Agenda and draft minutes

To report any changes to the membership.

1.1       An apology for absence was received from Councillor Robert Rigby

To receive and record declarations of interest.

2.1       Cllr David Boothroyd declared that he was Head of Research and Psephology      for Thorncliffe, whose clients were companies applying for planning           permission from various local authorities. No current schemes were in            Westminster; if there were he would be precluded from working on them   under the company’s code of conduct.

To sign the minutes of the last meeting as a correct record of proceedings.

3.1       That the Minutes of the Planning and City Development Committee meeting      held on 20 June 2019 be approved.

Report of the Director of Place Shaping and Town Planning.

 4.1      The Committee received a report from the Director of Place Shaping       and Town Planning providing an update on the Planning Review             programme of work to deliver improvements to the processes and practices             of the planning service to address the findings of the review carried out by the             Planning Advisory Service (PAS), which informed the recommendations that made to Cabinet on 25 October 2018, and which the Cabinet resolved to     endorse. The progress on the implementation of the Planning Review             programme was previously reported to the Planning and City       Development Committee on 20 June 2019. These included: -

4.2        Review of Public Speaking at Planning Applications Sub-Committees

·       Members welcomed the findings following the review of public speaking at the Planning Applications Sub-Committees and noted that the feedback provided were largely positive and that speakers understood the procedures and process. The Sub-Committee was advised that a visible clock which enable speakers to gauge the time remaining to speak was to be introduced. Members were informed that the speaking procedure rules would be amended to allow previous speakers to be given priority to address the Sub-Committees on Applications that had previously been deferred.

·       Members agreed that all the Sub-Committees should have two speaking slots for both Objectors and Supporters. This is to ensure that interested persons are given the full allocated time to address the Sub-Committee and reduce occurrences where a single ‘speakers’ slot was shared between two or more speakers. Members noted that speakers who supported an Application addressed the Sub-Committee first and some commented whether this should be amended to allow objectors to be the first speaker, but the majority of the committee agreed to continue with the current position.

4.3        Live Streaming at Sub-Committees

·       The live streaming of the Planning Applications Sub-Committees will start in February 2020. The requisite equipment for streaming meetings has been installed in the Committee Rooms at 64 Victoria Street. Members commented that the live streaming of meeting may affect the number of requests to make verbal representation at the Sub-Committees and requested that this be reviewed and reported back at the next Committee.

4.4        Pre-Application Community And Ward Member Engagement

·       Members noted that the Pre-Application Community And Ward Member Engagement schemes was still in the preliminary stages and urged that the process is made informal. The Sub-Committee noted that the forums would be multi-disciplinary and would comprise of residents, officers and councillors. These bodies would also provide better opportunities for lobbying and ensure that all Ward Councillors are involved in the early stages of the planning applications and allow interested parties to influence decisions. The Forum will provide a mechanism which enables developers to test the viability of their application before entering the formal planning statutory process.

·       The proposed scheme would encourage early engagement from planning developers and help to formalise this process. Members commented that at some Sub-Committee's it was clear that some developers had not engaged with interested parties. The Committee noted that developers may wish to engage with stakeholders independently and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Report of the Director of Place Shaping and Town Planning

5.1      The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the revised ‘Guidance for Members Making Planning Decisions’ document, which is designed to help Members of the Planning Applications Sub-Committees to understand their responsibilities and to enable them to make robust and consistent planning decisions. The guidance document was revised and updated by the Legal Services in early 2019 following the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Review of the planning service in 2018 and the recommendations made by Cabinet on 25 October 2018, following the conclusion of the PAS Review. The revised and updated guidance document was reported to the Standards Committee on 12 July 2019, which endorsed the updated document, with only minor amendments recommended which have now been incorporated.

Resolved:

That the Planning And City Development Committee have regard to the revised

And updated ‘Guidance for Members Making Planning Decisions’ dated 31 July

2019 when carrying out their role as member of one of the Planning

Applications Sub-Committees.

Report of the Director of Place Shaping and Town Planning

6.1          The Committee received a report from the Director of Place Shaping and Town      Planning providing an update on the draft London Plan, which is expected to be adopted in February/ March 2020. Following adoption, the draft London Plan        will form part of the development plan for Westminster and will be a significant                 material consideration in the assessment of planning applications within the                 City. Where current UDP and City Plan policies are in conflict with the new       London Plan, greater weight would be attributable to the London Plan as it                 would be the more recently adopted policy document.

6.2          Members were advised that the City Plan must refer to the London City Plan and that there were currently no contentions with the latter. There is however scope to divert from some policies in areas where a local approach is deemed more appropriate

6.3          Members noted that the Inspectors Panel were critical over the volume of the draft London Plan and that the document contained over 500 pages. There have      been recommendations on how the document could be reduced and suggestions          were made that there be more focus on ‘strategic outcomes’ rather than                 ‘implementation’. Members suggested that this approach should also be adopted           for the City Plan.

6.4          The Sub-Committee was advised that the London Mayor was not required to        adopt the recommendations made by the EIP and was required to provide                reasons for departing from them to the Secretary of State.

Resolved:

That the contents of the report be noted.

Report of the Head of Committee and Governance Services

7.1      The Committee received a report which sought approval to establish a      further Planning Applications Sub-Committee - Planning Applications Sub-Committee (3) from 1 January 2020. The new Sub-Committee will         have the same Terms of Reference as the existing Planning       Applications Sub-Committees.

7.2      Members noted that the additional Planning Application Sub-  Committee will ensure greater flexibility in the planning decision making            process and minimise occurrences where sub-committee members   deliberate on planning applications which are situated in their Wards.

Resolved:

1.     That a Planning Application Sub-Committee (3) be established from 1 January 2020.

2.     That the Terms of Reference for the existing Planning Applications Sub-Committees be applied to Planning Application Sub-Committee (3) and that the Constitution be updated to reflect the additional sub-committee.

·       Code of Conduct

8.1       The Committee were informed that the Members’ Code of Conduct was being          reviewed and that the revised protocol would be brought to a future   meeting.