Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development

Exec Member Regeneration & Economic Development29 May 2008

INDIVIDUAL EXECUTIVE DECISION MAKING MEETING

EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR REGENERATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

RECORD OF DECISION

An Individual Executive Decision-Making meeting was held on 29 May 2008 at 10.30 am.

**PRESENT:

Councillor D Budd.

**OFFICIALS:

D Chew, L Marron, J Oliver and L Starrs.

pre-planning application advice charges

The Director of Regeneration submitted a report that sought approval on the introduction of charges for pre-planning application advice and other specialist planning services.

Central Government placed a great importance on the speedy turnaround of planning applications and set National Indicators for local authorities to monitor process. It encouraged local authorities to engage with and advise developers on planning applications.

In Middlesbrough, officers provided advice on schemes to applicants prior to their submission of formal planning applications. Particularly for larger projects, a considerable amount of time and resources could be spent on these pre-application discussions, which were currently free of charge and discretionary.

Powers were available to planning authorities to charge for pre-application advice. Government guidance required that income from charges should not exceed the costs of provision. Hence, the charges should be based on cost recovery. Pre-planning application charges had been actively promoted by the Audit Commission in its report, “Positively Charged”.

Furthermore, the recent review of the planning service undertaken by the Improvement and Development Agency, recommended that the Council should consider introducing charges for pre-application discussions.

A comprehensive review of options, which included charging, had been completed. The option appraisal was summarised in paragraphs 32 to 35 of the submitted report.

The introduction of pre-application charges would provide income that would help sustain the service and reduce the call on the Council tax payer. This principle accords with Government advice. Such charges would allow the Council to continue to provide advice to ensure that planning applications were prepared to meet the necessary quality standards. Provision had already been made in the agreed budgets for 2008/9 for the generation of £45,000 of new income in Development Control as a consequence of the introduction of such charges. However, there were risks involved in the charging for the service. The main risks were outlined in the submitted report.

A Pre-application Planning Advice Policy had been prepared and was attached as Appendix B to the submitted report. The Policy illustrated a guide to the service, the benefits the clients would receive and timescales and charges for the range of services provided.

ORDERED

That the introduction of charges for pre-planning application advice and other specialist services is approved, as set out in the schedule of charges in Appendix B.

REASON

The decision was supported by the following reason:

The option recommended presented the fairest method for the charging of discretionary planning services, whilst providing a valuable source of income to the Housing, Planning and Regeneration Service.

The decisions will come into force on 06 June 2008, which will be five working days after the publication of the decisions, unless the decisions become subject to the call-in procedure.

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