Agenda item

9.1

The Executive Director, Place, submitted a report referring to the Council’s support for the introduction of digital presentations of planning applications and to the shrinking size of the agendas for the two area Planning and Highways Committees which provided an opportunity to follow national best practice, to enable efficiency savings, and to establish a single Committee that would be better able to take the wider interests of the City into account.  The report also contained proposals to share the remit of the Cabinet Highways Committee with the appropriate Cabinet Member and to increase officer delegation in order to improve efficiency and to reduce the workload of other Cabinet members. The opportunity for the public to make personal representations would still remain.

9.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:-

(a)

recommends to Council that, from May 2013, the existing two Area Planning and Highways Committees be combined into a single Planning Committee for the whole City;

(b)

agrees that the digital presentation of planning application reports with an enhanced format be introduced at the first meeting of the new, modernised Planning Committee, following any pilot testing that officers deem necessary;

(c)

adopts Option 1 within the report, involving the sharing of Cabinet Highways Committee decisions with the appropriate Individual Cabinet Member, with or without increased delegation to officers,  and recommends to the Leader that she amends her Scheme of Delegation to record the fact that decisions reserved to the Cabinet Highways Committee are also reserved to the appropriate Individual Cabinet Member and to reflect the proposals in Appendix A regarding increased officer delegations; and

(d)

authorises the Director of Development Services, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member and Director of Legal Services, to make the practical arrangements necessary to introduce the new executive transport and highways decision making arrangements following amendment of the Leader’s Scheme as proposed at (c) above;

9.3

Reasons for Decision

9.3.1

Option 1 could involve increased officer delegation (a proposed scheme for approval is attached as Appendix A), to reduce Cabinet Member workload, to speed up the decision making and delivery times, and improve efficiency.  Essentially, the Individual Cabinet Member concerned and the Cabinet Highways Committee would each have reserved to them, within the Leader’s Scheme of delegation, all of the Council’s executive functions arising from the Council’s roles as the Highway Authority and Road Traffic Authority (other than those specifically reserved to Cabinet and those delegated to officers in accordance with Appendix A). These will include transport and parking matters, where these relate to:

·        The Capital Programme;

·        Policy statements;

·        Matters that have drawn substantial objections from the public;

·        Approval of designs of schemes costing in excess of £250,000.

9.3.2

It is also worth noting that the Leader’s proposed new scheme provides

that any decision that can be taken by an officer can also be taken by an

Individual Cabinet Member.  Therefore, even where a matter falls to an

Officer, the Individual Cabinet Member can choose to make that decision

if they so wish.

9.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

9.4.1

Option 2

A significant proportion of planning decisions are already delegated to

officers. The amount of decisions delegated for transport and highways

matters could be increased by:

• Increasing the value of schemes that officers could approve the design of (from say £200k to £1m);

• This could include schemes with some controversial elements;

• Deciding on objections to minor schemes such as local parking restrictions

9.4.2

In this option, all decisions would be in written report format and would be recorded and published.  The Cabinet Member and Ward Members (for local schemes) would be involved in the discussions about the decisions.  Reasons for the decisions would be clear so that public can understand why and how officers have chosen a particular course of action.  There will therefore be a clear and audited trail of accountable decision making.

9.4.3

However, this option would reduce the public’s involvement in the decision making process by not allowing direct representations at a public decision making forum.

9.5

Any Interest Declared or Dispensation Granted

None

9.6

Reason for Exemption if Public/Press Excluded During Consideration

None

9.7

Respective Director Responsible for Implementation

Simon Green, Executive Director, Place.

9.8

Relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee If Decision Called In

Economic and Environmental Wellbeing.

9.1

The Executive Director, Place, submitted a report referring to the Council’s support for the introduction of digital presentations of planning applications and to the shrinking size of the agendas for the two area Planning and Highways Committees which provided an opportunity to follow national best practice, to enable efficiency savings, and to establish a single Committee that would be better able to take the wider interests of the City into account.  The report also contained proposals to share the remit of the Cabinet Highways Committee with the appropriate Cabinet Member and to increase officer delegation in order to improve efficiency and to reduce the workload of other Cabinet members. The opportunity for the public to make personal representations would still remain.

9.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:-

(a)

recommends to Council that, from May 2013, the existing two Area Planning and Highways Committees be combined into a single Planning Committee for the whole City;

(b)

agrees that the digital presentation of planning application reports with an enhanced format be introduced at the first meeting of the new, modernised Planning Committee, following any pilot testing that officers deem necessary;

(c)

adopts Option 1 within the report, involving the sharing of Cabinet Highways Committee decisions with the appropriate Individual Cabinet Member, with or without increased delegation to officers,  and recommends to the Leader that she amends her Scheme of Delegation to record the fact that decisions reserved to the Cabinet Highways Committee are also reserved to the appropriate Individual Cabinet Member and to reflect the proposals in Appendix A regarding increased officer delegations; and

(d)

authorises the Director of Development Services, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member and Director of Legal Services, to make the practical arrangements necessary to introduce the new executive transport and highways decision making arrangements following amendment of the Leader’s Scheme as proposed at (c) above;

9.3

Reasons for Decision

9.3.1

Option 1 could involve increased officer delegation (a proposed scheme for approval is attached as Appendix A), to reduce Cabinet Member workload, to speed up the decision making and delivery times, and improve efficiency.  Essentially, the Individual Cabinet Member concerned and the Cabinet Highways Committee would each have reserved to them, within the Leader’s Scheme of delegation, all of the Council’s executive functions arising from the Council’s roles as the Highway Authority and Road Traffic Authority (other than those specifically reserved to Cabinet and those delegated to officers in accordance with Appendix A). These will include transport and parking matters, where these relate to:

·        The Capital Programme;

·        Policy statements;

·        Matters that have drawn substantial objections from the public;

·        Approval of designs of schemes costing in excess of £250,000.

9.3.2

It is also worth noting that the Leader’s proposed new scheme provides

that any decision that can be taken by an officer can also be taken by an

Individual Cabinet Member.  Therefore, even where a matter falls to an

Officer, the Individual Cabinet Member can choose to make that decision

if they so wish.

9.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

9.4.1

Option 2

A significant proportion of planning decisions are already delegated to

officers. The amount of decisions delegated for transport and highways

matters could be increased by:

• Increasing the value of schemes that officers could approve the design of (from say £200k to £1m);

• This could include schemes with some controversial elements;

• Deciding on objections to minor schemes such as local parking restrictions

9.4.2

In this option, all decisions would be in written report format and would be recorded and published.  The Cabinet Member and Ward Members (for local schemes) would be involved in the discussions about the decisions.  Reasons for the decisions would be clear so that public can understand why and how officers have chosen a particular course of action.  There will therefore be a clear and audited trail of accountable decision making.

9.4.3

However, this option would reduce the public’s involvement in the decision making process by not allowing direct representations at a public decision making forum.

9.5

Any Interest Declared or Dispensation Granted

None

9.6

Reason for Exemption if Public/Press Excluded During Consideration

None

9.7

Respective Director Responsible for Implementation

Simon Green, Executive Director, Place.

9.8

Relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee If Decision Called In

Economic and Environmental Wellbeing.