Issue - meetings

The Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Community Services submitted a report on the performance of key indicators for Environment Scrutiny Committee for the period October to December 2014. 

In respect of EHPI 2.1e – Planning Enforcement: Service of formal notices, Councillor Woodward expressed concerns regarding planning enforcement in general.  He referred in particular, to action regarding listed buildings, unauthorised signage and Article 4 directions regarding trees.

The Director of Neighbourhood Services advised that a full time post in planning enforcement was currently going through the recruitment process.  Members were advised that overall performance should improve once the post was filled.  The Director stated that enforcement policy prioritised more serious matters such as the protection of listed buildings, with issues such as unauthorised advertisements being given a lesser priority.

Councillor Woodward commented that his general concerns regarding planning enforcement extended to when the team had been operating at full strength.  He stressed that this was a fundamental issue that needed to be addressed.

The Chairman asked whether Members were happy to add EHPI 2.1e to the request from the joint meeting of Scrutiny that Environment Scrutiny Committee review EHPI2.1d with a view to raising the 2015/16 target from 75% to a higher figure regarding Planning Enforcement: Initial Site Inspections.  This was supported.

The Committee received the report.

RESOLVED – that (A) the reported performance for the period October to December 2014 be received; and

(B)   EHPI 2.1e (Planning Enforcement: Service of formal notices) be added to the request from the joint meeting of Scrutiny that Environment Scrutiny Committee review EHPI2.1d (Planning Enforcement: Initial Site Inspections) at Environment Scrutiny Committee on 9 June 2015.