Issue - meetings

The Council received the recommendations of the Planning Committee in respect of the recent review of the Council’s Scheme of Delegations to the Development Manager.  The recommendations were introduced by the Portfolio Holder and supported by the Chairman of the Planning Committee.  The changes, drawn up by a working group established by the Council, would greatly improve the balance between officer and Member decision making on non-contentious planning applications. 

The Council welcomed the recommendations of the Planning Committee.

RESOLVED

That, with effect from 1 August 2020, the current delegations to the Development Manager be rescinded and, subject to the note below, replaced by those in Appendix 3 to the report presented to the Planning Committee.

Note: Paragraph 1 d) of Appendix 3 shall have the words “and any companies or entities 50% or more owned by Woking Borough Council” inserted after “Council” so that it reads:-

          “d)   Applications where the applicant is Woking Borough Council and any companies or entities 50% or more owned by Woking Borough Council, except for non-material amendments and minor material amendments (irrespective of whether they are major or non-major development).”

[Note: During the debate on this item, a Member referred to Council-owned companies. The following interests were then declared.

In accordance with the Officer Procedure Rules, Peter Bryant, Director of Legal and Democratic Services declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item arising from his position as a Council appointed Director of Thameswey Group Companies, Kingfield Community Sports Centre Limited, Rutland Group companies and Brookwood Cemetery companies. The interest was such that it would not prevent the Officer from advising on this item.

In accordance with the Officer Procedure Rules, Douglas Spinks, Deputy Chief Executive, declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item arising from his position as a Council appointed Director of Thameswey Group Companies and Brookwood Cemetery companies. The interest was such that it would not prevent the Officer from advising on this item.]

The Committee considered a report which detailed the review of the Council’s Scheme of Delegations to the Development Manager

Councillor S Ashall commented that this review of the Scheme of Delegations was welcomed and a positive move forward on how we do business at the planning Committee. He supported the criteria set out in the report and thought that it was important that Members retained the ability to call in applications to the Planning Committee if need be. Councillor S Ashall commented that he did not agree with the revised trigger threshold in relation to the number of dwellings proposed in a development for the application to be determined by the Planning Committee; he would be happier for this to remain at ten, as in the national definition of ‘major developments’.

Some Members supported the view of Councillor S Ashall regarding the trigger threshold, whereas others welcomed the change and thought it would give the Committee greater control and prevent developers undercutting the figure to avoid determination by Planning Committee.

Councillor S Ashall proposed and it was duly seconded by Cllr G Elson a motion to amend the trigger threshold in relation to the number of dwellings proposed in a development for the application to be determined by the Planning Committee. This was currently set at five dwellings in the proposed Scheme of Delegations and Councillor S Ashall proposed it should be set at ten dwellings.

In accordance with Standing Order 22.2, the Chairman deemed that a division should be taken on the motion above.  The votes for and against approval of the motion were recorded as follows.

In favour:                           Cllrs Ashall, G Elson and N Martin.

                                 TOTAL:  3

Against:                              Cllrs T Aziz, A Boote, G Chrystie, S Hussain and L Morales.

                                 TOTAL:  5

Present but not voting:      None.

                                 TOTAL:  0

The motion was therefore not approved.

The Chairman and Councillor L Morales suggested that planning applications from Council owned Companies should need to be determined by the Planning Committee. Douglas Spinks commented that this issue was not raised when the proposed Scheme of Delegation was discussed by the Working Group and that Members had initiated the review of the Scheme in order to increase Delegated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7