Agenda item

The Standards and General Purposes Committee has been asked to consider proposed amendments to the Council’s current constitution in relation to Scheme of Delegation to the Joint Executive Head of Development Management, Revised Planning Committee Procedure Rules, and Revised Councillors’ Planning Code of Good Practice and to agree to a consultation on matters to be included in a Memorandum of Understanding between planning officers and Councillors.   

Recommendation

The Standards & General Purposes Committee is asked to recommend that the Council approves:

1.         The proposed revised Scheme of Delegation to the Joint Executive Head of Planning Development, attached at Appendix 1A.

2.         The proposed revised Planning Committee Procedure Rules, attached at Appendix 2.

3.         The proposed revised Councillors’ Planning Code of Good Practice, attached at Appendix 3A.

4.         That a consultation with Councillors is undertaken to inform the content of a Memorandum of Understanding between planning officers and Councillors.    

Joint Executive Head of Planning, Claire Upton-Brown, addressed the Committee and introduced the recommendations set out in the report.

Cllr Goodridge raised a concern about paragraph 2.12 of the proposed Planning Procedure Rules and noted that questions and debate should be incorporated into this as the Chair will not be able to judge the general opinion of Committee regarding the officer’s recommendation. Members agreed to the suggested amendment. He further raised that there should be a procedure rule that ensures that Members are in attendance for the entire debate to be allowed to vote on it; they must take into consideration all information and points raised in the meeting. Members queried the decision to call in applications and expressed that they were keen to keep the Chair involved in this consultation with the Executive Head of Planning. The Executive Head of Planning and Chair would then discuss if the application has reasonable planning grounds to call the application into Committee. It was argued that this may help ensure transparency of decisions. Further, Cllr Ward noted that a Member representative within this decision process would also encourage better engagement with the Committee. Members were in agreement with this.

Members further suggested that Ward Councillors who call in an application should attend site visits and the Committee meeting. Some concern was raised about paragraph 22.3 of the proposed Planning Committee  Procedure Rules, which prohibit pre-prepared speeches and notes. The Chair suggested amending the wording of this to note that it is discouraged but not prohibited, so long as they are not pre-determined in their judgement. Paragraph 22.2 of the same prohibits Councillors from communicating or passing notes during the meeting; Members felt that this showed mistrust towards the integrity of Councillors and would be difficult to regulate with the possibilities of electronic communication via mobiles. It was further argued that it should be with the discretion of the Chair to stop disruptive behaviour if it were to take place. Members therefore agreed that the wording should be amended to discourage communication between Councillor’s but not prohibit it. The Chair also suggested that the wording is amended in paragraph 2.11 to note that Ward Councillors should move to the back row of the Chamber, rather than the public speaking area while an application in their ward is being considered.

Following the discuss, the Committee agreed to recommend the following amendments to the Proposed revisions to the Scheme of Delegation to Officers, the Planning Committee Procedure Rules and the Councillors' Planning Code of Good Conduct, with delegation to the Joint Executive Head of Planning to make the changes:

i.                 To include a clause that states that Ward Councillors are expected to be at Committee meetings and site visits if they have called in an application.

ii.                To amend Councillor’s Planning Code of Good Conduct 22.2 and 22.3 to note that these are discouraged, not prohibited

iii.               To amend proposed Scheme of Delegation to Officers Call-in Procedure to include “in consultation with the Chair of the Planning Committee”

iv.              To amend the Planning Committee Procedure Rules, paragraph 2.12, to include questions, then debate, then consideration of an alternative motion.

v.                To amend the Planning Committee Procedure Rules, paragraph 2.11, to note that Councillor’s are to step away from the Committee table and not necessarily go to the public speaking area

vi.              To include requirement for Members to be present for the whole agenda item in order to cast a vote.

vii.             To amend typo on page 33 to say Waverley instead of Guildford.

Subject to the changes mentioned above, the Committee resolved to;

1.1  Approve the proposed revised Scheme of Delegation to the Joint Executive Head of Planning Development, attached at Appendix 1A.

1.2  Approve the proposed revised Planning Committee Procedure Rules, attached at Appendix 2.

1.3  Approve the proposed revised Councillors’ Planning Code of Good Practice, attached at Appendix 3A.

1.4  Agree that a consultation with Councillors should be undertaken to inform the content of a Memorandum of Understanding between planning officers and Councillors.