Issue - meetings

Report of the Borough Solicitor and Monitoring Officer on the proposed review of the Planning Code of Conduct

The report of the Monitoring Officer, circulated at Pages 7 -22 recommended a review of the Planning Code of Conduct which was last updated and approved in October 2006.  There had been significant changes in the meantime to the Standards/ Code of Conduct regime as a consequence of which the Code was not up to date, although the thrust of the advice contained in it and expected behaviours remained relevant and should be observed until its replacement is adopted.  However, the flowchart appended to the Code was completely out of date as it related to terminology in the Code of Conduct in place in 2006, since which there had been two major revisions.  In order to avoid confusion the flowchart had been removed from the version of the Planning Code published on the website. 

In order to ensure a thorough and comprehensive review of the Planning Code of Conduct, the Monitoring Officer recommended that a “task and finish” Working Group of Members and Officers should be set up to conduct the review in consultation with Members and with Officers involved in the Planning process.  The Working Group would then be able to recommend to the Standards Committee a revised Planning Code that would be up to date and tailored to the Council’s needs. 

Members discussed individual points of concern which it was hoped would be addressed by the Working Group.  One Member raised concern about use of social media in relation to planning matters and how this reflected on the public perception of the Council.  The Monitoring Officer advised that care needed to be taken in the use of Social Media which was a useful communication tool but Members would need to have regard to their responsibilities when acting as Planning Committee members and, of course, to the Code of Members’ Conduct.

A Member also referred to the difficulties for Members when being contacted by developers or objectors, often in long e-mails, and that felt that he could only respond by saying that he would take the representations into account.  He felt that, if he wanted to speak for objectors, he would have to stand down as a Committee Member for that meeting.  He hoped that the revised Planning Code would provide clarity for members and the public on this point.

Members recognised that the Planning Code did require refreshing and were in agreement with the composition and terms of reference for the Working Group as suggested in the report.

Upon a vote it was unanimously

RESOLVED that Councillor Flynn, Councillor Fisher and Mr Chittenden would form the Working Group to review the Planning Code of Conduct and prepare a revised code for consideration by the Standards Committee.  The review will include consideration of any recent best practice guidance from the Department for Communities and Local Government and other relevant professional and public bodies.  The review will include consultation, as appropriate, with Members and Officers.