Number of councillors on planning committee to be reduced

THE number of councillors on a South Wales council’s planning committee will be reduced, while decisions made under delegated powers will be revised under changes approved by the council.

Changes approved at a full Caerphilly council meeting this week aim to create “a more efficient, output driven service” in determining planning applications.

There are 20 councillors on the council’s planning committee – one of the largest in Wales – but this will now be reduced to 16.

The report also highlights that “significant resources” were deployed to train all 20 members last year, with a smaller committee seen as being able to adapt more quickly to changes.

Meanwhile changes to the process of determining planning applications will also be made.

Any applications which are considered to be a “major development” will be determined by the planning committee, rather than under delegated powers which they can be at present.

But decisions on more minor and householder applications should not be made by the planning committee under the revised scheme.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Independent group leader Cllr Kevin Etheridge raised concerns that more decisions would be made under delegated powers under the changes.

Cllr Etheridge called for a decision on the changes to be deferred, and asked for a working group of cross-party councillors to be set up to further assess the issue.

However Cllr Sean Morgan, deputy leader, said the changes had already come before scrutiny committees, and that there had been “ample opportunity” to examine the report.

Independent councillor Nigel Dix questioned how many ward councillors would be able to speak at a planning committee meeting.

Ryan Thomas, planning services manager, said that only one member from each political group in a ward “should normally exercise speaking rights”.

He said this was to make “business more efficient”, and to avoid councillors speaking about the same issues.

Mr Thomas said that more than one councillor from a political group in a ward could only speak if they had opposing views.

The new planning rules also state that an objection from a consultee on a planning application should not trigger an automatic requirement for it to be considered by the planning committee.

But all applications submitted by any council officer involved in the planning process or a councillor will go before the planning committee for determination.