Issue - meetings

The Committee considered the report of the Service Lead, Infrastructure, Planning and Development detailing the external review of Southampton City Council planning enforcement procedures. 

The Service Director, Growth and Service Lead, Infrastructure, Planning and Development were both present and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting. 

RESOLVED that:

i)  opportunities were identified to make it easier for members of the public to access the planning use class of residential properties in Southampton;

ii)  the Council employs a more robust use of warning letters, especially relating to Section 215 notices, and seeks to reduce the timescales for issuing formal warnings;

iii)  recognising the importance of the Planning Service to the economic performance of the city and the Council’s sustainability, the Executive prioritises the Planning Service, and improving the customer experience, when considering the next stages of the Council’s transformation programme / digital journey;

iv)  reflecting the recommendation above, steps were taken to improve access to information on current planning applications for Councillors and members of the public as soon as possible;

v)  the Committee were provided with Planning metrics that outline:

·  The current operational performance of the Planning Service against key indicators;

·  The performance of the IT system employed by Planning.

It is recommended that this information is also considered by the Council’s Senior Management Team; and

vi)  Planning Enforcement returns to the OSMC agenda in approximately 6 months’ time to consider the findings from the review of planning enforcement procedures and the associated improvement plan.