To receive the draft Executive response to the task and finish group report on development management (planning).

The report of the task and finish group on development management (planning) had been considered at the committee meeting on 10 June 2015 (minute 9 refers).  The Chairman drew attention to the draft Executive response to the group’s recommendations detailed within Appendix A to this item.

Invited to express his views on the response, the group chairman noted that the majority of the recommendations had been accepted, demonstrating that the work had been worthwhile.  However, he considered that clarification was needed on five of the recommendations that had been partially accepted.

Recommendation 2: Downloadable and/or online editable applications be developed for all planning related application forms to encourage electronic applications.

The group chairman said that the recommendation was not about duplicating systems, it was about enhancing the existing planning portal.

A committee member commented on the need to explore the use of file compression software, as many service users found it difficult to download large images, particularly in areas with slow internet connectivity.

In response, the Head of Development Management and Environmental Health (subsequently ‘head of service’) reassured the committee that officers would endeavour to improve upon the planning portal in conjunction with Hoople Ltd, the council’s IT support provider.

Recommendation 3: That provision of a facility for subscription service to a given planning application giving updates is developed - this would enhance the service and reduce phone calls and planning officer time.

The group chairman said that the intention behind the recommendation was to provide alerts to interested parties about significant developments with planning applications.

The head of service said that, whilst many people followed the progress of planning applications closely, better ways of notifying applicants electronically would be considered.  It was noted that, with up to 4,000 applications received a year, the service needed to be mindful of the way in which it deployed resources.

Recommendation 5: Alternative means of managing the planning committee work schedule be explored to ensure that efficient and consistent planning decisions are made.

The group chairman said that the issue was about the workload and duration of Planning Committee meetings, rather than about member training.

The head of service commented on the need for consistent and robust decisions and acknowledged the importance of the democratic decision making process.  In terms of Planning Committee arrangements, it was noted that all day committee meetings had been split into morning and afternoon committee sessions, thereby providing greater flexibility in terms of substitutions.  Apart from occasional additional meetings, it was not considered that the committee could meet more frequently than every three weeks given the cycle of report preparation, publication, site visits, and meetings.

A committee member commented that consistency also had to apply to officer advice, as he considered that there had been some recent examples where the degree of weight given to emerging Core Strategy policies had been interpreted differently.

Recommendation 11: That employees’ well-being in terms of stress management should be monitored as part of the annual appraisal process.

The group chairman said that the recommendation should have highlighted the need for day to day management of employee wellbeing, not just through the annual appraisal process.  The Chairman of the committee noted that increases in workload could place additional pressures on staff which could impact on the individuals concerned and the service provided.

The head of service emphasised his commitment to staff and recognised that there could be a lag phase between upturns in the numbers of planning applications received and the recruitment of additional staff to manage that workload.  He commented on how managers sought to identify concerns and support staff; reference was made to health and wellbeing days that had been undertaken during the year.

Comments were made by committee members about the impact of sickness absences on other staff and departmental efficiency.  The head of service explained some of the considerations and actions that were taken in response to both short term and long term sickness absences.  He also outlined how, in such circumstances, the work of specialist officers was typically redistributed or temporary resources utilised.

Recommendation 25:  That ward members be notified in all matters of planning applications to ward boundaries.

The group chairman emphasised the need for ward members to be at least as well informed as the parish councils in their areas.

The head of service said that, although it would be too resource intensive to communicate about every application, officers would notify members of all major or significant applications in adjacent wards.  He encouraged members to contact managers if the dialogue with planning officers could be improved.

A committee member commented on the potential impact of developments on adjacent wards, particularly in market towns.

Returning to recommendation 23, a committee member noted that planning was one of the most visible service areas to the public and had clear statutory obligations.  Therefore, assurance was sought that proper risk analysis had been undertaken to ensure that planning activity was resourced properly given the potential legal implications and reputational damage that could arise if the service could not fulfil its functions. 

In response, the head of service gave an overview of the income and expenditure of development control during 2014/15.  He also advised members that the managers met weekly to monitor performance and, in doing so, could also gauge workloads if too high for a particular officer.

In response to a comment by a committee member about the need for proactive planning enforcement, the Chairman noted that planning enforcement had improved in both approach and outcomes in recent times.  The head of service reported that the authority now had five planning enforcement officers (four full-time equivalent posts) and said that there was closer working between planning enforcement and environmental health teams.  He advised that it would require significant further investment to investigate the delivery of every planning condition, so there had to be an expedient approach based on the professional acumen of officers and on the information received from the public.  The need to publicise enforcement activity where appropriate to enhance public trust was acknowledged.

The group chairman commended planning and enforcement officers for their hard work, often under considerable pressure.

In response to a question from a committee member about income and how it was treated, the Director of Economy, Communities and Corporate said that the committee could be assured that budgets were managed appropriately, supported by quality accounting and audit processes.  He said that a briefing note was in preparation and would be circulated to committee members about the distribution of resources to planning and associated services.  In response to further comments, the Director said that the authority would continue to look at the range of needs but ring-fencing income to the planning service could not be guaranteed; he added that this could limit flexibility in terms of the resources available in less active periods.

RESOLVED:  That

(a)        the draft Executive response be noted; and

(b)        a briefing note on progress with the response be provided within six months.