Changes that could see fewer applications discussed by councillors are criticised

Changes have been approved which will see fewer planning applications automatically referred to councillors without being called in by objectors.

Valerie Hulme, Telford & Wrekin Council’s development management service delivery manager, presented an updated Planning Scheme of Delegation for councillors to approve at their planning meeting last week.

The call-in process will remain the same with ward councillors or parish councils able to put plans before the planning committee for consideration, along with if there are ‘a number’ of public objections.

However, some changes were made due to the Government looking to speed up the decision-making process.

Major applications should be determined in 13 weeks and other applications in eight weeks. The time before an applicant can ask for a refund of their application fee, if a decision is not made, has also been reduced.

Councillor Nigel Dugmore raised his concerns about the change in policy regarding which schemes are brought before the planning committee.

He highlighted that developments which ‘departed from policy but planning officers recommended for approval’ would no longer be brought before committee members.

He said: “Surely that’s part of the reason why we have a planning committee, is to analyse these things and to discuss them in an open debate - to make sure that officer decisions are actually being scrutinised.”

Biodiversity Net Gain will also be considered ‘in most development’ going forward through Section 106 agreements.

As part of the new Planning Scheme of Delegation, not all future Section 106 agreements, which also cover financial agreements and affordable housing, will be considered by the planning committee.

Councillor Dugmore added: “I don’t agree with dropping that. I’m a bit concerned about Section 106 applications which deliver contributions and affordable housing.

“I don’t think any of us have not had some comment on affordable housing as it’s so important, basically I see it being kicked under the table and we don’t have any right of redress unless we’re reading through every application to see if it fits the criteria and we call it in.

“I would rather the criteria of coming before the planning committee was left as it is.”

Mrs Hulme said that if councillors wanted to continue considering each Section 106 agreement then it would result in more applications coming forward and holding more committee meetings.

She said that there would also be implications on the council’s department to undertake that work.

“We’ll be looking to aim to get those Section 106 agreements out within a 16-week period of the application landing,” said Mrs Hulme.

In response Councillor Dugmore added: “That’s why we’re here. We are here to scrutinise the applications. There are fewer applications going to be brought forward, so how are planning applications being scrutinised by us as representatives?

“Once it’s happened, that’s it. There have been some real major applications which have been approved that I have only found out about by reading in the newspaper, I didn’t even know anything about it.

“I just think that there’s a loss of democratic control. I would leave it (the call-in procedure) as it is.

“We see far fewer applications now than we ever did. Tonight there’s only one application, there used to be eight or nine applications to consider at each planning meeting.

“We’ve not hit that number for quite a few considerable years now. That’s maybe good or not. We need to be a bit careful that we’re giving up what I think is quite important duties.

“We’ve got very experienced [council] officers, but everybody needs to have an overview and scrutiny on all the decisions.

“Once these decisions have been taken there’s nothing we can do about it then. We don’t have any input and I don’t think that it’s a good idea.”

The majority of councillors voted to approve the Planning Scheme of Delegation changes with Councillor Dugmore and Councillor Steve Bentley voting against the amended scheme.