The Selection and Member Services Committee recommended approval for proposed revisions to the Planning Applications Committee's terms of reference, including a name change to the Planning and Regulation Committee. The committee also discussed proposed changes to the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board's terms of reference and membership.

Proposed Revisions to Planning Applications Committee Terms of Reference

The committee recommended to the County Council that proposed amendments to the Planning Applications Committee's terms of reference be approved. These revisions are necessary to comply with new national regulations, The Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which come into effect on 31 October 2026. The aim of these regulations is to ensure greater clarity and consistency in planning decision-making, allowing committees to focus on key development proposals while enabling planning officers to handle more minor and technical decisions.

Key changes include the introduction of a national scheme of delegation, dividing applications into two schedules: Schedule 1 for routine officer decisions and Schedule 2 for applications that may be determined by the committee, but only after a statutory gateway test has been met. This test is satisfied if the application raises an important economic, social, or environmental issue of significance to the local area, or 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.

Furthermore, the committee's functions will be expanded to include those of the Regulation Committee, leading to a proposed renaming of the committee to the Planning and Regulation Committee. The regulations also mandate a maximum committee size of 13 members, necessitating a reduction from the current 15. The proposed changes also incorporate a new planning scheme of delegation into the Appendix to the Constitution.

The committee also recommended that the proposed amendments to the Appendix to the Constitution, incorporating the new planning scheme of delegation, be approved. The report outlining these changes can be found in the Public reports pack.

Development of the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board

The committee discussed proposed changes to the terms of reference and membership of the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB). The report highlighted the evolving national and local context for HWBs, including their anticipated leadership role in developing and overseeing the Kent Neighbourhood Health Plan and Better Care Fund arrangements.

The review of the HWB identified challenges such as stark health inequalities across Kent, particularly in coastal communities, and a perception that the Board was not functional and had a unclear purpose. Opportunities were identified to reimagine and redesign the HWB as a strategic partnership to lead on inequalities and wider health determinants.

Proposed changes to the terms of reference aim to reflect the Board's enhanced role in leading the Neighbourhood Health Plan and managing the Better Care Fund. Membership changes are proposed to better reflect the strategic approach around the wider determinants of health and the importance of local places. This includes increasing representation from local Health Alliances and Chief Executives from district/borough/city councils to mirror planned Unitary boundaries. The number of local elected members on the Board is also proposed to increase. The committee endorsed these proposed changes, which will require formal approval by the Full County Council. The Public reports pack contains further details on these proposals.