The Procedures Committee of Aberdeenshire Council met on Friday 4 September 2026 to discuss proposed changes to the Council's Scheme of Governance, including reviews of Area Committee powers, officer delegations, and planning delegations. The committee also reviewed the Programme of Work and considered updates to the Pre-Determination Hearing Procedures.

Annual Review of Scheme of Governance

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the Annual Review of the Scheme of Governance. This review aimed to identify areas for further consideration and potential amendments to the council's governing procedures. The report presented to the committee outlined several areas for discussion, including:

• Area Committee Powers: A review was proposed for Area Committee powers related to Economic Development, Community Councils, and Community Planning. This would involve ensuring clarity and alignment with current operational practices, grant-making, and the terminology used for Community Place Plans.
• Officer Powers: The review also covered officer powers across various directorates. This included examining Area Manager powers for Community Council complaints, the management of external funds, intellectual property management by the Head of Customer and Digital Services, the Head of Finance's power to write off debts, and powers related to Developer Obligations funds held by the Head of Legal and People. Additionally, the powers of the Head of Housing and Building Standards concerning the Housing Revenue Account were to be reviewed for clarity.
• Planning Delegations: The committee was asked to consider reviews of planning delegations for major and national energy applications, the treatment of consultation responses within the planning delegation framework, and the governance arrangements for planning policy development. The aim was to ensure these processes are proportionate, efficient, and clear.
• Financial Regulations: A review of the Financial Regulations was proposed to align them with any revised approach to managing external funds, ensuring clear financial governance.
• Guidance: The Policy Development and Review Framework was to be reviewed to better embed the council's place-based approach into policy development and decision-making. A review of the Glossary of Terms was also suggested to ensure consistency with the Community Planning Partnership governance framework.

The committee was recommended to consider and comment on these proposed areas for review, with detailed proposals to be developed and reported back at a future meeting.

Programme of Work

The committee was presented with an update on the Programme of Work, outlining ongoing and requested tasks and indicating when reports are likely to be presented. This report supported the council's priorities by ensuring strong governance was embedded within its operations.

Pre-Determination Hearing Procedures

The meeting also included a review of the Council's Pre-Determination Hearing Procedures. These hearings are used for National Developments and Major Developments that represent significant departures from the Development Plan, allowing applicants and those who have made representations to be heard before a decision is made. The review aimed to ensure these procedures remain clear, fair, legally robust, and consistent with current legislation and Scottish Government guidance.

Areas identified for consideration included the invitation process, the requirement for speakers to request to speak, the role of planning officers, the record produced after a hearing, and the distinction between prescribed and discretionary hearings. Benchmarking against other Scottish planning authorities, such as Highland Council and the City of Edinburgh Council, was undertaken to inform this review. Officer feedback indicated that while the current process is somewhat effective, there are areas for improvement, particularly concerning scheduling, member availability, managing high numbers of speakers, and the clarity of roles in virtual or hybrid hearings.

The committee was recommended to consider and comment on the proposed areas for review, with further engagement with elected members to follow before detailed proposals are developed.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members were reminded of their legal duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity; and foster good relations between those who share protected characteristics and those who do not. They were also reminded to consider the contents of any Integrated Impact Assessment provided when reaching decisions.