Content

Consideration was given to the recommendations
of the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee in respect of
the Borough Council’s planning service following a review by
the Planning Advisory Service.
 
Due regard was given to the views of the
Committee, the financial and value for money considerations, the
legal implications and the assessment of risk. Cabinet welcomed the
views of the Planning Advisory Service and wider Members. In
recognition of rebuilding member-officer relationships and
improving engagement and communication 
Cabinet supported the Scrutiny Select Committee recommendation to
amend R3 and R5 of the Action Plan (attached at Annex 3) to
include:
 
(i)             
Area Planning Chairs and Vice-Chairs; and
(ii)            
The Cabinet Member for Planning and the Chair of the Housing and
Planning Scrutiny Select Committee respectively.
 
Cabinet proposed some further amendments to
the recommendations of the Scrutiny Select Committee that were
unanimously supported:
 
(iii)          
R3 and DM11 of the Action Plan to be amended to include a design
workshop session;
(iv)          
In order to monitor progress being made on delivering priorities,
Recommendation (4) be amended to report progress on the Action Plan
to all meetings of the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select
Committee; and
(v)            
To improve efficiency in determining planning applications a review
of the current process around adjournments at Area Planning
Committees be undertaken.
 
Cllr Boughton proposed, Cllr Mehmet seconded
and Cabinet
 
RESOLVED: 
That
 

(1)            
the contents of the Planning Advisory Service Review
report, including the recommendations for action, be
noted;
 

(2)            
subject to the amendments set out at (i) (ii) and
(iii) above, the proposed Action Plan (Annex 3) for delivering on
the Planning Advisory Service Review recommendations be endorsed
and adopted;
 

(3)            
the proposed timescales in the Action Plan be noted
and approved;  
 

(4)            
an update on progress on the Action Plan be reported
as a standing item on future Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select
Committee agendas; and
 

(5)            
a review into the adjournment of applications at
Area Planning Committees, in accordance with Committee Procedure
Rule 15.24, be undertaken to explore if the current process could
be streamlined.