By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Fewer development plans will be scrutinised by democratically elected councillors in Gloucestershire as a council hopes to reduce its large backlog of planning applications.
Tewkesbury Borough Councillors agreed last night to change its policy which dictates which applications are referred automatically to be considered by the planning committee.
The move to allow just planning officers to deal with more schemes comes after a cyber incident last month posed a significant risk to its operational capabilities.
The inability to access any systems has led to a build up of new applications. This added 152 applications to the backlog the council had prior to the cyber incident.
And council leaders proposed last night (October 29) to amend the authority’s scheme of delegation to officers by reducing the number of planning applications that would be required to go to the committee.
Under the previous regime planning applications where a town and parish council has objected and those referring to developments of more than ten homes were automatically sent to the committee as well as reserved matters applications involving 20 or more homes.
However, the changes mean proposals which towns and parishes object to will only be automatically referred to the planning committee subject to the discretion of its chairman.
And only full or outline applications for more than 50 homes will be automatically referred to the committee.
Planning and place making lead member Mary Jordan (LD, Churchdown St John), who presented the proposals, said the amendments would improve the effectiveness of the delegation process.
And this would release officer time which in turn would help them with their continuous improvement programme.
“Taking an application to committee is ten times more expensive than it being decided by an officer under delegated powers,” she said.
“Mainly due to the process of preparing and presenting an application.
“The cyber incident has affected the position dramatically. The figures of 238 have now increased to 390.
“This is obviously unacceptable and must be addressed as a matter of urgency if our professional integrity and financial position is to be upheld.”
Councillor David Gray (C, Winchcombe) asked if the suggestions were being brought about as a result of the cyber incident and whether they would be temporary.
He said the changes would reduce the amount of scrutiny applications can be subject to.
Cllr Jordan said the changes would be permanent and it was another step to streamline the council’s planning service.
“The scrutiny will be no less,” she said. “We have excellent planners and it is only right we give them the delegated powers they need to carry out their job.”
Councillor Mike Sztymiak (I, Tewkesbury North and Twyning) proposed several amendments which included that an elected member also be involved. And that the number of homes be kept at ten.
Council leader Richard Stanley (LD, Cleeve West) said a planning committee chairman would be best placed to be a better backstop and were happy with a review.
But his group was not supportive of Cllr Sztymiak’s proposals to continue to refer applications of ten or more homes to the committee.
“We are comfortable to reviewing the scheme after 12 months,” he said. “It can come back to full council.”
Cllr Sztymiak thanked him for the compromise but said “there is still the issue of the number of dwellings.
“We are likely to stick to ten on the basis it works quite well at the moment.
“We don’t feel the benefits in changing it are quite there.”
Councillors voted to approve the changes by 16 votes in favour, seven against and three abstentions.
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
