Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer provided the Members with an end of year report for the period April 2015 to March 2016.

Members were informed that there had been an increase in applications submitted and also an increase in decisions made.

The Panel heard that there had also been an improvement in timescales and service improvements continue to be made.

The Customer Services Section of Planning Services had retained the Customer Services Excellence standard which they had held since 2009. The Service was reassessed in March 2016 against two categories of the standard and was re-awarded the CSE standard with no non-compliances.

Members attention was drawn to specific points of the submitted report with Members provided with information on the following issues:

·  Planning performance and workload

·  Comparison with Core Cities

·  Permitted development and the new changes

·  Panel decision making and decisions not in accordance with officer recommendations

·  Compliance activity – the number of enforcement cases remained at the same level as 2014-2015 with a significant number of complex cases being investigated. The number of cases had been reduced to 1000, a service objective.

·  Work continues to monitor and control unauthorised long stay car parks within the city centre. A review of the commuter car parking policy is required following the granting of temporary permission for a number of car parks under the interim policy.

·  Five people had left Planning Services two from the Area Teams, two from Customer Services and one from Enforcement.

·  A Household Agents Conference held in October to look at improvements to the planning process was well attended with an action plan from the session now being delivered.

·  Parish and Town Councils had moved to electronic working, receiving email notifications of applications in their area with a link to the application on Public Access. The move to electronic working will improve the service and deliver significant savings for the service.

·  The Housing and Planning Bill was enacted on 13 May 2016.

The Chair thanked officers who continue to do their best to deliver as much as possible.

Members discussed the following points:

·  Comparisons with Core Cities

·  The working relationship between Members and Officers

·  The amount of enforcement action undertaken in Leeds compared with other authorities and the frustration that Members often feel with these cases.

·  The slow process in dealing with derelict buildings and the issues that they cause to communities.

·  The Building Services Team who had not been included within the submitted report

·  Validation of applications

·  Retrospective applications

·  Timescales for objections to permitted development

In response to Member discussions the Panel were informed:

·  That not all enforcement cases were breaches of planning issues, therefore, planning were unable to take action. When the issue was a case for planning they had to weigh up whether enforcement action was the right and fair way to proceed. The service also had to decide on what the judgement would be and whether the Council would win.

·  The fees for retrospective applications was imposed by central Government.

·  Assurance given that no decision on a planning matter can be taken before the 21 day notice period.

Members requested that a clear and consistent format be used when providing Ward Councillor objections.

Members were of the view that Member Officer relationships worked well.

RESOLVED - That Members noted the report.

Cllrs Lewis and Peter Gruen left the meeting for a short period during this item.

Cllrs. Venner and Akhtar Left the meeting during this item.