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Agenda item

PAS Peer Review and Action Plan

Purpose

That the Committee scrutinises the report and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to Cabinet on 9 July 2025.

 

Cabinet Member

Councillor Juliet Layton

 

Lead Officer

Geraldine LeCointe

 

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to seek the Council’s endorsement of the findings of the PAS (Planning Advisory Service) Planning Service Peer Challenge report (May 2025) and the proposed Action Plan.

 

The Cabinet Member for Planning and the Head of Planning made the following points:

  • The Planning Advisory Service conducted a peer challenge to assess strengths and identified areas for improvement.
  • Challenges included COVID and interim agency directors, but the appointment of the Assistant Director of Planning Services and Director of Communities and Place had been welcomed.

 

In questioning and discussion, it was noted that:

  • Responsibility for plan actions would be shared among several heads of service. Development management and enforcement functions would be directly led, with senior leadership providing overall oversight. Some proposed timescales were acknowledged as ambitious.
  • The action plan was a living document, reviewed periodically to track progress. Updates were to be reported to the portfolio holder. Positive outcomes would be shared publicly. The process would align with the corporate plan, feeding into service plans, KPIs, team plans, and individual objectives, all regularly reviewed to ensure continuous improvement and accountability.
  • Planning enforcement remained challenging, but improvements were underway. Priorities included updating the Local Enforcement Plan to set expectations, clarifying case prioritisation, and improving public communication. Team processes would be overhauled to reduce admin burdens, enhance IT use, and introduce a triage system. Recruitment to permanent posts was expected by the end of November, as current agency contracts were unsustainable beyond then.
  • A Developer Forum was planned, with the first session anticipated in 2026. Sessions would be structured and themed to ensure focused discussion and manageable officer involvement.
  • Officers were exploring AI tools to improve efficiency in reporting and correspondence. Senior leadership and communications were committed to the responsible adoption of new technology.
  • Members requested clearer updates on enforcement cases in their wards, including triage details where confidentiality permits. The enforcement team valued member engagement and aimed to reinstate regular updates, though resources currently limited this.
  • Concerns were raised about past validation processes allowing incomplete applications, causing delays and decision risks. Pre-application advice was encouraged but extensions remained necessary to ensure full consultee input and avoid rushed decisions. A flexible negotiation protocol existed but required more consistent use. Clear service level agreements with consultees would help manage expectations and support decision-making.
  • The review highlighted that the planning and enforcement team was positive and engaged but required improved processes, IT systems, and tools, such as AI and enhanced performance management, to boost efficiency and effectiveness.
  • The team planned to better utilise the Enterprise case management system to automate key stages, notifications, and feedback. Performance management improvements, using tools like Power BI and Idox Insights were underway and expected soon.
  • Service level agreements were developed to formalise collaboration between planning teams, with set expectations and deadlines. Regular reviews and meetings were planned to improve cohesion and efficiency. Tools like Idox supported this process.

16:47 – Councillor Harris left the chamber.

 

The following recommendations were made to Cabinet:

1.      That ward members are key local contacts for officers to engage and interface with in terms of planning enforcement activities.

2.      That the Council encourages the use of existing functionality that is available but not utilised to its full capacity.

3.      That the Council prioritises recruitment to vacant posts within Planning Enforcement, notwithstanding the recruitment challenges faced by local government.

 

Councillor David Cunningham proposed supporting the recommendations of the PAS Review and submitting 3 recommendations to Cabinet and Councillor Tony Slater seconded the proposal.

 

RESOLVED: to APPROVE the PAS Review.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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