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Agenda item

Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Peer Review and Action Plan

Purpose

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.

 

Recommendation(s)

  1. ENDORSE the PAS Planning Service Peer Challenge Report (May 2025) and its recommendations, and to endorse the resultant Action Plan for implementation.
  2. AGREE to publish the report and the accompanying Action Plan on the CDC Planning and Building web pages.

 

Decision:

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

 

Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet member for Housing and Planning, introduced the item.

 

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Layton and seconded by Councillor Evemy with a change to the wording of the recommendations.

 

RESOLVED that Cabinet

  1. Welcomed the PAS Planning Service Peer Challenge Report (May 2025) and its recommendations and agreed the resultant Action Plan for implementation.
  2. Agreed to publish the report and the accompanying Action Plan on the CDC Planning and Building web pages.

 

Voting Record:

6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstain.

Minutes:

The purpose of the report was to invite Cabinet to welcome the findings of the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Planning Service Peer Challenge report (May 2025) and to agree the proposed Action Plan

 

Before inviting Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, to introduce the report, the Leader of the Council confirmed a minor amendment to the recommendations. The word “endorse” was to be replaced with “welcome” in reference to the report, and Cabinet was to “agree” the resultant action plan rather than “endorse” it, as the action plan would be owned and implemented by Cabinet.

 

Councillor Juliet Layton introduced the item and confirmed that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the report. She also noted that both she and the report authors had attended the Overview and Scrutiny meeting to address any questions and provide clarification.

 

Councillor Layton advised that the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) had conducted a peer review of the planning service from 25 to 27 March 2025, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to assess strengths and identify areas for improvement. The review highlighted the strength and collaborative approach of the planning team, with particular praise for the positive working culture.

 

The newly appointed Assistant Director of Planning Services and the Director of Communities and Place were present during the feedback session, contributing to a sense of stability and renewed leadership. An action plan had since been developed in response to the PAS recommendations, and confidence was expressed in the team’s ability to deliver the actions within the proposed timescales.

 

Geraldine LeCointe, Assistant Director of Planning Services, introduced herself to Cabinet and confirmed that she had joined the Council during the week of the PAS peer review. The officer noted the positive feedback received across all areas of the planning service, including policy, development management, and enforcement and confirmed that all 13 recommended actions would be taken forward, recognising this as an ambitious but achievable plan, supported by a strong team and aimed at improving services for residents and stakeholders. Regular updates on progress would be provided to Councillor Layton, and the action plan was seen as a valuable foundation for future local government reorganisation.

 

The Leader then invited Councillor Gina Blomefield, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to give the committee's view. 

 

Cabinet received and appreciated three key recommendations from Overview and Scrutiny, as outlined by Councillor Blomefield:

  1. Planning Enforcement Resourcing – Councillor Blomefield highlighted long-standing concerns about whether planning enforcement was sufficiently resourced, noting the imminent departure of a valued officer.

Cabinet recognised the challenges in recruitment and retention and confirmed that resourcing enforcement would remain a priority within existing planning team resources, noting that the issue was not budgetary but due to difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.

 

  1. Improved Communication Between Officers and Ward Members – It was recommended that enforcement officers engage more regularly with local ward members, where appropriate, to share insights and potentially resolve cases more swiftly.

Cabinet agreed to arrange an all-member briefing on planning enforcement to promote shared understanding of legal constraints, improve communication, and strengthen working relationships between officers and members.

 

  1. Better Use of Technology – Councillor Blomefield stressed the importance of enabling officers to make full use of available technology and AI, not just through access but through adequate training and process support.

Cabinet welcomed this and confirmed that the transformation team would prioritise digital innovation and user support to maximise the benefits of existing and future IT systems.

 

All three recommendations were well received, clearly understood, and considered valuable contributions to the improvement of the planning service.

 

The Assistant Director of Planning expressed full support for improving communication with ward members and highlighted the national challenges in recruiting enforcement officers. It was reported that the service was actively exploring internal options, including the potential redeployment of an experienced planning officer into an enforcement role.

 

It was noted that enforcement was a frequent concern at Town and Parish Council meetings. The gap between public expectations and the practical realities of enforcement was acknowledged, and improved communication was suggested as a way to help manage this.

 

Councillor Evemy committed to liaising with the Head of Communications to support officers in improving communications, including communications to members.

 

Councillor Layton proposed the recommendations, which were seconded by Councillor Evemy with the inclusion of the word ‘welcome’ and ‘agree’ as moved earlier in the discussion.

 

The recommendations as amended were put to the vote and agreed by Cabinet.

 

Voting Record

6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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