Agenda item

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

The Committee considered the report of the Performance, Governance and Audit Working Group seeking Members’ review of planning committee arrangements in light of the Planning Infrastructure Bill (the Bill).

The report provided background information regarding the Bill and how it was expected that it would remove Area Planning Committees from legislation. The Performance, Governance and Audit Working Group (the Working Group) had been reviewing Officer timetables and options for being ‘legislation ready’ ahead of the next Statutory Annual meeting of the Council.

If the Committee was mindful to accept the recommendations of the Working Group, it was noted that the Council’s public speaking protocol could be updated to allow more of a Ward Member role, therefore an updated version was attached at Appendix B to the report. The Working Group had also recommended that the new Planning Committee could be scheduled every three weeks starting at 7pm.

The Head of Performance Improvement and LGR presented the report and gave further explanation of the legislation due to come in around planning committees and moving to a single planning committee. The report detailed recommendations (set out in Appendix A to the report) from the Working Group which proposed a change to the Council’s current governance and introduction of a single planning committee from the Statutory Annual Council meeting in May 2026 to ensure that the Council was compliant when the legislation came into effect. The Committee was asked to consider these and make a recommendation to the Council.

The Director of Place, Planning and Growth referred to the thresholds for applications coming to the new Planning Committee and suggested some minor amendments to bring them in line with the normal definition of major development under the Town and Country Planning Act.

Some concern was raised regarding the proposed change to Proviso 3 of the Committee Terms of Reference. Members were advised that the change was proposed because the proviso referred to matters coming back to the District Planning Committee. Following further debate, concern was raised that removing the proviso would allow specific decisions to be determined under delegated powers. Officers provided further clarification, and the Director of Legal and Governance suggested an amendment to the proviso should Members be minded to not delete it from the Terms of Reference.

In response to a query regarding the proposed changes to the call-in process on page 106 of the agenda pack, the Director of Legal and Governance advised that the call-in areas should remain, renumbered and reference to the Area Planning Committees removed.

The Chairperson advised that she didn’t think this matter was ready to be recommended to the Council for consideration. She then proposed that the recommendations were not carried out at this stage but wait until the new legislation came in. However, in the meantime Officers could work with the Working Group to alleviate the areas of concerns raised. This proposal was duly seconded.

RESOLVED that no changes be made to the Council’s governance arrangements relating to Area Planning or District Planning Committees.