Agenda item - Mandatory Development for Planning Committee

Joint report of the Director of Environment and Director of Strategy & Governance (copy attached), together with an extract from the proceedings of the Governance Committee meeting held on the 13^th July 2010 (to be circulated).

17.1         Councillor Oxley moved the report.

17.2         Councillor Hyde welcomed the report and stated that she felt there was a need to ensure that those councillors serving on the Planning Committee were fully up to date with the constant changes in planning legislation and practice.  It was a high profile committee and its proceedings were open to challenge and she felt this requirement would help to maintain the committee’s standing.  She noted that the proposal had the support of the Members Development Working Group and the Overview & Scrutiny Commission.

17.3         Councillors Kennedy and Carden expressed their support for the proposal and acknowledged that there was a need to keep abreast of various changes affecting planning.  They also recognised the importance and benefit of having specific training and developmental opportunities for councillors.

17.4         Councillor K Norman stated that the Members Development Working Group had considered the question of whether training should be mandatory.  The Group had agreed that for certain aspects it was important to ensure serving councillors kept up to date and therefore having a mandatory requirement was necessary.  It meant that officers could provide specific training programmes and times could be set aside for the delivery and completion of the training.  In this regard he wished to place on record the Working Group’s appreciation and thanks to Caroline Banfield, the Democratic Services Manager responsible for Member Development who had recently left the council and would be missed.

17.5         The Mayor noted that the report had been moved and put the recommendations to the council.

17.6         RESOLVED:

(1)         That mandatory training for all Members of the Planning pool be introduced on a six monthly basis;

(2)         That training be open to all other Members on a non mandatory basis;

(3)         That any mandatory development sessions should be offered on at least two different time-slots to take account of Members’ other commitments;

(4)         That the requirement for ongoing mandatory planning training every six months should come into force with effect from 16 July 2010 and that the first mandatory session be arranged as quickly as possible; and

(5)         That the Head of Law be authorised to amend the constitution to reflect the above, including making consequential drafting amendments.