Issue - meetings

To inform Members on Planning Enforcement’s progress in maintaining service delivery in 2012/13.

The Committee received a report setting out Planning Enforcement’s progress in maintaining service delivery in 2012/13. It was advised that there had been a 19% increase in the number of cases compared to the previous year and an overall decline in performance. Confirmation was provided that a working group had been established to explore the underlying reasons for this slight decline including looking at the underlying policy and the experience of other authorities. At update would be provided at the next Committee meeting. 

Members requested that consideration be given to increasing the publicity of successful planning enforcement action to act as a deterrent, including reviewing and potentially improving the content provided on the Council website.

Both officers and Members recognised the importance of capitalising on learning opportunities from planning appeal cases where costs had been awarded against the Council, particularly officers working to improve the supporting evidence provided. Feedback was also important from cases where appeals had been awarded following a decision made by Planning Committee against the advice of officers, and ensuring the Committee’s reason for refusal were appropriate and  robust.

The Committee discussed the longstanding planning enforcement issues on a number of industrial estates in the borough and were updated that an officer had been commissioned to undertake a specific piece of work on this on Tottenham industrial estates. This would then inform the determination of the most appropriate way forward around enforcement and/or regeneration action. The report was due for completion by the end of June, with an update to be provided to the Committee at the next meeting.

The Committee requested for future reports that the appendix listing the cases taken to prosecution and the subsequent outcomes include details of the status of costs as paid or unpaid and any additional details on outcomes.

RESOLVED

·        That the year performance for 2012/13 for Planning Enforcement and appeals be noted.