TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington will decide next week whether to give the go ahead to a major shake-up of the borough council’s development control system.
The proposals, due to be discussed at a council meeting next Monday, (Dec 14) would involve scrapping the existing development control committee and replacing it with two committees.
There would be a 12-strong development management committee, which would consider major strategic planning applications and those which attracted at least 50 objections, as well as a planning applications sub-committee, with five members, which would deal with minor and householder applications and non-strategic major applications.
Each committee would meet every three weeks – although it is accepted that the development management committee might sometimes be able to meet less frequently.
Coun Les Hoyle, is chairman of the working group proposing the changes.
In a report to the council, he says: “Whilst it would be naive to expect to be able to operate the planning process to the satisfaction of everyone, it has been accepted that the time is right to carry out a comprehensive appraisal of the manner in which the public face of the process operates.”
Under the new arrangement, the chairman of the management committee would also chair the sub-committee – and the five members of the sub-committee would be drawn from the larger committee on a politically proportionate basis to serve for a term of six months.
The existing scheme of delegation – where officers deal with non-contentious minor applications – would continue.
But ward councillors or town or parish councils would be able to refer applications to one or other of the new committees
A working group set up by the environment and housing overview and scrutiny committee is recommending the changes.
The aim is to make planning meetings more “user friendly” for the public, manage meeting more effectively and fairly and to enable larger, strategic planning applications to be considered in more depth. It is believed the changes would result in shorter meetings and reduce waiting times.
Town and parish councils across the borough have been consulted – and the majority have indicated opposition to the proposals.
