Issue - meetings

Planning Committee Terms of Reference

Meeting: 13/03/2019 - Democracy Committee (Item 84)

84 Planning Committee Terms of Reference pdf icon PDF 62 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mr O’Connell explained to the Committee that the proposed amendments to the Planning Committee Terms of Reference corrected an anomaly in the Constitution.  Following publication of the agenda, feedback had been received on the draft changes.  Subsequently it was suggested that the Terms of Reference be amended to read:

 

“PROVIDED that any such representation(s) received are, in the opinion of the Head of Planning and Development, based upon relevant planning considerations (including where there is significant public concern based around planning considerations).”

 

The Committee commented that:

 

·  It was important to achieve parity on call-in procedures for Ward Members and Parish Councils.  This ensured that any Ward or Parish impacted by a planning application could call-in the application on material grounds.

 

·  The position of Political Group Spokesperson should not be removed, however, this role should not have the ability to call-in all planning applications.

 

·  If an application was called-in by a Councillor or Parish Council, those who called-in the application were expected to attend the relevant Planning Committee meeting.  If there were legitimate reasons for being unable to attend, Officers should be contacted to ensure that the reasons for calling-in the application were shared at the Planning Committee meeting.

The Committee noted that it was important to articulate the Terms of Reference in a manner that reflected the comments made by the Committee.  It was therefore prudent to formulate and agree the revised wording after further consideration had been given to the topic.

 

RESOLVED: That the Terms of Reference be amended in line with Officers suggested wording, arising from the deliberations of the Committee, and which the Committee will review and agree by email for referral directly to Full Council.

 

Voting: Unanimous

 

Note: The meeting was adjourned from 7.17 p.m. to 7.23 p.m.