Agenda item

The Committee was invited to comment upon a proposal that was to be considered by Cabinet that the Council sign up to aspire to achieve a Planning Charter Mark developed by the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).  It was indicated that the LEP sought commitment from local authorities to adopt the ‘Red Carpet’ approach to businesses by delivering a set of five outcomes namely, clarity and consistency, effort and focus, competence and respect, accuracy and fairness and dialogue and understanding.

Members were advised that LEP’s were relatively new bodies that promoted enterprise and deliver economic growth and jobs following abolition of the Regional Development Agencies and were business led including representation from local authorities.  The Borough Council was represented by its Deputy Leader on the LEP for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

The LEP saw the proposed Planning Charter Mark as a process to encourage economic growth and job creation in the LEP area, with the Stoke and Staffordshire Red Carpet being described as a process providing single point of contact, individual case officers and a streamlined process for business development, inward investment and planning.

With respect to planning the LEP was suggesting that every part of the planning process from initial enquiry to issuing the decision should be focused on the importance of securing economic growth and that this should ensure that incoming and existing businesses will receive clear advice in that they can plan for their future needs and secure the permission that they need in a timely fashion.

The LEP had put together the undermentioned proposals as a way of meeting the concerns of business:-

“Outcome 1 – Clarity and Consistency

A clear statement of the Local Planning Authority’s strategy for economic growth that business can rely on to be followed in every case and a single point of contact for guidance and advice.

Outcome 2 – Effort and Focus

Local Planning Authorities to have a process review with a customer feedback element.  The review should address ways to prioritise applications that deliver jobs and growth and help applications succeed rather than find reasons for them not to succeed.  Ideally the process will deliver pre application advice within 4-6 weeks, focus on business needs and explore all avenues for a satisfactory outcome, even if it results in refusal.  There should be dialogue to identify potential sticking points and resolve them.

Outcome 3 – Competence and Respect

LPAs to adopt a formal training regime to support all committee members and ensure that they have an adequate and up to date knowledge of the planning system and an understanding of appropriate demeanour at planning committee.  Special training and support for Chairs of Planning Committees.

Outcome 4 – Accuracy and Fairness

LAPs to ask if there are any disputed matters of fact after debate at committee, before making the decision.

Outcome 5 – Dialogue and Understanding

Central to the whole initiative, the LEP will promote face to face workshops with officers and members of the LPAs and representatives of the business community to build mutual understanding.  This will enable closer and more co-operative working and lead to more appropriate and better quality schemes being brought forward.

In expressing its general support to the initiative and the need to promote economic growth, the committee did express reservations about the wording of parts of the document and the way in which it had emerged.  The Committee also confirmed the requirement to take into account a wide range of other material considerations in addition to business and economic growth when considering planning applications.  Concern was also expressed that the document did not appear to enable Local Planning Authorities to be flexible when seeking to deliver the outcomes set out above.

Resolved:-   That the Planning Committee recommend to Cabinet that it aspires to sign up to the LEP’s Planning Charter Mark as set out in the officer’s report, on the condition that it be made clear that it is for the Planning Committee to determine how its meetings are conducted, in the context of the Council’s constitution and the Council should not accept the imposition of a rigid LEP approach to the checking of accuracy for material facts.