Issue - meetings

This report sets out a review of the current arrangements and sets out proposals for changing the deadline for the submission of representations in respect of planning applications prior to meetings of the Planning Committee.

Background:

The report set out a review of the current arrangements and set out proposals for changing the deadline for the submission of representations in respect of planning applications prior to meetings of the Planning Committee.

This report had initially been considered by the Planning Committee on 12 January 2022 and its comments were set out at section 7 to the report.

The Chairman of the Planning Committee, Councillor Mrs Diane Chambers, supported by the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Economic Growth and Regulation, Councillor Chitty, proposed the recommendations as set out in the report.

Decision:

The Council approved the changes to the Planning Code of Good Practice, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, with these changes to take effect starting with the Planning Committee scheduled to take place on 6 April 2022.

This report sets out a review of the current arrangements and sets out proposals for changing the deadline for the submission of representations in respect of planning applications prior to meetings of the Planning Committee.

Discussion:   

The Committee received a report setting out a review of the current arrangements for the deadline for the receipt of representations on planning applications and setting out proposals for changing the deadline prior to meetings of the Planning Committee.

The Head of Planning explained the rationale for the review and outlined the options available.

The Committee discussed the report and the preferred option was to change the existing arrangements for the receipt of representations so that where the statutory consultation period for a planning application had already expired, no representations would be accepted for consideration by the Committee unless they had been received within the Planning Service before 12 noon, 4 clear working days before the date of the Committee at which the application was to be considered. This would mean that no further representations would be accepted beyond this point (where the statutory consultation had already expired).

In selecting this option, the Committee was mindful of the current procedure which had operated for a number of years, but noted that in recent months, the level and complexity of representations received close to the current cut off time i.e. the day before the Committee, was placing considerable pressure on officers to read the representations and prepare a response for inclusion on the supplementary agenda advice sheet. This pressure would be alleviated with the revised cut of time and would also allow the supplementary agenda advice sheet to be circulated to Members well in advance of the date of the committee meeting.

The Committee noted that to change the cut off date for receipt of representations would constitute a change to the Planning Code of Good Practice, and would therefore require a recommendation to Full Council on 24 February 2022. During discussion, it was suggested that prior to recommending this to Council, officers review the wording to ensure that the reference to ‘4 clear working days’ could be easily understood by the public and that it be made clear that a Bank Holiday is not included as a working day.

It was also suggested that the Head of Planning review the wording of the statutory timescales as they are listed on the Planning Website.

Decision:

The Committee:

a)            agreed to recommend to Full Council on 24 February 2022 to approve the changes to the Planning Code of Good Practice as set out in Appendix 1 to the report with such changes to take effect starting with the Planning Committee scheduled to take place on 6 April 2022.

b)            requested that prior to recommending a) above to Full Council, officers review the wording to ensure that the reference to ‘4 clear working days’ can be easily understood by the public and that it be made clear that a Bank Holiday is not included as a working day.

c)            noted that the Head of Planning had agreed to review the wording of the statutory timescales as they are listed on the Planning Website