Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:            1)         That the recruitment of the following new posts be approved:

·           1 x Principal Planner

·           6 x Planning Officers

·           1 x System and Performance officer

·           1 x Ecologist

·           1 x Cil Officer

·           1 x Technical Support Team Leader

·           1 x Technical Support Officer

·           1 x Arboricultural assistant/officer

·           1 x Enforcement Officer

·           1 x Enforcement Support Officer

2)    That the planning fee income in the budget be increased from £1.1 million to £2 million to more accurately reflect the income received over the past 3 years and the increase in planning fees set out in the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill.

Reason for Decision

To provide sufficient capacity and expertise to enable the DM team to respond to the number and complexity of planning applications and to provide sufficient resilience within the team; and

To enable planning applications to be determined more speedily and to achieve the performance measures that will be outlined in the Bill

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Cabinet considered a report which explained that in order to increase capacity within the Development Management team to reflect increased workloads and the need to provide an acceptable level of service to those engaged in the planning process.  The structure will also respond to the changes put forward in the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill in respect of planning and in particular the need to improve speed and quality of decision making.

The Corporate Performance Panel had considered the item and supported the recommendations.

Under standing order 34 Councillor Moriarty presented the recommendations from the Panel and informed Members that he welcomed the recommendations.

In debating the recommendations Cabinet recognised the workloads currently on staff, and the need to assist with those levels and provide an enhanced service to the customers.  It was also noted that there were new requirements on planning departments recently introduced by the government which would require some of the posts proposed.

The Leader reassured staff that this proposal was not a criticism of the hard work carried out by the existing staff.

RESOLVED:            1)         That the recruitment of the following new posts be approved:

·           1 x Principal Planner

·           6 x Planning Officers

·           1 x System and Performance officer

·           1 x Ecologist

·           1 x Cil Officer

·           1 x Technical Support Team Leader

·           1 x Technical Support Officer

·           1 x Arboricultural assistant/officer

·           1 x Enforcement Officer

·           1 x Enforcement Support Officer

2)    That the planning fee income in the budget be increased from £1.1 million to £2 million to more accurately reflect the income received over the past 3 years and the increase in planning fees set out in the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill.

Reason for Decision

To provide sufficient capacity and expertise to enable the DM team to respond to the number and complexity of planning applications and to provide sufficient resilience within the team; and

To enable planning applications to be determined more speedily and to achieve the performance measures that will be outlined in the Bill