Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Chairperson of the Performance, Governance and Audit Committee Working Group, (copy enclosed).

The Council considered the report of the Chairperson of the Performance, Governance and Audit Committee (PGA) Working Group seeking Members’ approval of the Council’s response to the Government’s consultation on changes to Planning Committees.

Once the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (published in March 2025) gained Royal Assent this would grant the Secretary of State (SOS) powers to instruct, by Regulations, which types of applications should be delegated to planning officers and which should be determined by a planning Committee. On 25 May 2025 the Government published a consultation on its proposals for how this would work.

Councillor W Stamp, Chairperson of the PGA Working Group, introduced the report and advised that the Working Group had met on 24 June 2025 to discuss the proposals and form a recommended response (attached as Appendix A to the report) for the Council to consider and approve. Councillor Stamp proposed that the recommendation set out in the report be approved. This proposal was duly seconded.

The Assistant Director – Planning and Implementation presented the report and highlighted how the scope of the consultation affected the delegation of planning functions related to development management. He highlighted the areas affected and how if the changes came into effect there was legislation in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (currently going through Parliament) which would bring in a number of new powers for the Secretary of State. He then proceeded to take Members through these new powers.

In response to a question regarding the suggested Planning Committee membership of 11 Members and how the required training would work in terms of appointing substitutes, the Assistant Director explained that the PGA Working Group had felt more than 11 Members would require training, although this was open for future debate. The Government had outlined that a Planning Committee could have to 11 Members and would have to be quorate to operate.

The Chairperson put the proposal in the name of Councillor Stamp and this was duly agreed.

RESOLVED that the consultation response (attached at Appendix A to the report) be approved for submission to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by 23 July 2025.