Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report which provided an update on the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). 

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 required planning authorities to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement.  Oldham Council adopted its first SCT in 2007.  The SCI identified how the Council would involve the community in the preparation and revision of the Local Plan and the consideration of planning applications.  The SCI was reviewed in 2010, 2016 and 2019 to take account of changes to national planning guidance and legislation.  The SCI also set out policies for giving advice or assistance on neighbourhood planning.

In addition, the ten Greater Manchester authorities agreed to produce Greater Manchester’s Plan for Homes, Jobs and the Environment – the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF).  The GMSF will provide the overarching framework to strategically manage sustainable growth and development across the conurbation over the next twenty years or so.  The SCI set out how the community and other stakeholders would be involved in the preparation of the GMSF.

Since the SCI was reviewed and adopted in 2019, the planning department had been considering service improvement to work towards a more efficient service related to determining planning applications.  It was considered necessary to update the SCI for the introduction of proposals which included:

·                  make clear that statutory consultees, councillors and Oldham Partnership received an email or letter with details of strategic planning consultations rather than an electronic copy of the documents;

·                  publicise planning applications by site notices and/or neighbour notification letters, removing the requirement to do both, where it is not deemed necessary;

·                  removing copies of planning applications being available in paper files.  Planning applications would be available online.  This reduced time spent by officers creating paper files;

·                  make submitting representations on planning applications to online only.  This was to reduce the time spent by officers scanning and saving representations to ensure that planning applications could be handled efficiently; and

·                  reduce the number of planning officer reports written in relation to recommendations made on minor planning applications.  The draft SCI removed reference to officer reports.  Planning Officer reports would not be written for every planning application, particularly where they were minor in nature.  This was to ensure that planning officers could issue decisions as efficiently as possible. There would be notes on file that would clearly show that the officer had taken account of relevant material.

The SCI had also been updated to reflect the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 to allow Local Plan consultations and development management decisions to continue to progress during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Members sought and received clarification on minor decisions.

Members sought clarification on the contact number for those people who were not proficient on electronic access and where it was directed.  Members were informed that the contact number would be for the Planning Section and usually to the relevant case officer.  Members also sought clarification on the Equality Impact Assessment which was referred to as EIA and EQIA in the document.  Members were informed that this would be clarified in the document.

Members asked if face-to-face access would still be available and informed that there was still access via teams on email.  Whilst the pandemic was still live face-to-face was not possible.   

Members asked if the new ways of working would reduce the amount of time taken for a decision.  The guidance was within a set timeframe but it was hoped the new way of working would provide a quicker service.

Members asked with the transition from paper to online, how much of lapse there would be in uploading decisions and clarification on appeals.  Members were informed that timelines wold not change.  Decisions would be issued via email or through the portal and was part of the standard processes and procedures. Decisions had to be published in line with legislation and there was a due process to follow for appeals within legislative timelines.

Members expressed concern about accessibility to the portal and online services for residents did not have electronic access via a mobile or other means.    Members were informed that lessons had been learned about access whilst in lockdown and working remotely.  The number of applications received had gone up.  Officers were available to provide pre-application advice on how do make applications.  People were to be encouraged to get in contact so they could be guided through the process.  When libraries reopened, access to technology would become easier.

Members asked at what point did an application become major.  It was clarified that this was defined in legislation with examples of number of dwellings or size of the commercial venture.  The explanation of a major application would be provided to members separately.

Members asked about pre-application advice and were advised that this was a now a paid service.  The costs were determined in categories with different thresholds depending on the time and support needed. 

Members asked about the capacity to store the information online and back-up plans If the system went down.   Members were informed that work on the system was progressing, however, this had been slowed down due to the pandemic.  It was hoped that the system would be live later this year, there would be a period of transition and there was back up support.  

Members commented that the document contained a significant amount of information and how this would be presented to members of the public which could be a challenge and asked if this could be broken down into separate policy areas to be readily accessible.  Members were informed that terminology and jargon used would be clarified, and the various documents within the consultation accessible for this document as well as other planning documentation.

Members made reference to the Oldham Partnership.  Members were informed that Oldham Partnership was a set membership.  However, they did receive public questions.

Members made reference to the move to Place Based Integration and if the SCI would work effectively in the hubs.  Members were informed that the SCI had not evolved that far yet.  Assets would be utilised for focus groups in terms of collective representation.

Members referred to the number of queries that they, as elected members, received with regard to planning applications and sometimes acting as advocates for residents and/or organisations.  Some members were not familiar with online processes.  Members were informed that they would be kept updated as part of service improvements with regular briefings for all members and that one would be arranged.

RESOLVED that the proposed policy and the comments made by the Overview and Scrutiny Board members be noted.