Agenda item

Councillor Heather Williams proposed, and Councillor Nick Wright seconded, that

“Planning Committee supports the establishment of a joint Member / Officer Planning Improvement Group and:

1.    The planning improvement group will elect a chairman as its first order of business and that the Chair be an elected councillor and given the powers, protections and authority that other chairman’s [sic] of this council receive via the constitution.

2.    The planning improvement group will produce a draft set of terms of reference which are to include which committee or public meeting they will report back to.

3.    No actions will be taken by the group outside of the scope stated within the PAS report or until the terms of reference have been ratified by the planning committee.

4.    Minutes will be taken when the group meets and these minutes will be made available to all elected members and the public.”

Following debate, the Committee rejected the proposal by seven votes o four.

(Councillor Roberts, Heather Williams, Richard Williams and Wright voted in favour of the proposal. Councillors Henry Batchelor, Bradnam, Cahn, Fane, Hawkins, Heylings and Wilson voted against.)

By six votes to three, with one abstention, the Committee

a)    noted the content and recommendations set out in the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) report attached as Appendix A to the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development;

b)    noted the arrangements put in place for the Planning Committee Development Group that will oversee implementation of the PAS report recommendations; and

c)    agreed that an update report on progress of implementation of the PAS report recommendations should be presented to Planning Committee in April 2021.

(Councillors Henry Batchelor, Cahn, Fane, Hawkins, Heylings and Wilson supported the recommendations set out in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development. Councillors Roberts, Heather Williams and Wright voted against. Councillor Richard Williams abstained. Councillor Bradnam left the meeting during the course of the debate and did not vote.)

The Committee considered a report on a review undertaken by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) into the operation of the South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) Planning Committee. The PAS findings were attached to that report as an Appendix.

The Assistant Director (Delivery) highlighted key themes in the PAS document. In particular, she referred to the imminent establishment of a Planning Committee Development Group, which had been supported by the Scrutiny and Overview Committee at its meeting on 17 December 2020. This Group would consist of Councillors and Officers and, it was proposed, would be chaired by an officer. 

Councillor Heather Williams proposed, and Councillor Nick Wright seconded, that

“Planning Committee supports the establishment of a joint Member / Officer Planning Improvement Group and:

1.    The planning improvement group will elect a chairman as its first order of business and that the Chair be an elected councillor and given the powers, protections and authority that other chairman’s [sic] of this council receive via the constitution.

2.    The planning improvement group will produce a draft set of terms of reference which are to include which committee or public meeting they will report back to.

3.    No actions will be taken by the group outside of the scope stated within the PAS report or until the terms of reference have been ratified by the planning committee.

4.    Minutes will be taken when the group meets and these minutes will be made available to all elected members and the public.”

During the ensuing debate on this motion, the following points were made:

·       The Group must seek to strengthen public trust in, and transparency of the Planning Committee and Greater Cambridge Planning Service

·       Given that the Cambridge City Council Planning Committee and Joint Development Control Committee had also been reviewed by PAS, there was an argument for establishing a wider ranging Working Party to examine how each Committee functioned, and use the lessons learned to develop a uniform approach across the three decision-making bodies.

·       The SCDC Constitution clearly set out the distinct roles of Councillors and Officers: Requiring an officer to chair the Group would place an unfair burden on that individual where, for example, a casting vote was necessary.

·       Terms of Reference were needed.

The Monitoring Officer said that while the Constitution made no provision for Councillor / Officer Joint Groups like this, officers had opted to follow the Task and Finish model while recognising that the Joint Group would be less formal. Its purpose would be to examine each of the PAS recommendations in detail and to feed back its views. The Group should determine at its first meeting to whom it should report, and establish its own Terms of Reference,

Following further Member debate, the Committee rejected the proposal by seven votes to four.

(Councillor Roberts, Heather Williams, Richard Williams and Wright voted in favour of the proposal. Councillors Henry Batchelor, Bradnam, Cahn, Fane, Hawkins, Heylings and Wilson voted against.)

Councillor Anna Bradnam left the meeting at this stage. By affirmation, the Committee appointed Councillor Henry Batchelor as Vice-Chair of the remainder of the meeting.

Summing up the debate, Councillor Dr. Tumi Hawkins, who was also Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, publicly thanked the PAS Peer Review Group for its detailed report. Councillor Hawkins said that some of the recommendations therein had already been considered in improving processes within the Greater Cambridge Planning Service.

By six votes to three, with one abstention, the Committee

a)    noted the content and recommendations set out in the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) report attached as Appendix A to the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development;

b)    noted the arrangements put in place for the Planning Committee Development Group that will oversee implementation of the PAS report recommendations; and

c)    agreed that an update report on progress of implementation of the PAS report recommendations should be presented to Planning Committee in April 2021.

(Councillors Henry Batchelor, Cahn, Fane, Hawkins, Heylings and Wilson supported the recommendations set out in the report from the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development. Councillors Roberts, Heather Williams and Wright voted against. Councillor Richard Williams abstained. Councillor Bradnam left the meeting during the course of the debate and did not vote.)