Agenda and minutes

An apology of absence was received from Councillor R H Price, JP.

There were no Chairman’s announcements made at this meeting.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct.

In accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct, Councillor T M Cartwright declared a non-pecuniary interest in Item 5 – Review of the Council’s Pre-Application Planning Advice Service and Charges. This is due to him being the lead Member on Vanguard and has been involved with the pre-application charge service since its introduction in 2009.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

There were no deputations made at this meeting.

To consider a report by the Director of Planning and Regeneration on the proposed changes to the Council’s pre-application planning advice service.

Councillor T M Cartwright declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item. This is due to him being the lead Member on Vanguard and has been involved with the pre-application charge service since its introduction in 2009.

Members discussed this a length, especially in relation to the continued free service for household pre-application planning advice. Members felt that continuing to provide a free service for householder application was important as they felt that to try to charge for this would create more unnecessary work for Officers and would harm the Council’s current service that they offer to residents.

Members expressed a concern over the proposed charges in relation to 10-49 dwellings as they felt that this may not be high enough and that the Council would still not be able to recoup the costs involved with the type of pre-application work required. They expressed a view that they would like officers to undertake further time recordings of these types of pre-application advice over a 12 month period in order to establish whether the proposed charges need to be revised.

RESOLVED that the Planning Committee:-

(i)            note and support the proposals the Director of Planning and Regeneration is making to the Executive in respect of pre-application advice and charges;

(ii)          asks that the Executive, at its meeting on 3 February 2020, considers the views of the Planning Committee in respect of the 10-49 dwellings in that they would like Officers to undertake more time recordings of these pre-applications over a 12 month period and consider if the proposed charges need to be revised thereafter.