The Planning Board, which comprises elected Councillors, have a duty to decide planning and other development related applications. However not all decisions are made by them as, in line with Government advice, most decisions are delegated to the Director of Planning and Transport Services. The scheme of delegation set out below was adopted by Council on 27 February 2007.

Under this scheme, all types of application are delegated to the Director of Planning and Transport Services EXCEPT:-

A. Any application which proposes development which, in the Business Unit Director’s opinion, materially conflicts with the Development Plan or other Council policy, standards or guidance and which is recommended for approval.

B. Any application which an individual Member requests should be referred to the Statutory Planning Board because it is contentious and raises planning issues which would affect the wider public interest and which, in the opinion of the Member, should be decided by the Board, providing:

• the Member requests referral to the Board in writing or by e-mail normally by the end of the official first round publicity period on the agreed form. Requests for referral to the Board will be accepted following the expiry of the publicity period provided a delegated decision has not already been made.
• the application site is in that Member’s ward
• the Member undertakes to attend Planning Board to present his or her planning case, unless absence is unavoidable, in which case the attendance of a substitute Member should be arranged.

C. Any application identified as being submitted by a Member or Senior Officer of the Council (3rd/4th tier or above in Business Unit) or an Officer of Planning & Transport and which is recommended for approval (this does not include applications submitted on behalf of the Council).

D. Any other application which, in the Business Unit Director’s opinion, would be potentially controversial or likely to be of significant public interest.

E. Any application where the Business Unit Director receives 10 or more representations or a petition of 20 or more signatures being received from different addresses, where these conflict with the proposed decision to grant and where these raise material planning considerations which have not been overcome by negotiation or imposition of conditions (e.g. objections raising issues such as property values would be considered invalid in this context).