Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Senior Leadership Team (copy enclosed).

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Legal and Governance informing Members of the Peer Review carried out on the Development Management Service and the request to add the resulting Action Plan created from this to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Working Group’s current workplan.

The Chairperson introduced the report, and the Director of Place, Planning and Growth took Members through the background. It was noted that the Council had appointed the Planning Officers Society Enterprises to carry out the Peer Review, which was undertaken by two experienced planners, and the Peer Review made 37 recommendations, categorised into three areas, which were detailed in the report.

The Director advised that as a result of the Peer Review an Action Plan had been produced to implement the recommendations. It was noted that Officers and some Members had been involved in discussions and the Director explained that if the Committee was minded to agree the report recommendations, it was proposed that the Action Plan would be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Working Group (the Working Group) at its meeting on 4 August 2026.

After a brief discussion between Members and Officers, Councillor J R Burrell-Cook proposed the Committee approve the recommendations set out in the report, this was duly seconded. Upon a vote being taken this was agreed by assent.

In response to a question, the Director of Legal and Governance confirmed that initially the Action Plan would be seen by Members of the Working Group. However, it would be circulated to other Members subsequently but required some consideration regarding the confidential information it contained.

RESOLVED

(i)             That the Committee considered the referral from the Senior Leadership Team in the light of the information set out in the report;

(ii)            that the Development Management Service Action Plan be added to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s scrutiny workplan to enable scrutiny and feedback to Officers, a summary of which would be brought back to the next meeting of this Committee.