Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Planning and Development attached.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously)

That

1.    the Scheme of Delegation be amended so that, in the circumstances described, planning applications will only need to be referred to Planning Committee where the applicant or agent is related to a South Ribble Borough Council employee or elected member who is directly involved in the decision-making process; and

2.    Planning Committee recommend to Full Council that this change be made to the relevant part of the Constitution.

The Planning Committee received a report of the Director of Planning and Development which outlined proposals to amend the scheme of delegation for planning applications where the applicant and/or agent is related to an officer or member of the council.

Currently, all applications of this nature are referred to the Planning Committee which has led to a large volume of small-scale planning applications being dealt with by the full Planning Committee, thereby resulting in larger agendas and longer meeting durations.

It was therefore proposed that the scheme of delegation be amended so that, in the circumstances described, planning applications would only be referred to the Planning Committee where the applicant and/or agent is related to an officer directly involved in the decision-making process.

Members queried whether applications where the applicant and/or agent is, or is related to, a member would still be referred to the Planning Committee. In response, it was confirmed that this would remain the practice.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously)

That

1.     the Scheme of Delegation be amended so that, in the circumstances described, planning applications will only need to be referred to Planning Committee where the applicant or agent is related to a South Ribble Borough Council employee or elected member who is directly involved in the decision-making process; and

2.     Planning Committee recommend to Full Council that this change be made to the relevant part of the Constitution.