Agenda item

At its meeting on 12 July 2023, the Executive Committee considered the Planning Partnership Contribution and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that a virement of £120,000 from the local pay review budget to the Planning Partnership base budget be approved and that the new Planning Policy Officer post (included in the 2023-24 budget as a growth item) be moved to the Planning Partnership budget (ca. £40,000).

43.9          At its meeting on 12 July 2023, the Executive Committee considered a report in relation to resourcing the preparation of a development plan for the borough and agreed to recommend to Council that a virement of £120,000 from the local pay review budget to the Planning Partnership base budget be approved and that the new Planning Policy Officer post (included in the 2023/24 budget as a growth item) be moved to the Planning Partnership budget (ca. £40,000).

43.10        The report which was considered by the Executive Committee had been circulated with the Agenda for the current meeting at Pages No. 19-22.

43.11        The Lead Member for Built Environment proposed the recommendation of the Executive Committee and it was seconded by the Leader of the Council as Chair of the Executive Committee.  The Lead Member for Built Environment advised that the Planning Partnership between Gloucester City, Cheltenham Borough and Tewkesbury Borough Councils had existed since 2008/09 and, since that date, all partner councils had contributed £60,000 per annum.  This had been regularly topped-up with one-off amounts due to the true cost of delivering the Joint Core Strategy.  As such, this report intended to ensure accurate budgeting for the full cost of preparing a development plan for the borough.  As she had mentioned in the previous Agenda Item, it was vital that plans were kept up-to-date; however, that was not easy and the replacement of the Joint Core Strategy was already overdue.  In particular, all local plans were tested by a government inspector to assess whether the duty to co-operate had been complied with, especially where housing needs arising in tightly constrained urban areas needed to be met in part in adjoining rural areas; the plan was based on robust evidence including assessment of alternative strategy options; and the plan had been subject to statutory stages of public consultation.  Following a review in 2022 looking at the resources needed to produce the next joint and local plan, Deloitte LLP worked out that each district council would need to contribute £220,000 per annum going forwards.  Cheltenham Borough and Gloucester City Council had already agreed the increased budgetary contribution and Tewkesbury Borough Council needed to do the same in order to ensure the partnership continued in the future.  The additional £160,000 per annum would be comprised of two parts; the new Planning Policy Officer agreed in the 2023/24 budget would now transfer to the Joint Core Strategy budget, and the remaining £120,000 would be taken from the budget set aside to meet the outcomes of the local pay review – this review was complete and the balance of £126,425 was no longer required to fund further pay increases.  Making provision for sufficient funding at this early stage in the process would ensure the programme was fully resourced and fit for purpose. 

43.12        A Member noted that £120,000 needed to be found for this financial year and questioned how many more financial years needed to be funded and where that money would come from.  In response, the Executive Director: Resources advised that £120,000 would be coming out of the 2023/24 budget and would be set aside to deal with recruitment and other relevant issues so there would be no requirement to find more money.  It was an ongoing cost and the current programme looked at the next four years, which covered the length of the Medium Term Financial Plan, but there was a question about what happened after that and whether more money would be needed.  A Member sought clarification as to whether Gloucestershire County Council was contributing and confirmation was provided that the County Council contribution would be £60,000 per year.

43.13        Upon being put to the vote, it was

RESOLVED          1. That a virement of £120,000 from the local pay review budget to the Planning Partnership base budget be APPROVED.

2. That the new Planning Policy Officer post (included in the 2023-24 budget as a growth item) be moved to the Planning Partnership budget (ca. £40,000).