Issue - meetings

(a)        That the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire LEP be advised that the Council wishes to attain the Planning Charter Mark status and invites the LEP to satisfy itself that the Council’s current practices and procedures are compliant with the spirit and intent of the said Charter Mark.

(b)        That the LEP be informed of the council’s decision and be invited to keep under review the council’s current decision-making processes, procedures and performance in relation to planning applications for development relating to the safeguarding and/or growth of jobs with a view to achieving continuous improvement.

(c)        That the Planning Committee be advised of this decision and asked to introduce specific monitoring of business-related planning applications into its current performance monitoring regime.

(d)        That officers bring forward proposals to a future meeting of Cabinet on the steps that are likely to be required to achieve Planning Charter Mark status in 2013.

A report was submitted to give Cabinet the opportunity to decide whether or not the Council should sign up to aspire to achieve a Planning Charter Mark that had been developed by the Stoke on Trent & Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).  The LEP was seeking commitment from local authorities to adopt the ‘Red Carpet approach’ to businesses by delivering against a set of five outcomes.

The outcomes identified by the LEP were desirable and would be considered to be the qualities of a good planning service.  Additionally the said outcomes would be consistent with the Council’s priority around promotion of a borough of opportunity.

The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Town Centres declared that he was a Member of the LEP Board.

The Report had already been considered by the Planning Committee and feedback from the Committee had been used to inform some of the recommendations on the report. Members of the Planning Committee were present at this meeting to provide feedback. The majority of comments regarded concerns that decisions of the Planning Committee could be watered down and that the Council needed to continue to actively encourage developers and partners to come to Newcastle under Lyme in order to help strengthen our position in the County.

RESOLVED:   (a)        That the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire LEP be advised that the Council wishes to attain the Planning Charter Mark status and invites the LEP to satisfy itself that the Council’s current practices and procedures are compliant with the spirit and intent of the said Charter Mark.

(b)        That the LEP be informed of the council’s decision and be invited to keep under review the council’s current decision-making processes, procedures and performance in relation to planning applications for development relating to the safeguarding and/or growth of jobs with a view to achieving continuous improvement.

(c)        That the Planning Committee be advised of this decision and asked to introduce specific monitoring of business-related planning applications into its current performance monitoring regime.

(d)        That officers bring forward proposals to a future meeting of Cabinet on the steps that are likely to be required to achieve Planning Charter Mark status in 2013.