Issue - meetings

In accordance with Standing Order 21, Cllr Tipp will move the following motion:-

Council notes that:

Angela Rayner (the Deputy Prime Minister) has published a planning and infrastructure bill designed to liberalise planning rules.  The Local Government Association has written to ministers to express reservations about this plan.

Council believes that:

The proposed changes to the role and remit of planning committees, as advanced by the government in their current consultation will lead to an unacceptable loss of democratic accountability and oversight.  It is the democratic role of councillors to be involved in the decision-making process of planning applications.  Removing the ability for councillors to discuss, debate or vote on key developments in their localities could erode public trust in the planning system and local government itself.

Council resolves:

That the Leader of the Council write directly to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and our Members of Parliament for New Forest East and West to reiterate our opposition to the proposed changes.  This is in addition to the detailed response that will be drafted in response to the consultation itself, and that will have been informed by engagement with Members, our current planning committee, our Place and Sustainability Overview and Scrutiny Panel and our Agents Panel.

Cllr Ward will second the motion.

Under the provisions of Standing Order 42, the above motion, after being proposed and seconded (without speeches), should stand referred to the body within whose terms of reference the subject matter of the motions comes, or the Cabinet or such Committees or Panels that the Council may determined.

The Chairman may allow the motion to be dealt with at this meeting if they consider it urgent, convenient or conducive to the despatch of business.

In accordance with Standing Order 21, Cllr Tipp moved the following motion:- 

This Council resolves that:-  

The Leader of the Council write directly to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government and our Members of Parliament for New Forest East and West to reiterate our opposition to the proposed changes.  This is in addition to the detailed response that will be drafted in response to the consultation itself, and that will have been informed by engagement with Members, our current planning committee, our Place and Sustainability Overview and Scrutiny Panel and our Agents Panel.  

Cllr Ward seconded the motion. 

A significant number of members spoke in support of the motion. Those who supported the motion raised concern in relation to the erosion of powers for both Councillors and the Planning Committee, loss of local knowledge, target driven planning, the quality of future housing and the difficulty in refusing a planning application if it didn’t provide affordable housing.     

It was also recognised that Town and Parish Councils had an important role in the planning process and this would be even more important following local government reorganisation.  

Members were pleased to see agreement across the Council on the motion as it showed that the concerns were strongly felt by everyone in the New Forest, as well as everyone in the country.  Cllr Tipp was thanked for bringing the motion to Council. 

RESOLVED: 

That the motion was supported.  

Council noted that: 

Angela Rayner (the Deputy Prime Minister) has published a planning and infrastructure bill designed to liberalise planning rules.  The Local Government Association has written to ministers to express reservations about this plan. 

Council believed that: 

The proposed changes will lead to the vast majority of planning decisions being made with no input from Councillors.  It is the democratic role of councillors to be involved in the decision making process of planning applications.  Removing the ability for councillors to discuss, debate or vote on key developments in their localities could erode public trust in the planning system and local government itself. 

Council resolved: 

That the Leader of the Council writes to Angela Rayner (the Deputy Prime Minister), outlining its opposition to this plan.  That the Place and Sustainability Overview and Scrutiny Panel prepares mechanisms for Councillors to express views on planning applications related to their ward. 

Note: the letter to the Secretary of State and the response from the Secretary of State are attached to these minutes.