Scheme of Delegation for the Processing of Planning and Other Applications.

The New Rules as from 22nd April 2008 are as follows:-

• A councillor makes a written request for the application to be considered by the committee.

• The planning officer considers that the application could be controversial and should be considered by committee.

• A Town or Parish Council, an organisation listed in Appendix 5 in the Councils Statement of Community Involvement or a recognised Residents Association submits a representation contrary to the officer recommendation and this is supported with reasons such as planning policy or other material considerations

• The application would represent a significant departure from the policies of the statutory development plan.

• The proposal involves the Borough or County Council either as applicant or land owner and the scheme is a major application or involves significant works to a listed building (not of a minor nature).

• The applicant is a Borough Councillor.

• The applicant is a member of the council's management team; a service unit head; a member of Planning Services and or any member of staff within the authority who could be seen as having a direct input to, and therefore influence on, application decisions.

• Any other application from employees of SABC may be delegated subject to prior consultation with the chairman and vice chairman of the Development Control and Environmental Protection Committee.

• There are substantive objections from statutory consultees such as English Heritage or the Environment Agency raising material planning considerations.

• The officer is minded to approve or refuse an application and any of the following criteria apply:-
  1. For major applications, a petition expressing a contrary view on planning grounds signed by a minimum of 30 persons or letters from at least 10 individual households expressing a contrary view are received;
  2. For other applications (in Shrewsbury) letters from at least 10 individual households expressing a contrary view relating to material planning issues are received; and
  3. For other applications (in rural parishes) letters from at least 3 individual households expressing a contrary view relating to material planning issues are received.

It become apparent that there was a need to critically review the practice and procedures adopted by the Borough Council in determining planning applications. The primary objective was to maintain performance that provides applicants decisions in accordance with Government targets. Performance is measured in terms of the time taken to determine applications (8 weeks for most applications and 13 weeks for major applications).

Whilst the new Council for Shropshire will wish to determine a common set of procedures across the County the current scheme adopted by Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council is not in accordance with best practice and out of step with delegation arrangements at other Shropshire Councils where committee agendas seldom exceed 10 items.

Clearly, maximising the number of decisions made under delegated powers allows Councillors to focus on those applications that require additional scrutiny and where they can add value in reconciling conflicting pressures and interests.

It should be noted that most Councils now operate delegation schemes and well constructed operational arrangements allow the effective and speedy processing of the vast majority of non-contentious planning applications and proper democratic input to those of greater complexity, sensitivity and local significance.

The new scheme will allow all applications to be determined by the Planning Services Manager or authorised officers unless the application has to go to Committee under the new rules.