Agenda item

To consider the report on the restructuring of the Planning, Regeneration and Economy Service.

The Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and economy, Marc Dorfman, presented the report which set out proposals for the restructuring of the Planning, Regeneration and Economy Service. Proposals would be subject to further consultation with the Employee side and final ratification by the committee.  The committee noted that the number of posts in the service would be reduced   to address a budget deficit which had developed as a consequence of : a reduction in income from planning and building control applications ,   a loss in grant funding  most noticeably  by the Housing and Planning delivery grant and in preparation for future budget reductions .  Core staffing would be maintained in order to seek and collate external grant funding for the service. The committee were provided with a tabled addendum which outlined: the posts which could be made redundant, benchmarking information on how the services were compiled in other boroughs, and the work the service currently provided which the employees had asked themselves are put forward to the committee.

The committee noted that the Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Economy would be formally contacting the Employee side about the proposed restructure prior to the commencement of formal consultation with staff which would begin on the 8 or 15^th November 2010. Following consultation with staff a final report, with recommendations, would be considered by the committee at their next meeting on the 11 January 2011.

RESOLVED

1. That the restructuring proposals be approved subject to staff and Council wide consultation , an  Equalities Impact Assessment  being completed and final ratification  by the General Purposes Committee.