommitted grant.  Delegated authority is sought for the Deputy Director (Planning & Community Strategy) in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder, to take forward and implement the proposals.

The Contact Officer for this report is Rodger Hood (Deputy Director, Planning & Community Strategy) (01235 540340).

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended to:

consider and endorse the proposals for planning delivery grant spending as set out in this report;

delegate authority to the Deputy Director (Planning & Community Strategy) in consultation with the Planning Portfolio holder to take forward and implement the proposals ensuring that spending remains within the available budget.  

(Time: 4.10pm to 4.37pm)

The Executive received and considered report 38/06 of the Strategic Directorregarding the Planning Delivery Grant.  On 30 March 2006, details of the 2006/07 Planning Delivery Grant award were announced to the Council.  Discussions had taken place with the Executive’s Planning Portfolio Holder to bring forward spending proposals.  The report put forward proposals to commit the remaining uncommitted grant.  Delegated authority was sought for the Deputy Director (Planning & Community Strategy) in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder, to take forward and implement the proposals.  It was noted that firm quotations had to be obtained for each.  The spending proposals were:

·         Establishment of a staff contingency fund to ensure that the service's staffing levels could be maintained and the impacts of staff turnover and absences on performance were minimised

·         Extension of the Enforcement Monitoring Officer's contract for a further two years

·         Market premia payments to planning officer posts

·         Production of a new Vale design guide

·         Funding of a tree preservation order review

·         Electronic capture of planning application records currently held as microfiche

·         Purchase of new digital cameras for committee presentations and site visit recording

·         Purchase of new database for managing Local Development Framework consultation

·         Purchase of system to provide an electronic link between the Local Plan 2011 proposals map and Local Plan policies, using a postcode or street search facility

·         Transfer of EnglishHeritageListedBuilding data into the Planning Service's Uniform system

·         Update the Ordnance Survey map base held in the service's Uniform system

Members supported the proposals but requested that the officers liaised with the Council's ICT staff over compatibility of the planned computer systems with the Council's emerging ICT Strategy.  Members also suggested that consideration should be given to acquiring some ecology expertise.  The Deputy Director said that additional funds would be required for this.  Members also welcomed the planned updating of the Ordnance Survey maps and the planned publication of a design guide. 

Members noted that although the Planning Delivery Grant was not ring-fenced to planning alone, the purpose of the grant was to improve planning performance.  Once the Government Office for the South East's targets had been met, consideration could be given to targeting some of the grant to other services. 

RESOLVED

(a)        that the proposals for planning delivery grant spending, as set out in report 38/06, be endorsed;

(b)        that authority be delegated to the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder to take forward and implement the proposals, ensuring that spending remains within the available budget.