The Selection and Member Services Committee of Kent County Council met on Tuesday 8 September 2026 to discuss proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference for the Planning Applications Committee and the development of the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board. The committee recommended to the County Council that the proposed amendments to the Planning Applications Committee's terms of reference, including its renaming to the Planning and Regulation Committee, be approved. They also endorsed the proposed future role, membership, and ways of working for the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board.

Planning Applications Committee Terms of Reference Proposed Revisions

The committee discussed proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference for the Planning Applications Committee, which are necessary to comply with new national regulations coming into effect on 31 October 2026. These regulations introduce a national scheme of delegation for planning decisions and limit committee sizes. The aim is to ensure greater clarity and consistency in planning decision-making, allowing committees to focus on key development proposals while more minor and technical decisions are made by planning officers.

Under the new regulations, planning applications will be divided into two schedules. Schedule 1 applications, such as discharge of conditions and non-material amendments, will be determined by officers. Schedule 2 applications will be determined by officers unless they meet specific statutory tests: either raising an important economic, social, or environmental issue of significance to the local area, or presenting a significant planning issue when assessed against the local plan and other planning considerations. For Kent County Council developments, an additional transparency and propriety test will be applied. A triage process is proposed to screen applications efficiently.

The report also noted that the Planning Applications Committee would take on the functions of the Regulation Committee, leading to a proposed renaming of the committee to the Planning and Regulation Committee. Furthermore, the regulations require the committee's membership to not exceed 13 members, a reduction from the current 15.

The committee recommended to the County Council that:

• The proposed amendments to the Planning Applications Committee's Terms of Reference be approved.
• The name of the Planning Applications Committee be amended to Planning and Regulation Committee.
• The proposed amendments to the Appendix to the Constitution, incorporating the new Planning Scheme of Delegation, be approved.

Development of the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board and Terms of Reference

The committee received an update on the evolving role and working of the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB). The HWB was established in 2013 to lead partnership efforts to improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities across Kent, informed by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and the Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS).

The report highlighted that the Department of Health and Social Care's Neighbourhood Health Framework places the HWB at the centre of developing a local Neighbourhood Health Plan. In light of enhanced responsibilities, the increasing recognition of local partners' roles in tackling wider determinants of health, and revised NHS architecture, changes to the HWB's Terms of Reference (ToR) and membership were proposed. These changes aim to better align with potential future Unitary Authority arrangements.

Key proposed changes include:

• Enhanced Role: The HWB will have a central leadership role in developing and overseeing the Neighbourhood Health Plan and Better Care Fund arrangements.
• Membership Adjustments: To reflect the strategic approach to wider determinants of health and the importance of local places, membership changes are proposed. This includes adding representatives from local Health Alliances, Chief Executives of local district/borough/city councils, and increasing the number of elected local members. The membership will also be revised to reflect changes in NHS organisation, with representatives from the Integrated Care Board and a GP representative replacing previous roles.
• Ways of Working: The review identified challenges such as stark health inequalities, the Board not being functional, and meetings being too formal. Opportunities include reimagining the HWB as a strategic partnership, focusing on inequalities and wider health determinants, and making meetings less formal with fewer papers to encourage discussion.

The committee endorsed the proposed future role, membership, and ways of working for the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board, as well as the proposed changes to its Terms of Reference. It was noted that any revisions would require formal approval and adoption by the Full County Council.