Agenda item

To seek Council authority to charge for pre planning application advice.

(Councillor Emma Webster declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Agenda item 15 by virtue of the fact that her employer submitted planning applications to the Council. She left the meeting and took no part in the debate or voting on the matter).

(Councillor Marcus Franks declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Agenda item 15 by virtue of the fact that his employer submitted planning applications. He/ left the meeting and took no part in the debate or voting on the matter).

(Councillor Tim Metcalfe declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Agenda item 15. He left the meeting and took no part in the debate or voting on the matter).

Councillors Webster, Franks and Metcalfe left the meeting at 8.28pm.

The Council considered a report (Agenda Item 15) seeking authority for the Council to charge for pre planning application advice.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Keith Chopping and seconded by Councillor Tony Vickers:

“That the Council adopts the proposed pre planning application advice and fees (as detailed in Appendix B).”

In introducing the item Councillor Chopping noted that Officers received many requests for informal advice prior to planning applications being submitted. This work would continue but in some cases more detailed advice was sought. This was a time consuming process and it was felt that it would be appropriate to charge for this service in line with what other authorities were already doing.  The issue of charging had been raised at the Development Industry Forum (DIF) who had supported the proposal. The charging was intended to be self funding and as the income and resource implications could not accurately be forecast it was intended that the fees would be reviewed at the March 2013 Council meeting. Councillor Chopping noted that following discussions at the DIF some minor amendments to the charging schedule were being proposed and he was therefore tabling the following amendment:

AMENDMENT: Proposed by Councillor Keith Chopping  and seconded by Councillor Tony Vickers:

That the Council:

“approves and adopts the motion set out in the report subject to Appendix B being amended to include the additional charges as set out below: 

Residential Development

Commercial Floorspace

”

Councillor Tony Vickers noted that he was happy to support the motion subject to the inclusion of the amendment. He felt that this was a positive step as Officer’s would be competing with private sector agents on a more equal footing and should increase competition.

Councillor Paul Bryant supported the proposal which he felt might result in the quality of planning application submissions being improved which should assist with streamlining the planning application process further.

The Amended Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

The substantive Motion was put to the meeting and duly RESOLVED.