Minutes:
In accordance with the Committee’s decision at its meeting on 11th October 2006, the Officers submitted for review a copy of the current Planning Public Participation Scheme and the Member/Officer Relations Code of Conduct.
Planning Public Participation Scheme
The Planning Public Participation Scheme was currently being reviewed by the Member Panel on the Constitution and that Panel at its meeting on 11th January, 2007 had proposed a few minor amendments details of which were submitted to the Committee for consideration. The Head of Planning and Strategic Policy indicated that the Scheme had been introduced primarily to provide people objecting to a planning application with rights of representation to the Planning Committee. To date the scheme had worked well and had proved to be administratively manageable.
During consideration of the proposed revised scheme, attention was drawn to paragraph 9 dealing with the presentation of objections. It was suggested that it should be amended to require the submission of any questions or documentary evidence e.g. letters, maps, photographs, etc. in support of an objection to the appropriate Planning Officer at least 72 hours before the meeting. This would allow any such documents to be verified and to be given proper consideration by the Committee.
Member/Officer Relations Code of Conduct
The Chair pointed out that the revisions to the Local Code of Conduct for Members which were now expected to be published in time for the local elections in May 2007 were likely to have implications for the Member/Officer Relations Code. In view of this he proposed that any review of the Code should be deferred pending the publication and adoption of the revised Local Code of Conduct.
Resolved –
(a) That the revised planning public participation scheme incorporating the Member Panel on the Constitution’s amendments be approved subject to the amendment of paragraph 9 relating to the presentation of objections as now proposed.
(b) That the Member Panel on the Constitution be advised of the Standards Committee’s decision on this matter.
(c) That the review of the Member/Officer Relations Code of Conduct be deferred pending the publication and adoption of the revised Local Code of Conduct for Members.