Issue - meetings

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2012.

The Chair advised the Committee of the intention for minor amendments to be made to the Planning Committee procedure to help streamline the process and ensure the Committee were able to determine the applications listed on meeting agendas within the time allocated, thereby reducing deferrals:

·        From the officer side, a new, more condensed report template would be used. The Committee emphasised the importance of the Planning Service actively seeking improvements to the quality of applications submitted and thereby Committee reports and reducing the practice of the tabling of papers at the meeting.

·        Wherever possible, the Planning Service would seek to maintain a continuous dialogue with applicants to address issues with applications at an early stage thereby reducing the number needing to proceed to Committee.

·        The Chair advised that as a rule he would not approve requests from Members for single dwelling applications to come to Committee instead of being dealt with under delegated authority unless extenuating circumstances were put forward.

·        It was advised that a number of special Planning Committees were likely to be required before the end of the municipal year in order to help reduce the backlog of applications.

·        A short training session would be held for Planning Members before the start of the next meeting on 18 February on material and non material planning considerations.

·        In terms of the conduct of meetings, Members would be asked, where possible, to write down questions and seek responses from officers in advance of the meeting. Members would then have the opportunity to address any outstanding questions to officers prior to final deliberations in the anticipation that most would be answered during the course of proceedings.

·        The Chair advised that he would refer where necessary any specific concerns about individual Member behaviour at Committee to respective party Whips.

In order to provide clarity, Members asked that a short briefing be circulated to the Committee setting out the steps and/or criteria use to determine whether applications were delegated or came before Committee.

RESOLVED

·        That the minutes of the Regulatory Committee on 22 November 2012 be agreed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.