To note the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s report to Council proposing the continuation of the Scheme for Public Participation at Planning Committee as shown at Annex A and to determine whether the Committee wishes to make any comments to the Council to be considered alongside the report.

91.1           Attention was drawn to the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, circulated at Pages No. 142-172, which set out the Committee’s report to Council proposing the continuation of the Scheme for Public Participation at Planning Committee.  Members were asked to note the report and to determine whether the Planning Committee wished to make any comments to the Council to be considered alongside the report. 

91.2           The Democratic Services Group Manager explained that, at its meeting on 14 April 2015, the Council had resolved that a Scheme for Public Participation at Planning Committee be introduced for a one year trial period starting with the new term of the Council in May 2015 and so commenced with the Planning Committee in June.  At its meeting on 23 February 2016, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had established a Working Group to review the scheme which had been chaired by the Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee, Councillor R D East.  The Working Group had met on four occasions with the first two meetings focused on speaking to users and administrators of the scheme to gather their views.  Members were informed that there had been a lot of engagement and positive comments about the Committee, the scheme and the way it operated.  The third meeting of the Working Group had focused on best practice and a draft report had been presented at the final meeting which had subsequently been adopted by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting in April and was attached at Annex A to the report.  The report would be taken to the Council on 17 May 2016 and the Planning Committee was asked to determine if it wished to make any comments to be considered alongside the report.  The Chair of the Working Group reiterated the positive nature of the comments which had been received from users of the scheme.  The feedback had resulted in some minor amendments, as set out in the report, which it was hoped would enhance the scheme going forward.

91.3           Some Members raised concern regarding the layout of the Planning Committee meetings which had been amended to accommodate the public speakers.  It was explained that some of the users of the scheme had commented that Members had their backs to the speakers due to the way the room had been laid out and an alternative configuration had been trialled for the last two meetings as a result.  The Democratic Services Group Manager clarified that a different arrangement could be tried in future and this would not change the report which was being put forward to Council.  Another Member commented upon the changes to the Planning Committee procedure in respect of the debate and the opportunity for questions and he was informed that this was not related to the Scheme of Public Participation and was a matter for the Planning Committee to consider at another time if appropriate.

91.4           It was subsequently

RESOLVED          That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s report to Council proposing the continuation of the Scheme for Public Participation be NOTED as set out at Annex A and that no comments be put forward by the Planning Committee for consideration by the Council alongside the report.