Agenda item

Report of the Director of Placemaking and Housing. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters, and Planning.

This report sets out the Council’s response to the recommendations from the Planning Service Peer Challenge that took place in October 2023, looking at the Planning service functions.

The Cabinet Member for Housing Services, Private Renters, and Planning introduced the report which set out the Council’s response to the recommendations from the Planning Service Peer Challenge that took place in October 2023, looking at the Planning service functions.

The following information was provided in response to questions from Cllr Hakata and Cllr Cawley – Harrison.

• In relation to the integration of the new approach for the Haringey Deal into the service, the peer review found that while officers were aware of the Haringey Deal, further embedding was needed. The Council had received awards for engagement on the local plan, indicating good awareness of the Haringey Deal but more work was required for full integration. Efforts had already begun to implement the Haringey Deal comprehensively.

• The need for examination of the distribution of CIL to ensure that this was accessed by the community as this was a manifesto commitment involving participatory budgeting.

• Regarding publishing the Local Plan and the 2025 deadline set by the government, there was no specific penalty associated with missing the deadline and there was a necessity to adapt the Local Plan to the upcoming planning system reforms by the government. The importance of being responsive to these reforms and ensuring that the Local Plan remained future-proof was highlighted. The action plan outlined the steps to expedite this progress.

• With regards to performance metrics, such as response time, there had been a slight decline, reflecting a national trend of planning application backlogs in several authorities. This issue had been recognised nationally by the government and efforts were being made to address it. The Council had successfully secured special funding of £75,000 to tackle the backlog, in line with recommendations from the peer review. The target was set to complete the backlog by April or May, indicating that the issue would soon be resolved, and performance figures would return to previous levels.

RESOLVED

1. To note that Strategic Planning Committee at its meeting on Monday 19

February 2024 agreed to refer this report and appended documents to

 Cabinet with the recommendation to endorse the Peer Challenge report

and approve the Action Plan.

2. To endorse the recommendations in the Peer Challenge report (Appendix A)and approve its publication on the Council’s website.
3. To approve the Action Plan (Appendix B) which responds to each of the 10 recommendations in the Planning Service Peer Challenge report.

Reasons for decision

There is an expectation that all Councils undertaking a Planning Service Peer Challenge will publish the feedback report and produce an action plan which responds to the recommendations in the report.

Implementing those recommendations are important as it will help the Planning Service improve, including building stronger relationships with the residents, businesses and partners in Haringey and provide a better, more efficient service.

The Action Plan (Appendix B) sets out what the Council’s Planning Service

intends to do in response to these recommendations, including specific actions, when they will be delivered, and who will be responsible for delivering them.

Alternative options considered

The option not to respond to the Peer Challenge recommendations with a formal report was considered. That option was not considered appropriate as publishing the peer team’s report, and the Council’s response to it, ensures that the Council is transparent in respect of its improvement plans for the

Planning Service.