Issue - meetings

[To approve the proposed principles for the Council’s response to the current Government Planning consultations]

1.      That the proposed principles for a City of Wolverhampton Council response to the current Government Planning Consultations set out in paragraphs 3.6, 3.8, 4.8, 4.12, 4.15, 4.19 and 4.21 of the report be approved.

2.      That the feedback from Scrutiny Board on Wolverhampton Response to Government Planning Consultations be received and noted.

The intention to make a key decision on the report ‘Wolverhampton Response to Government Planning Consultations’ at the meeting was not publicised in advance as required by the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.  The decision was urgent and could not be reasonably delayed for the following reasons:

‘The report was required to approve the Council's response to a consultation issued without prior notice by the Government in August with a deadline of end of October. In order to submit the response by the required deadline the decision must be taken without waiting 28 days.’

in light of the above consent had been obtained for the key decision to be made at the meeting under the General Exception provisions.

Councillor Stephen Simkins presented the report on the Council's response to Government consultations on planning reforms. He highlighted some of the potential implications for Wolverhampton from the reforms and sought approval to the proposed principles for the Council’s response to the consultations. In doing so he reported that Scrutiny Board had considered a report on the consultations on 29 September 2020. The Board’s observations and recommendations to Cabinet on the proposed response had been circulated to Cabinet members for their consideration.

Cabinet members also expressed their concerns at the proposals in the planning reforms, highlighting the potential impact on local decision making and the role of the Planning Committee; that the proposals would be a developers charter and could see a return to sub-standard developments; the replacing of section 106 contributions and the Community Infrastructure Levy with a national levy without the flexibility to adapt to local viability and infrastructure requirements; and concerns for the green belt area around the City.

Resolved:

1.    That the proposed principles for a City of Wolverhampton Council response to the current Government Planning Consultations set out in paragraphs 3.6, 3.8, 4.8, 4.12, 4.15, 4.19 and 4.21 of the report be approved.

2.    That the feedback from Scrutiny Board on Wolverhampton Response to Government Planning Consultations be received and noted.