1
Planning Regulatory
Committee
Composition:
Fifteen Councillors in political balance. Chair appointed by
Council annually.
Cabinet members should leave the Committee meeting
for items directly related to those which have been previously
considered at Cabinet (whether they attended the Cabinet meeting to
consider that particular item or not).
All
members of the Committee and Councillors attending as substitutes
must:
(a) have undertaken mandatory training in the relevant
law and procedures which relate to the Committee’s work;
and
(b) undertake further mandatory training, on an ad hoc
basis, when there are changes to procedure or relevant legislation
that are deemed significant by the relevant Director.
Terms
of Reference:
1.1
To exercise the Council’s functions relating
to town and country planning and development control, highways,
footpaths and other rights of way.
1.2
To determine applications for planning permission
under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Listed Building
Consent, Conservation Area Consent and related matters and any
other planning legislation including granting planning permission
for development already carried out and without compliance with
conditions previously attached
1.3
To decline to determine applications for planning
permission.
1.4
To determine applications for planning permission
made by a local authority, alone or jointly with another person,
including for the Council itself.
1.5
To make determinations, give approvals and agree
other matters relating to the exercise of permitted development
rights, in so far as not delegated to Officers.
1.6
To authorise:
(a)
entering into agreements regulating the development
or use of land;
(b)
issuing certificates of existing or proposed lawful
use or development;
(c)
granting consents for the display of
advertisements;
(d)
entry onto land;
(e)
the discontinuance of a use of land;
(f)
service of a Planning Contravention Notice, Breach
of Condition Notice, Building Preservation Notice, Enforcement
Notice, Stop Notice, Demolition Notice, Completion Notice, Repairs
Notice or any other Notice and take any other related action;
and
(g)
applications
for injunctions restraining a breach of planning
control.
1.7
To determine applications for Hazardous Substance
Consent and related powers.
1.8
To require proper maintenance of land and
buildings.
1.9
To apply for an injunction in relation to a Listed
Building and/or execute urgent works in respect of Listed Buildings
and buildings in Conservation Areas.
1.10
To exercise powers for the preservation of trees;
relating to the protection of important hedgerows; control of high
hedges; control advertisements and to
make Limestone Pavement Orders.
1.11
To exercise the Council's
functions under the Highways Act 1980, other than the power to
grant permissions under Section 115E and publish Notices under
Section 115G of the Highways Act 1980 for the provision of
services, amenities, recreation and refreshment facilities on
pedestrianised areas (which is a function of the Licensing
Committee) including the power to authorise Notices, Orders and
enforcement action, consent to or licence activities or take
action.
1.12
Power to authorise action to deal with public rights
of way, footpaths and bridleways including authorising stopping-up
or diversion of any highway, footpath, bridleway or extinguishing
any public rights of way (including in respect of land held for
planning purposes).
Pre-Application Advice
for Applicants
Level 1
Advice
Level 1 advice involves a desk-based assessment of
proposals. It provides a quicker
service but is likely to only be
suitable for proposals that require an ‘in principle’
answer to the prospects of development.
To apply for Level 1 advice, applicants will need to submit
a
Pre-Application Advice Form PRE-A (DOC,207KB), together with a site location plan and payment
of the relevant fee. Applicants can
choose to include further supporting information should they
wish.
Level 2
Advice
Level 2 advice
constitutes ‘detailed advice’ and the response will
include a site visit. It will provide a
more comprehensive appraisal of the likelihood of obtaining
planning permission and, where necessary, include suggestions of
how to improve proposed development schemes. For Level 2 advice, applicants will need to submit
a
Pre-Application Advice Form PRE-A (DOC, 207KB), a
location plan, an accurate site survey, an indicative site layout
plan, as specified in the
advice guide (DOCX, 129KB) and payment of the relevant
fee. If chosen, Level Two advice offers an opportunity for follow-up
meetings, after the advice has been provided, although an
additional fee will apply.
Level 3 Councillor Engagement Forum Pre-Planning
Application
The Forum facilitates
the new Level 3 Pre-Application Process for major planning
applications, which commenced on 1 May 2017, and provides
developers with:
1.
A site visit by a Case
Officer;
2.
A written assessment
by the Case Officer, highlighting the findings of the site visit
and the main issues;
3.
An (optional)
follow-up meeting between the developer and the Officer;
4.
Presentation by the
developer to the
Councillor Engagement
Forum.
Pre-application advice
is not mandatory and nor does it bind the Council to approve or
refuse a planning application, but developers find it useful to
improve the quality of planning applications and their likelihood
of success.
It sets out the
Council’s opinion, discusses matters of policy, provides
suggestions for improvement (where possible) and a list of all
documents that are required to accompany the planning
application.
The Councillor Engagement Forum is an integral part of
the planning process as it provides Councillors with the opportunity to ask questions
of developers, share local knowledge and contribute practical
suggestions to any possible problems within their proposed planning
application.
By nature the meetings are ad-hoc and typically held
within four weeks of submission by the developer.
Membership of the
Forum is as follows:
·
One representative
from each political group on the Planning Regulatory Committee
(they can send a substitute, but the Substitute must also be a
member of the Planning Regulatory Committee)
·
Relevant Ward
Councillor(s)
·
Parish Council/Civic
Society Representative
·
Developers/Applicants
·
Relevant
Officers