Agenda item

The Committee considered the report of the Planning Committee Review Group, which had been established in November 2016 to review the size of the current Planning Committee, with the main remit to submit proposals for a smaller Committee. The group had recommended that there would be real benefit in reducing the size of the Planning Committee from 23 councillors to 12 councillors, with effect from the 2017-18 municipal year.  It was also recommended that the maximum number of substitute members per political group be reduced from 7 to 5.

The group had considered options in respect of the size of the Planning Committee.  Both officers and members on the group were aware that where other councils had considered the size of their respective planning committees, they had tended to come down to a lower number. Ultimately, the group considered that 12 was an appropriate number for Guildford.

The benefits of a smaller Committee would include:

·        A skilled and professional Planning Committee with more focused expert debate;

·        More focused and efficient execution of business;

·        Ability for ward Councillors who are not Planning Committee members to address the Committee with greater freedom to speak openly and freely;

The group had also reviewed a number of processes and procedures associated with the business of the Planning Committee and had made a series of recommendations in that regard.  These were summarised, for information, in paragraph 3.6 of the report submitted to the Committee.  At its meeting on 8 March 2017, the Planning Committee had also considered a report on the group’s findings and recommendations, including the proposed reduction in the size of the Committee.

In considering the proposed reduction in the size of the Committee, the Planning Committee felt that a reduction to 15, rather than 12, councillors would be appropriate and, accordingly, had recommended this to full Council when it determined the matter on 11 April 2017.

The Planning Committee had also adopted the recommendations in respect of the proposed changes to its processes and procedures and these would be implemented with effect from the beginning of the 2017-18 municipal year.

The only issues for consideration by the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee, in view of its responsibility for considering and advising Council on constitutional matters, were the proposed reduction in size of the Planning Committee, and reduction in the maximum number of substitute members per political group on that Committee.   It was also proposed to implement these changes, on a trial basis for 12 months, and thereafter set up a further task group to undertake a comprehensive process review to establish how the changes were working.

During the debate on this matter, the Committee noted that a number of residents’ associations and parish councils had expressed concern over the proposed reduction in size of the Planning Committee, stating the importance of having their ward councillor involved in decisions on planning applications that affect their locality.

Having taken into account the separate recommendations of the review group and the Planning Committee, the Committee

RECOMMEND:

(1)     That the size of the Planning Committee be reduced to 15 councillors.

(2)     That the maximum number of substitute members per political group on the Planning Committee be reduced from 7 to 5.

(3)     That the proposal to trial the reduction in the size of the Planning Committee, then after 12 months set up a task group to undertake a comprehensive process review to establish how the changes are working, be approved.

Reason for Recommendation:

To modernise the Planning Committee and to review and update all associated processes and procedures.