Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report sets out details of the Government’s intention to allow local authorities to increase the fees for planning and related applications by 20% from July 2017 (as contained in the Housing White Paper) and the Council’s commitment to ensuring that the additional fee income is ‘ring fenced’ to the delivery of improvements to the planning service. The report sets out proposals to implement improvements.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Emma Curle on 0161 474 3542 or email: emma.curle@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out details of the Government’s intention to allow local authorities to increase the fees for planning and related applications by 20% from July 2017 (as contained in the Housing White Paper) and the Council’s commitment to ensuring that the additional fee income was ‘ring fenced’ to the delivery of improvements to the planning service. The report set out proposals to implement improvements through the creation of additional posts in the planning service, particularly in the areas of pre-applications, development engagement and monitoring, and conservation.

Further work would be undertaken to develop the proposals further and provide a more detailed and costed proposal with a view to commencing the recruitment process in early 2017/18.

The Executive Councillor (Economy and Regeneration) (Councillor Kate Butler) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

• The Scrutiny Committee was generally in favour of the proposals which aimed to improve the quality of the planning service that responded to applications promptly and facilitated quality development in the borough.
• There would be the opportunity to share expertise across Greater Manchester, for example Conservation Officers.
• The Government should be encouraged to review the fees for planning applications on an annual basis.
• Full cost recovery of the cost of processing planning applications would be problematic as most applications were householder applications.
• Most pre-application resulted in applications subsequently being submitted.

RESOLVED – That the Executive Meeting be advised that this Scrutiny Committee supports the proposals to implement improvements to the planning service as a result of the increase in planning application fees.