Agenda item

That the further analysis of the Planning Service’s performance for 2012/13 and update on Quarter 1 for 2013/14 be noted, acknowledging the improvements that had begun to take hold in Quarter 4 and those planned for 2013/14.

The Head of Planning introduced a report to further analyse the performance of the Planning Service, particularly in Quarters 2 and 3 of 2012/13, which had been reported to Cabinet in March 2013.  Copies of updated information on performance indicators for Quarter 1 of 2013/14 were circulated to compare to 2012/13 year outturns.  An update was also provided on the role of the Conservation Officer, enforcement of planning conditions and inter-departmental consultations.

Councillor A.I. Dunbar welcomed the report which showed excellent progress in all aspects of planning applications.  Responding to queries on applications with Section 106 Agreements, the Head of Planning acknowledged the time needed by the Planning Committee to clear the backlog and said that the majority of planning applications with Section 106 Agreements must be considered by the Committee.

With respect to enforcement issues and the time taken to take formal action, it was recognised that some applicants were exploiting the system through the submission of retrospective applications which would need to be determined prior to Formal notices being served..  When asked about direct action, he gave an example of the outcome of the unauthorised gypsy encampment in Essex.

The Chairman asked about the effectiveness of liaison between Legal and Planning in dealing with problems.  The Head of Planning felt that there was a good relationship between the two sections with advice efficiently given but suggested that there may be issues with the availability of resources on more complex cases.  He added that officers were endeavouring to simplify the process on Section 106 Agreements to speed up the process.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment was aware of issues on Section 106 Agreements and gave assurance that he received regular updates on cases.  He felt that the situation had improved and agreed that there were issues about resources on complex cases which was being addressed corporately.

Councillor C.A. Thomas said that pre-planning discussion was required to provide guidance to applicants and would pursue this with the Head of Planning outside the meeting.  The Chairman said that the Committee had previously stressed the importance of pre-planning discussion to avoid problems further down the line.  On a further query, the Head of Planning said that officers were working with Town and Community Councils to provide information on key applications with Section 106 Agreements within their areas and that further information could be sought from Claire Leaney.

On the downturn in the determination of minor planning applications within 8 weeks, Councillor G.H. Bateman sought clarity on the ‘increased emphasis on negotiating quality’.  The Head of Planning explained that this was about finding solutions before submission of the application thus avoiding delays arising from negotiations later in the process.  Following a further query, he advised that the statement made by Carl Sargeant AM had reflected changes to extend permitted development rights leading to greater flexibility on planning permissions and the potential for a reduction in householder planning applications.  He added that guidance and criteria had been issued by the Welsh Government (WG) on the changes and that workshops had been arranged to help understanding.  Information on the changes would be included on the Council’s website and circulated to the Committee.

Following a comment from Councillor C.J. Dolphin on ongoing cases, the Head of Planning said that complex planning applications may encounter delays due to viability issues, further information being requested or the need for monitoring, for example from ecology reports.

Councillor W.P. Shotton was pleased to note the improvements in performance and positive changes made to the role of the Conservation Officer and praised the excellent training sessions which had been provided.

Councillor D. Butler asked whether the changes to planning rights would provide the opportunity for major developers to renegotiate new applications to reduce their obligations.  The Head of Planning said that this was becoming more common in Flintshire and cited a recent case where there had been a refusal to make the necessary community benefits which led to difficult decisions by officers and the Planning Committee.  Councillor Butler asked if the Planning Strategy Group could consider this.  As Chair of the Planning Strategy Group, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment agreed to ensure that this was included on the work programme.

In response to a query raised by Councillor C. Hinds on the building of schools, the Head of Planning said that there was little that could be done in the planning process.  The Chairman asked if the Facilitator could explore the degree of liaison between Planning and Lifelong Learning Overview & Scrutiny Committees.

In summing up, the Chairman noted the marked improvement in performance which had been noted by Members and said that the Committee would take a keen interest in the sustainability of these improvements.

Councillor N.M. Matthews said it was important that the Conservation Officer took account of views from the community and possessed adequate historical knowledge of the areas covered.  The Head of Planning hoped that this was the case and said that other resources were available with a knowledge of areas.  He confirmed that this was a full-time post and added that the involvement of a second officer to provide support would help to ease the burden in what was a subjective area of work.

RESOLVED:

That the further analysis of the Planning Service’s performance for 2012/13 and update on Quarter 1 for 2013/14 be noted, acknowledging the improvements that had begun to take hold in Quarter 4 and those planned for 2013/14.