Agenda item

To review the arrangements for determining the venue for meetings of the Strategic Planning Board following consideration of the matter by the Constitution Member Working Group.

The Committee considered a report reviewing the arrangements for determining the venue for meetings of the Strategic Planning Board following consideration of the matter by the Constitution Member Working Group.

Council at its meeting on 11^th October 2012 had approved the following recommendation of the Constitution Committee:

“That the Capesthorne Room, Macclesfield Town Hall and the Council Chamber, Municipal Buildings, Crewe be reserved in advance for every scheduled meeting of the Strategic Planning Board, with the room that is not required for a particular meeting being released at the appropriate time, the choice of venue to be at the discretion of the Chairman of the Strategic Planning Board in consultation with officers.”

Since then, the Committee had asked the Constitution Member Working Group to review the arrangements following concern expressed by some members about the choice of venue for a particular meeting of the Board. The Working Group had also been asked to undertake a more general review of the planning arrangements in Cheshire East to determine whether they were fit for purpose or whether alternative arrangements should be explored.

As set out in paragraph 4.9 of the report, the Working Group had concluded its review and had recommended the following revised arrangements:

“That the Capesthorne Room, Macclesfield Town Hall and the Council Chamber, Municipal Buildings, Crewe be reserved in advance for every scheduled meeting of the Strategic Planning Board, with the room that is not required for a particular meeting being released at the appropriate time, the choice of venue to be at the discretion of the Chairman of the Strategic Planning Board in consultation with the Vice-Chairman of the Board and officers, provided that in exercising such discretion, the Chairman will have regard to the following considerations:

§  the number of planning matters which are to be considered at the meeting in question and the proximity of the development sites to the two meeting venues;

§  the scale of the proposed development associated with the applications to be dealt with at the meeting in question; the complexity of issues associated with, or the controversial nature of, the proposed development, and the likely consequential public interest;

and that, once the Chairman has chosen a venue for the meeting, the Chairman’s fullreasons in support of that choice shall be summarised and communicated to all members of the Council via the notification email for the meeting.”

The Chairman of the Strategic Planning Board had been invited to the meeting but had been unable to attend. He had, however, submitted the following comments which were read out at the meeting:

“I am pleased to see your Working Group has recommended the choice of venue for SPB meetings is at the discretion of myself, in consultation with my vice chairman and officers. I feel this is the most acceptable solution.”

The Member Working Group was currently reviewing the terms of reference of the Strategic Planning Board and the Council’s wider planning arrangements and a further report would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

RESOLVED

That

1.    Council be recommended to approve that

a.    the revised arrangements for determining the venue for meetings of the Strategic Planning Board as recommended by the Constitution Member Working Group and set out in paragraph 4.9 of the report be approved; and

b.    the Constitution be amended to incorporate the arrangements into the Committee Procedure Rules and to allow any consequential amendments.

2.    the Committee note that the Constitution Member Working Group will report to a future meeting on the outcome of its review of the terms of reference of the Strategic Planning Board and the planning arrangements in general.