Consideration was given to a
report that presented the draft pre-application
process. The report highlighted that
the draft had been subject to a consultation exercise and 20
representations had been made. As a
consequence of these representations, there were two main areas of
the process that were being recommended to be changed. These were:
1.
The interaction with Members and local town and
parish councils; and
2.
The publication of both pre-application submissions
and the Councils response.
In the ensuing debate,
reference was made to:-
(a)
suggested
further revisions to the process. The Panel requested that the following revisions
also be made:
1.
replacement of the word ‘we’ with the
term ‘the Council’;
2.
move the definitions from the end to the beginning
of the Policy; and
3.
expand upon reference to ‘disclosures’
in the Policy;
(b) the importance
of applicants engaging with their local neighbours from the
offset. Whilst acknowledging that early
engagement was very important, the Panel did also recognise that
the Council could not force applicants to hold public meetings
and/or engage with their local neighbours;
(c)
the involvement of local Ward Members.
Officers committed to take every possible step to ensure that local
Ward Members were able to attend pre-application
meetings. In addition, the Panel also
made the point that Members needed to be on the front foot and
contact officers if they were particularly interested in a matter
as soon as the weekly pre-application list was produced.
It was then:
RECOMMENDED
That the Panel RECOMMEND that the Executive RECOMMEND to
Council that the draft Pre-Application process (as outlined in
Appendix 1 of the presented agenda report) be approved, subject to
inclusion of the following revisions:
1. replacement of
the word ‘we’ with the term ‘the
Council’;
2. move the
definitions from the end to the beginning of the Policy;
and
3. expand upon
reference to ‘disclosures’ in the Policy.