Agenda item

To receive and consider report 12/06 of the Strategic Director. 

Introduction and Report Summary

This report considers the implications of the Council being included on the list of Planning Standards Authorities for processing Major and Minor planning applications.  Historical and current performance for processing all planning applications are considered, and an Improvement Plan is proposed in relation to Major and Minor applications.

The Contact Officer for this report is Mike Gilbert, Development Control Manager, telephone (01235) 547681.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the proposed Improvement Plan and trajectory, as appended to this report, be agreed. 

(Time: 4.06pm to 4.35pm)

The Executive received and considered report 12/06 of the Strategic Director regarding the implications of the Council being included on the list of Planning Standards Authorities for processing major and minor planning applications.  The report considered historical and current performance for processing all planning applications and set out an improvement plan in relation to the processing of major and minor applications. 

At its meeting on 22 May 2006, the Development Control Committee had considered a similar report 04/06.  The Committee had recommended that the Executive agreed the Improvement Plan and Trajectory, but that the plan should be amended to include an additional bullet point in Action 4 specifying that all consultees should be urged to respond within the statutory deadlines.  The Committee had also requested that the plan should be updated before it was considered by the Executive to ensure it included revised deadlines for outstanding targets.  The Committee also recommended that measures were put in place to enable the monitoring of the processing of major applications to identify the reasons for delays. 

The Executive noted that the key to achieving and maintaining good performance would be maintaining sufficient staffing levels.  If there were short or long term absences through sickness or staff turnover, performance suffered.  Members agreed with the suggestion that consideration should be given to a fund being established from the Planning Delivery Grant award, to employ consultants in the event of a loss or absence of key personnel. 

With regard to planning objections raised by Town or Parish Councils, Members suggested that local Councils should receive advice on material planning considerations to better inform and target their objections.  The Deputy Director advised that this could be provided at the next annual Town and Parish Council planning evening.  Members also suggested that the standard letters sent out by Development Control officers should also include a list of material planning considerations.  Also, it was stressed that when a District Member asked for an application to be brought to the Committee for consideration, the Member should attend to explain their reasons for doing so.  Finally, it was suggested that a separate booklet might be produced on community leadership in planning, setting out how Members could exercise leadership without prejudicing their decision at committee meetings. 

RESOLVED

(a)        that the Improvement Plan and Trajectory be agreed, subject to the following amendments:

 (1)       the inclusion of an additional bullet point in Action 4 of the Improvement Plan specifying that all consultees are to be urged to respond within the statutory deadlines;

(2)        revised deadlines for outstanding targets;

(b)        that measures be put in place to monitor the processing of major applications to identify and understand the reasons for delays;

(c)        that it be acknowledged that the maintenance of full staffing levels in the Development Control Service Area is critical to good performance in determining major and minor planning applications and the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) be requested to bring forward proposals to help achieve this as part of his report on options for future spending of Planning Delivery Grant.