Issue - meetings

Summary of Likely Applications to be Heard at Planning Committee.

The Committee received and noted a report summarising likely applications to be heard at Planning Committee.

The following matters were considered:

a)            Planning Rules. A Member asked if the applications listed for November Committee are likely to be heard at Committee or dealt with under officer delegation, once the new planning rules come into effect at the end of October. The Chair explained that applications that come, after the end of October, to Committee will need to go through a gateway test and be agreed by the nominated member and officer. The Chair explained that updates to the Constitution will set out who the nominated member and officer are and how planning will be dealt with under the new national regulations and framework.

b)            Member Applications. A Member asked if they submitted a planning application, would it come to Committee, under the new regulations. The Chair raised their opinion that it would be best practice for self-interest applications to still come to Committee. The Head of Development Management and Planning Enforcement echoed the Chair’s comments and explained it would be up to the nominated ‘gatekeepers’ to decide and a pragmatic approach would be taken.