Agenda item

A report is attached presenting the outcomes of discussions between the Planning Committee System Task Group and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Strategic Asset Management regarding the Task Group’s final report. This was considered, but not endorsed, by Committee on 20 March 2018.

At its meeting on 20 March 2018 the Committee debate a report of the Planning Committee System Task Group, which had been established in June 2017. It was requested that the Task Group discuss its report with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Strategic Asset Management prior to final consideration by the Committee.

Councillor Ian McLennan, Chairman of the Task Group, presented the Final Report which detailed the 12 recommendations that had been resolved. Details of those discussions were detailed in the updated report. Some specific points noted included:

It was stated that the Task Group and the Cabinet Member had agreed that in relation recommendation 6 regarding the area planning committee structure, further scrutiny work was not appropriate at the present time until the outcome of the ongoing Electoral Review of Wiltshire Council by the Local Boundary Commission for England was concluded in respect of the overall Council size that would be in place in future.

In relation to recommendation 9, regarding councillors ‘calling-in’ applications providing detailed reasons at committee meetings, revised wording had been agreed with the Cabinet Member to recognise that it was not practical or fair to applicants to delay determination where such reasons were absent.

In relation to recommendation 11 the Task Group continued to recommend that pre-meeting briefings for all committee members as took place in some areas should cease in the interests of openness and transparency. However, the Cabinet Member believed that such briefings played a valuable role in updating committee members and did not support this recommendation.

The Committee then heard from Councillor Toby Sturgis, Cabinet Member for Planning and Strategic Asset Management, who thanked the Task Group for their work and confirmed he supported the recommendations proposed with the exception of recommendation 11.

The Committee discussed the report and the recommendations that had emerged, in particular debating the nature, extent and purpose of pre-meeting briefings at planning committees and whether these added to the quality of debate or gave the appearance of decisions being taken prior to the meetings, even though this was not the case. It was also raised whether such briefings could be public or whether there were situations where confidentiality was necessary.

A motion was moved not to endorse recommendation 11 by Councillor Matthew Dean, seconded by Councillor Jacqui Lay, with the details shown under the resolution.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was then,

Resolved

That the Committee:

a)    Notes the discussions held between the Task Group and the Cabinet Member for Planning and Strategic Property on 17 May 2018.

b)   With the exception of Recommendations 9 and 10(b) and 11, endorses the original recommendations presented in the Task Group’s Final Report (attached at Appendix 1) and refers them to the Cabinet Member where appropriate.

c)    Endorses Recommendations 9 and 10 b) as amended in the update report above and refers them to the Cabinet Member.

d)   Endorses a further recommendation that periodic training and briefings for planning committee members (accessible online and via Skype) be investigated, and refers this to the Cabinet Member.

e)    Resolves that the Planning Committee System Task Group has now concluded its work.

A recorded vote having been requested by the required number of councillors regarding the endorsement of recommendation 11, the votes cast were as follows:

For – not to endorse recommendation 11 (8)

Councillor Chuck Berry

Councillor Matthew Dean

Councillor Stewart Dobson

Councillor Howard Greenman

Councillor Alan Hill

Councillor David Jenkins

Councillor Jacqui Lay

Councillor Roy While

Against – to endorse recommendation 11 (3)

Councillor Jon Hubbard

Councillor Gordon King

Councillor John Walsh

Abstentions (1)

Councillor Graham Wright